January is coming speedily to a close, which means that it is time to discuss our impressions about Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. If this is confusing please take a look back at our older posts for this month and find the picture of Levar Burton (the Reading Rainbow guy). We started a book club this year and hence the discussion.
Anyway, I'll start the ball rolling. This story was originally written in 1953 as a science fiction illustration of a future where electronics have replaced books and everyone is concerned about feeling good in the moment, and has forsaken social ties for technological imagery. Man, glad we don't live in a world like that (note the thinly veiled sarcasm in this statement). Seriously though, I read this book for the first time in high school and it made an impression on my memory as a good book; however, after reading it the second time, ten years later, it seemed downright prophetic. When the book discusses Milly and her attachment to her 'family' I couldn't help but look back on my last get-together with my own family at Thanksgiving and recall all of us sitting in the living room one evening, each on their own piece of equipment. Whether it was a cell phone (aka: the pocket-sized computer), an HD TV, an Ipod, or a laptop (which was what I was on at the time), we were together and miles apart at the same time. I'm not saying that's all we do at our family reunions, generally you can't shut us up, that just happened to be a poignant flash where literature reflected life for a moment.
That's where I want to start the discussion, we can delve into imagery and hidden meanings in a bit, but to begin with I want to pose a question to you all: Do you think that Bradbury was right in his estimation of the future? When he wrote this book television was black-and-white and still a fairly new technology, radios were not so mobile, computer's were non-existent and if you wanted to listen to your favorite song you had to buy something called a 'record' (its like a big black CD, see link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramophone_record ). Now we have nearly unlimited information via the internet. Is this deluge of technology making us a more knowledgeable and advanced society or is the ease through which we obtain this information making us lazy and negligent of the knowledge to be had in books? So there it is, to begin with, how on the ball do you think Bradbury is about the present and the future? Look ahead in time and let's open the discussion forum, feel free to bring up any points you would like to about the book and let's dive into Fahrenheit 451!
Next month's book will be announced on Friday. Again, look for Levar Burton.
4 comments:
Molly here. If you didn't realize, January is Ry's month to take point on the book club, so he is the 'official' voice starting up this discussion. That being said, here's my two cents.
I have to say that I was equally shocked by just how much of the technology-driven reality I read about was something I recognized as all around me in my day to day. Seriously insane.
To give my answer to Ry's question, I think we're well on our way. I know the whole premise is about books, but I'm going to take on the relationship aspect of it all for a moment. It seemed to me that the overriding take-this-to-heart theme was that we have to remember. Remember people, how we met them (could you believe he and his wife couldn't even remember how they met?!), what those that came before us had to say, etc. And I think the threat that is creeping up on us is a world where we are so busy multi-tasking we don't have time to think a thought of our own, let alone remember someone else's. Or even pay attention to them when they share them. SO much speeding from place to place that we don't even notice there's dew on the grass. ;)
Remember the scene on the subway where the speaker is blaring a dentifrice commercial louder and louder so Montag, though he tries repeatedly, can't recall even one line of a book he's just read? Yeah.
So much noise and distraction, trying to do too much at once, wanting bigger, better, more connection, and, ironically, we're LOSING the connection that we have with the people around us.
EX: How many people (ourselves included) continue texting or messing with their phones while talking to someone else? Do we really think we can listen properly or that the other person is really going to open up when we can't give our undivided attention or even eye contact for five minutes? Like Beatty said, it didn't just happen one day, it was ". . .gradually, gradually neglected."
I'll keep it to that for now. Leave a comment and we'll keep the discussion going. I'm excited to hear what everyone else has to say.
(Be sure to click the 'email follow-up comments. . .' box to keep up on the discussion!)
Unfortunately our library couldn't find Fahrenheit 451 so I didn't get to read it. I just have to go off my 9th grade memory. Even as a 14 year old I realized how much of this book had actually come to pass and look how much further we have come technologically since 1999!
One thing I remembered about this book was his wife's suicide attempt. With all the technology and entertainment they were still unhappy people. All the "fun" things she did and she hated life but didn't seem to want to change it either. What a sad way to live.
I do think Bradbury was right, that seems to be the way we are heading as a society and it surprises me to see how correct he was when technology was really in its infancy. How did he see the dangers so clearly when most others saw nothing of the sort?
I totally agree, Meagan- it's a great book to help you realize what really brings happiness! It isn't flash- it's quality and people and simplicity.
I was reading a biography with Bradbury and apparently he wrote this book in the basement of a library (funny story in and of itself), surrounded by all of his best friends and mentors- aka books. He talked about taking quick breaks to walk down the aisles, letting his hand choose one of the great authors to read from for a few minutes before getting back to work. He talked like he really KNEW them like friends, and maybe that's the secret to being able to 'see into the future'-- reading so much from so many, the past, present and imagined future maybe helps us to separate from our own concerns and the life we live and keep so closely, and lets us back up and see the world around us more clearly.
Just a thought. :)
Molly, you're so deep. It is possible that the bad mood that has been following me around for a while is impeding on my deepness. I like your reply and I can't help but wonder if this book was Bradbury's greatest fear, that someday society would be like this and it is coming true much faster than anyone would have thought.
I know as I get older the world around me seems to get uglier.
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