Celsius 233
I realize that my most recent post was about a book I read. And this post is about a book I’m reading. What can I say? I like to read and I read a lot!! (114 books in 2009) And my newest favorite book is a book about books - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. (BTW, 451 degrees F can be converted to approximately 233 degrees C - hence the title)
This book was written in the early 1950s. That’s almost 60 years ago. Yet, some aspects of the story seem to be describing the present-day. Before I began the book, I thought it was just the story of a time when censorship reigned and books were being burnt. I’m only a little over halfway through the book, but there is so much more to the story!
The people that Bradbury writes of can be found living very individual lives that involve having “seashell ear thimbles” in their ears at all times. These “ear thimbles” deliver entertainment and music and everyone can have their own personal choice of sounds. Does anyone else read that and think about how iPods are taking over the world (at least on college campuses) and inhibiting community?
Bradbury’s characters are also absorbed with storylines that are delivered to them over huge screens that take over their entire walls. This makes me think about how Americans are ever-pursuing larger, flatter screens for their TVs and living vicariously through the shows we watch. Eerie comparisons to 2010 in America.
Montag, the main character, who begins to be bothered by the burning of books (yes, that is part of the story) and the fact that some are willing to suffer death by being burnt along with their books, comments “There must be something there… people don’t die for nothing.”
And I have to agree, books always have something there! And I love reading them and finding out just what that something might be….
2 years ago • 0 notes