Selection Of The Month
Fahrenheit 451 by
Nearly seventy years after its original publication, Ray Bradbury's internationally acclaimed novel Fahrenheit 451 stands as a classic of world literature set in a bleak, dystopian future. Today its message has grown more relevant than ever before. Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television "family." But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn't live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.
Discussion Points
Adapted from discussion questions from ReadingGroupGuides by Alice Jones-Miller, an editor and writer living in Westchester County, New York.
- Why would society make "being a pedestrian" a crime? (Clarisse tells Montag that her uncle was once arrested for this.)
- Why do you think the firemen's rulebook credited Benjamin Franklin-- writer, publisher, political leader, inventor, ambassador--as being the first fireman?
- Montag turns to books to rescue him; instead they help demolish his life -- he loses his wife, job and home; he kills a man and is forced to be a nomad. Does he gain any benefits from books? If so, what are they?
- Since the government is so opposed to readers, thinkers, walkers, and slow drivers, why does it allow the procession of men along the railroad tracks to exist.
- What does Granger mean when he says, "We're going to go build a mirror factory first and put out nothing but mirrors for the next year and take a long time to look at them?" Why would "mirrors" be important in this new society? (Note: In Part 1, Clarisse is said to be "like a mirror.")
- Although Ray Bradbury's work is often referred to as science fiction, Fahrenheit has plenty to say about the world as it is, and not as it could be. As you review the book, list examples of the themes mentioned below, as well as others you notice. Discuss how you feel about the stands the author or characters take in Fahrenheit.
- conformity vs. individuality
- freedom of speech and the consequences of losing it
- the importance of remembering and understanding history
- machines as helpers to humans, machines as hindrances or enemies
Zoom Meeting Information
Zoom information will be provided closer to the planned meeting: 12:00pm-1:00pm, February 15, 2023.
Further Reading And Materials
Listen to the Echoes by
Ray Bradbury is a literary and publishing phenomenon who has had over 500 works published, including short stories, novels, plays, screenplays, television scripts and verse. In Listen to the Echoes, Bradbury shares his opinions and memories in a series of revelatory and often controversial conversations. Written by the author's official biographer - award-winning journalist and noted Bradbury scholar Sam Weller - this is the most candid portrait of the author known to date.
Call Number: ARCHER PS 3503 R167 Z46 2010
Ray Bradbury Unbound by
In Ray Bradbury Unbound, Jonathan R. Eller continues the story begun in his acclaimed Becoming Ray Bradbury, following the beloved author's evolution from a short story master to a multi-media creative force and outspoken visionary. At the height of his powers as a poetic prose stylist, Bradbury shifted his creative attention to film and television, where new successes gave him an enduring platform as a compelling cultural commentator. His passionate advocacy validated the U.S. space program's mission, extending his pivotal role as a chronicler of human values in an age of technological wonders. Informed by many years of interviews with Bradbury as well as an unprecedented access to personal papers and private collections, Ray Bradbury Unbound provides the definitive portrait of how a legendary American author helped shape his times.
The Haunted Computer and the Android Pope by
Rejoice in the strange and the ordinary in this contemplative collection of poetry from the celebrated author of Fahrenheit 451. One of the most well-known figures in modern fantasy and science fiction, often credited for heralding the genre into the mainstream, Ray Bradbury delights readers time and time again with writing that pushes the boundaries of reality. In this outstanding collection, Bradbury delivers poem after poem full of hope, fear, philosophy and faith. As in his work of speculative fiction, Bradbury's unique perspective on humanity graces every page. From technology to Ty Cobb, strawberry shortcake and death, this selection delivers some of Bradbury's best. Some of his most beloved poetry, including "They Have Not Seen the Stars," "This Attic Where the Meadow Greens," "There Are No Ghosts in Catholic Spain," "Farewell Summer," "Once the Years Were Numerous and the Funerals Few," "Doing Is Being," and "We Are The Reliquaries of Lost Time," is featured. Humorous, thoughtful, and every bit as out of this world as readers have come to expect from the legend, this is a must-have for collectors and new readers alike. "Let us now praise Ray Bradbury, the uncrowned poet laureate of science fiction."--The Times
- Out of Print (Documentary) Every aspect of the written word is changing from publishing to writing and selling to reading. If books are the foundation of civilization, how does that change the world of ideas? And how does it change us? With the unique perspective gained as a director at the Library of Congress and the UC Berkeley Library, filmmaker Vivienne Roumani tackles the questions confronting today's word industry and shows that much more is at stake than how quickly we can access the latest byte. Out of Print is narrated by Meryl Streep and features Jeff Bezos, Scott Turow, Ray Bradbury, Jeffrey Toobin, Robert Darnton, Jane Friedman, Alberto Manguel, booksellers, cognitive scientists, architects, educators, parents, and students.
