Bina
First novel published
Posts: 2,472
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Post by Bina on Jan 8, 2007 15:12:51 GMT -5
Yeah, she belives everything her "family" says. I finished it today and it´s so one of my favorites! And I love this quote, it´s from the second part but it doesn´t give things away so: "Do you know that books smell like nutmeg or some spice from a foreign land?" (Faber)
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Kristie
Novel turned into BBC miniseries
"If a book is well written, I always find it too short."
Posts: 7,214
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Post by Kristie on Jan 8, 2007 17:58:53 GMT -5
Is it okay yet to move onto the last half of part 1? Just want to see who's ready and, if not, how much time we'll need to wait.
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Post by bookaddict on Jan 8, 2007 21:53:23 GMT -5
So I'm a little late getting starting, but I finished the first part and I really am enjoying the book. I agree with what has been said. I find it interesting that when Mildred is interested in her play she is only interested in the names of characters. Her play has no plot, there’s nothing interesting about it. This is a major step back in entertainment. Entertainment is a huge part of society and its hard to believe people would give it up so easily. Mildred seems to be a lost soul, living life not knowing or understanding anything about her life. She has no understanding of finances and I find it sad she isn't even able to understand that she almost died from taking too many pills. Her life is meaningless, and the only thing she is capable of talking about is the fact that she wants a fourth wall. She is not really living, but reacting to others wants. There are so many suicide attempts and probably everyone is like Mildred and can not comprehend what suicide is. I also find it interesting that people can’t remember a time that was not that far before. If Clarisse uncle’s grandfather is able to remember a time before it was not that long ago. Why is this time forgotten? Is it because of the lack of books, history and thinking? Even so, oral history has been used by many nations to keep the history known. It’s not thinking, simply repeating. Is it banned? This book slightly reminds me of “Do androids dream of electric sheep?.”
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Post by Dominique on Jan 9, 2007 1:01:32 GMT -5
I haven't read do androids but I know Bladerunner was based on it, is it any good?
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rosemint
Collection of short stories published by an independent editor
Posts: 879
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Post by rosemint on Jan 9, 2007 2:38:20 GMT -5
I finished the book and I love it! In the beginning I didn't like it that mutch because I didn't know what the characters were like, but after that it just got better!!!
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Post by bookaddict on Jan 9, 2007 8:39:32 GMT -5
DO androids dream of electric sheep was good. I really enjoyed it and thought that I wouldn't.
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Post by bookaddict on Jan 9, 2007 17:14:46 GMT -5
Kristie asked if it was okay to post the second half of part one. I'm also ready, so i'll start to post.
I find it very ironic that the fireman pulls out a book to prove to Montag the history of firemen. The rule book says that firemen were suppose to burn books and they originated in 1790, but later when Beatty comes to his house he explains the real reason why books are now illegal. He explains that "a book is a loaded gun" (p 58). In their world there is no room for thinking. He believes that the best way to keep people happy is to give them nothing to think about.
Beatty tells Montag "if you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one." This is very interesting to me because there are many people in our world who refuse to ask questions. Some people look up to their leaders as the only person who knows what is right, and they refuse to question the policies. In Montag's world a person who does not think for themself is only happy with materialistic things. In their world to keep a person from thinking is to keep them running around, and at a fast pace this way they have no time to think. Also, it is essential that children are brainwashed early. Beatty says: " The home environment can undo a lot you try to do at school. That's why we've lowered the kindergarden age year after year until now we're almost snatching them from the cradle." It seems that these people never questioned anything, just accepted what was told to them.
Anothing thing I noticed in the book is when Montag sees the real Mildred he begins to call her "Millie." This only seems to appear when he wants something from her. He wants her love him, and start questioning life. They don't even remember when they first met. Their family are the people in the walls. Mildred is consumed with her stories in the walls, but really there is no story going on. When Mildred goes to visit people, Montag questions why.
When Montag starts to see an alternative to his world it is clearly showed in this quote. I really loved this part. "His hands had been infected, and soon it would be his arms. He could feel the poison working up his wrists and into his elbows and his shoulders, and then the jump over from shoulder blade to shoulder blade like a spark leaping a gap. His hands were ravenous. And his eyes were beginning to feel hunger, as if they must look at something, anything, everything". I thought the writing here was amazing. It really makes you feel for Montag and what he is going through. The curiousity and the fear of what he might find or if he is found out.
Sorry if this is not all comprehensible...I typed it up fast. I just finished the second part and I was really excited to post. LOL
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Isa
Administrator
Posts: 6,995
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Post by Isa on Jan 10, 2007 20:27:48 GMT -5
If some of you didn't have time to post on the first half of Part 1, you can analyze the two parts together. It's never too late to join in on the conversation!
In the second half of Part 1, I was captivated by Beatty's account of what led to the book burnings. Basically, the government didn’t have anything to do with the censorship, it only came from people becoming so intolerant of other people’s ideas, and that’s a very scary thought. And once again, when Beatty talks about all the ways they have found to make sure people will spend less time thinking, i.e. zippers so they can dress more quickly, action-packed movies so their mind can't wander off, we can't help but think about our own fast-paced lives and get a little worried –doesn’t it make you think about our own microwaves and video games?! It also helps answer the question in your previous post, bookaddict - people don't remember what happened before because they've stopped thinking. The proof is that Montag and Mildred can't remember when they met, even if it was only 10 years ago.
But it’s nice to see that even if he only knew her for a short time, Clarisse had a special effect on Montag and you just know that it’s going to change his life, for better or for worse. For the very first time he starts thinking about the books he’s burning, and he sums it up really well when he says "It took some man a lifetime maybe to put some of his thoughts down, looking around at the world and life, and then I come along in two minutes and boom! It’s all over." It’s so well written, and I just can’t wait to keep on reading!
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waltzmoorex
First poem written for Mother’s Day
Posts: 3
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Post by waltzmoorex on Jan 12, 2007 23:39:24 GMT -5
i read the entire book in english class last semester and i dont know like how you guys do these discussions but ill just say what i thought of the first part i guess
i just thought it was pretty weird how all these people are so like i dont know its like the whole civilization is part of a cult or something you know
and the part where hes like being haunted by the vent above his head my teacher was like oooh i wonder whats up there
and this one kid in my class was like ITS THE DEVILLLL in like a singsong voice it was funny. <33
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Kristie
Novel turned into BBC miniseries
"If a book is well written, I always find it too short."
Posts: 7,214
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Post by Kristie on Jan 13, 2007 13:53:39 GMT -5
This was a very eventful section, the last half of Part 1. The scene with the old lady dying with her books is a huge changing point in Montag’s life. He can’t imagine what would be in them that is so important to die for. Beatty reveals to the others that he has obviously read some books in his time, as he understands and explains the context of the quote the old lady said as they barged into her house. Montag's curiosity gets the better of him and he takes one of the books from the house and hides it in his coat. He glimpsed a line as it was thrown to him, and he wanted to know what else was in the book.
When he goes home that night, after the fire, he hides the book under his pillow. But he also asks Mildred when and where they met for the first time, and she didn’t know. It was something that he talked about before, when the men came to pump her stomach and how nobody really knew anyone else, that they were all strangers. He’s finally realized that he and Millie are strangers living together. He really doesn’t know her and he feels lonely because of this. I think that because he feels lonely and like it won't hurt anyone but himself, it is one reason he is willing to read the book. He doesn’t like the interacting Millie does with the “relatives” thru the TV, but he wonders what he might find in the book. The book with its unknown treasures could be a companion because as he reads it he will really get to know the characters within, more than he knows his own wife. Knowing fictional people better than real people would definitely be more interesting, from what I understand of the American society they live in.
The night after the fire, Montag feels sick just thinking about burning that old lady with her books. Beatty comes to give him a “fireman talk” which I suspect has something to do with the curious questions Montag was asking before the fire. Beatty I think, suspects Montag is becoming one of the people they pursue and so he wants to let him in on the history of the censoring and the role of the fireman. It’s odd that keeping peace among the nation hinges on allowing no man to know more than another, and for any work that offends one person to not be allowed to any. And that firemen are the peace keepers, to make sure no man is superior than his peers, is something I would never have thought firemen to be responsible for.
I think that it is very odd there being a special law for the firemen to be able to take a book they should’ve burnt and do whatever with it, but burn it within 24 hours. Now, why are the firemen allowed to be smarter or know more? Or is this just an understanding among the firemen that no one else knows about? Have you realized that in order to have a job, some people are smarter in some things than in others? I mean, I don't think that everyone would be considered the same for every job and people in certain job fields have to know more about it than the others or there isn't a point to have them. Does that make sense? But Mildred freaks out when she finds out that Montag has a stash of 20-ish books. She looks at them like they’re poisonous snakes and tries to keep as far from them as possible. Knowing from what I do of Mildred, I don’t think I would’ve let her in on that secret because she seems so scared of nonconformity that I wouldn’t put it past her to turn in her own husband, which is clear that she doesn’t love.
Have any of you read Anthem by Ayn Rand or The Giver by Lois Lowry? They’re other dystopic novels. There is a part in A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle where the children are in an alternate dystopic universe. Just wondered if you’d heard of them because they’re similar to this book. Sort of like the movie “V for Vendetta” too (haven’t read the book, but it’s dystopic too).
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Post by bookaddict on Jan 16, 2007 19:15:39 GMT -5
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Isa
Administrator
Posts: 6,995
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Post by Isa on Jan 16, 2007 19:49:56 GMT -5
Great link, thanks! I didn't want to read all the questions because I'm not done reading the book yet, but after we're done analyzing the novel part by part, I think we should tackle some of those questions.
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Post by bookaddict on Jan 16, 2007 19:52:30 GMT -5
Same here, I didn't read all the questions until i'm done. I think it would be good for my book journal too.
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Post by bookaddict on Jan 21, 2007 20:42:38 GMT -5
Is everyone ready for the next part?
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bookworm148
Collection of short stories published by an independent editor
"Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of a sky of a tree called life."
Posts: 671
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Post by bookworm148 on Jan 21, 2007 22:47:44 GMT -5
This book was fantastic! I recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet.
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