Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

"The magic is only in what the books say, how they stitched the patches of the universe together into one garment for us."


I'm not sure where I first heard about Fahrenheit 451. It's most likely that I have heard it mentioned among the ranks of banned books (which is quite ironic for a book centered on the evils of censorship).

I decided to pick it up after reading an article about Ray Bradbury upon his death two weeks ago. The more I read about Mr. Bradbury, the more I am convinced that we think similarly and the more disappointed I become that I'll never have the chance to meet him now. Thankfully, I can still explore his lovely mind through articles written about him and through his own works.

Now, let's get back to the book itself. Fahrenheit 451 is the story of Guy Montag, a fireman in a future where houses are fireproof and firemen start fires rather than put them out. In particular, the set fire to books.

Books have been banned for as long as Guy can remember. Why? They went out of fashion on their own. People chose to stop reading and, by extension, stop thinking. Before long, books were made illegal because truly thinking made people unhappy. And even if it made you happy to learn, it made the people around you feel stupid and therefore unhappy. When you could simply drown in your superficial world bombarded by what is meant to be full-time pleasure, why ruin that with conscious thought?

Guy thinks nothing of the way things are until he meets a seventeen year old girl whose observations and questions make him stop and consider the way things are. Why is it so weird that she likes to be outside? Why is it okay for children to murder each other? What is so threatening about books that they have become illegal? What's so intoxicating about them that people sob over their burnt collections or even choose to go up in flames with them?

The tale told in Fahrenheit 451 is one that anyone who even remotely enjoys reading will appreciate. The story paints a stunning portrait of the evils of censorship and just how easy it is to cross the line into a territory where we don't want to find ourselves. This book makes you sit back and think. I will definitely be shelling out the cash needed to add this to my personal library. I would definitely put this among the ranks of my all-time favorite books. Add it to your "to be read" list ASAP.

Rating: ~♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥~


We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither. I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that one if I'd a knowed it would make him feel that way. 


Set before the civil war, when some states condoned slavery and others didn't, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has been deemed a highly controversial book since it was first published; mainly due to Twain's use of the word "nigger" throughout the text -- a highly derogatory and offensive word often used then (and, sadly, sometimes now) to refer to blacks or African-Americans. 


But Twain doesn't use the word frivolously and, if one reads the book and looks to the themes portrayed throughout, we see how he discourages the condescending nature used at such a time in our nation's history.


As well as being known for it's controversial nature, this book is also known for being quite a literary achievement. In fact, Ernest Hemingway once referred to it in saying that, "All modern literature stems from this one book." While I'm not sure if this is entirely true, I found myself enjoying this tale immensely, as well as enjoying the writing style Mr. Twain employs throughout.


Narrated by Huck Finn, a boy originally introduced in another book by Mark Twain (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer), the story written the way a young boy who had only completed so much schooling would have written it. Huck writes things the way he sees them and his work is filled with spelling errors that belie his limited access to a dictionary. Each dialect is written exactly how it sounds and gives the reader an excellent view of the action, as if the reader was standing beside him as each part of the story went down.


Huck himself is the son of a drunkard who rarely comes into town and, when he does, only manages to manipulate and hurt his son. He's a no-good father who would rather see to his own gain than the well-being of his child. As a result, he ends up "kidnapping" Huck and keeping him locked up in their home. Though he feeds and cares for him at times, he can also be volatile and dangerous. When Huck's had enough he breaks out, fakes his murder, and runs away.


It's then that Huck meets up with Jim, a slave that the boy knows well. Jim had caught wind that he was going to be sold down South, away from his wife and children, and ran off before he would let anyone take him. He planned to escape to freedom, get a job, and buy back his family. Huck, eager for company, joins him and together they make their way to freedom. But the journey won't be an easy one. They're bound for plenty of trouble and, in Huck's case, there's a lot of growing up to do.


Overall, this was a lovely book that I really enjoyed reading. I don't think it deserves to be banned and those that have objections to it should look beyond face value. Often, authors have good reason to include controversial material and those reasons should be thoroughly considered before people dismiss the work altogether. When we make informed decisions, we can learn things we never could have without stepping out of our comfort zones.


Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


"Pooty soon I'll be a-shout'n' for joy, en I'll say, it's all on accounts o' Huck; I's a free man, en I couldn't ever ben free ef it hadn' ben for Huck; Huck done it. Jim won't ever forgit you, Huck; you's de bes' fren' Jim's ever had; en you's de ONLY fren' ole Jim's got now."