Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451, By Ray Bradbury:

"There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing." - Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451, Part 1

This book was required reading in my English class in High School, back then I didn't much care for the book...but I think it was because I was reading from a literal view. When I read books in High School I read for the story, so if a book had a double meaning I usually didn't pick up on it...occasionally I would but generally I just thought it was a good story or bad one. Well 10 years later I have noticed a huge change in the way i read books now, I search for more than just the story. So after more than 10 years I decided to pick up this book again (even though in high school I swore I'd never read it again.) I cant believe the message that this book has in it and even more than that but how much I can see our world now in this book. The cockiness and arrogance of people to think they don't need to think they just need to be and if they just need to be then why do something like read. Also the greediness for power in the government in this book. While I was googling the image of this book I found something interesting that explains this book really well...

Now I am NOT saying that this is what this country is like today. I just found this interesting from the books point of view. In the story Guy Montag, the fireman who burns book for a living to gain a curiosity for what he burns and then become a fugitive. He meets a group of men scholars, old college teachers, even an old reverend who are on the constant run. They have a small portable TV where they show Montag that even those the cops, news helicopter and even a robotic dog lost his trail when he jumped in the river they couldn't leave their viewers thinking there was a criminal still roaming free. So they pick some innocent guy who was walking down the street to be their new "montag" their new fugitive to capture for the sake of face. The second time I have read this book it really hit me and I could understand why so many others liked this story so much.

"I just want someone to hear what I have to say. And maybe if I talk long enough, it'll make sense."- Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451, Part 2