Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Fahrenheit 451

Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

8 reviews

angorarabbit's review against another edition

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challenging dark inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

TLDR: Beautiful writing style, thought provoking ideas.

Context: Teenager me tried to read a Bradbury short story collection but my mind was too jittery to appreciate well written prose and I was too impatient for short stories. That is a loss I will try to make up for.

A good novel lives rent free in your mind long after it is placed back on the shelf or returned to the library. For a great novel you are happy to give it the room. Fahrenheit 451 is one of those books. Rather than glow about Mr Bradbury’s work I’d like to leave my thoughts on two things.

First; Beatty is explaining to Montag why books are not only not needed but harmful to their society. “Coloured people don’t like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White People don’t feel good about Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Burn it.” In an afterword Mr Bradbury also writes that minorities and women play a part in censoring and banning books.

While women and minorities do add their voices to calls against books I do not think that they are the reason why books such as Little Black Sambo (LBS) are discarded. Rather, I would argue that it is the trend in books that changed. Even in the 60’s LBS was thought of as old fashioned, something your grandparents had laying around. We had Dr Seuss, and Maurice Sendak for goodness sake. Why would we want to read and look at pictures as old hat as LBC? LBC was as square as Aesop’s fables.

If women could rewrite books surely there would be a leading role for a few females in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings for a start. Foundation doesn’t have a single female, minority, or lgbtqaa+ character as far as I recall, yet has it been rewritten? No because the majority see no need.

Second: The wall to wall televisions block out the leaves and the Seashells block out the crickets in the night. Books can open your eyes or blind you to reality. They can enhance or block you thinking for yourself just as much if you let them. The trick is to read what will enhance and to live in the real world. If I had to memorise one book to save it from the book burners it would be Fahlrenheit 451 and not the bible.

Again thank you to libraries and librarians who despite the gun bearing Redoubt continue to bring banned books to our eyes.

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filipa_maia's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was on my TBR for a very long time before I decided to read it. This book was on my TBR for a very long time before I decided to read it.

I love this dystopian world created by Ray Bradbury: What if owning books, or read them, was illegal? I cannot even think about that. Man, my house would be burned down in two seconds... How can a book written in 1953 describe the world today? The “infinite scroll” society we live in today is not much different from the one Bradbury writes about.

I don't think this is the last time I will read this book.

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ellaticonstellation's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Great premise, but this didn't age well. There's a lot of ways this can be better. But I honestly love the drama that's why it still 3 stars. Thank you, Ray🔥🚒👨‍🚒📚

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izypup's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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akvolcano's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I’m glad that I’ve read this now, I doubt I’d have the same perspective if I read it in high school. I find it quite ironic and ignorant that the author claims that “minorities” are the ones destroying literature and thoughtfulness. That THEY would be and ARE the reason information censoring exists. When in current times, it is people who look and think like him, a rich white old man, who are the main source of people who like to censor stories written by and about minorities. He also thinks that complexity can only be created, exist, maintain, in an exclusionist and harmful environment. It is a shame he does not see the beautiful endless deep complexities in inclusivity and understanding and active listening and having empathy for others. He is missing out.
As for the book itself, I wish parts of the afterword was included in the book. I also wish that this book was longer….where it left off still feels like the backstory. I do enjoy the futuristic exploration! I also agree with placing high value on letting ourselves slowing down and giving us a chance to think and to feel. I would like to write down some quotes from this book!
I also find it ironic that this book has been banned on and off. I feel like it proves part of his point that it is more of so the thoughts and actions that happen after reading a book-that is more dangerous than the book itself. The power comes from people, books help with the process of preserving and sharing those ideas.
Overall, I am glad I finally read this book myself. I wouldn’t read it again, nor would I recommend it without heavy discussion, but it does paint a good picture. Oh and also-

The idea of people memorizing books, stories, history-is not original. It comes from Indigenous people and it comes from so many other cultures. But it doesn’t surprise me that credit is not given to the source of which gave him the idea to include it in the book

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gabriella_'s review against another edition

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dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I enjoyed the writing style a lot. The visual symbolism throughout was easy to paint a picture, and the way the words flowed was satisfying. But the actual message felt pretentious, considering the only two prominent women in this are a manic pixie dream girl (a teenager at that) and a ditzy housewife? No thanks.

How do you get so empty? He wondered. Who takes it out of you?

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dayyeah's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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unoriginalinspiration's review

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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