Just finished Fahrenheit 451 and I think I've found me a new favorite author

Submitted by bookworm579 t3_z1a32i in books

Ray Bradbury has such a unique and interesting way of describing the world in 'Fahrenheit 451', one that is very refreshing to read. I love how poetic the writing is and how the story is broken up partly into the main characters thoughts. For example, the author will repeat some lines of narrative to make it sound like the MC is trying to convince himself of something. I've never seen that done before and it was cool to read. Though at the same time I can imagine why it would be tedious, so anyone who has read it, maybe you could share your opinion? Did you find it annoying?

I haven't read this book before. I believe we are reading it either this year or the next year during school, and can I just say I am so thankful I read it before I was forced to. I really enjoy dystopian, especially when the author describes in depth how it affects individuals and culture, and Ray Bradbury did this perfectly in Fahrenheit 451. In fact, one of my favorite parts that he does this is on pages 96-97 when they're talking about politics (I don't want to spoil anything, so if your interested you can look at it.)

All in all, this is now one of my favorite books. I am also a writer, and I think Ray Bradbury's style of writing is one that I will look up to from now on. I love the imagery, descriptions, and the way his sentences flow together. Very Inspiring.

So if you have read the book, please feel free to comment about your opinion on it. Be it plot, writing, the meaning behind the dystopian, or anything else. I just thought it would be interesting to hear some other thoughts about the book from others who have read it :)

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rrivers730 t1_ixacn2m wrote

One of my favorites. Check out the Martian Chronicles if you enjoyed Fahrenheit 451.

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msw1984 t1_ixau4y0 wrote

The Illustrated Man as well...

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IanSavage23 t1_ixc6y6r wrote

Haven't read it. But i remember maybe between 1969-1973 saw it at movie theater. Rod Steiger. Cant remember much about it , but as a young kid had no idea what it was about.

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bookworm579 OP t1_ixaczq9 wrote

I totally will, thank you for the recommendation!

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LadybugGal95 t1_ixbgoar wrote

I was coming on here to recommend The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man as well. They are awesome. I think my favorite scene from Bradbury is in The Martian Chronicles. It’s a scene where the narrator has built a house out of Edgar Allan Poe’s work to kill off a bunch of book censors. It’s amazing. I was cheering out loud and getting funny looks for it but did not care.

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Je-Hee t1_ixaos9c wrote

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale strikes me as especially relevant for the US at this moment in history. Note that the ebook publisher jacked up the price for the US, so look for a library copy.

Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower may be interesting for you too.

Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go is worth a closer look imo.

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bookworm579 OP t1_ixax90i wrote

so much to read and so little time~

Thank you for the suggestions!

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monkeymind8 t1_ixbagov wrote

I’m past due reading Octavia Butler.

Recommend Ursula Le Guins Left Hand of Darkness.

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TheAceprobe t1_ixc6ys7 wrote

Just saw the movie - Never Let Me Go

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Je-Hee t1_ixcnjns wrote

It was required reading for a class on utopian and dystopian literature in college in my case - and the only book that Ishiguro penned which didn't put me to sleep within 10 minutes.

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3-Eyed_Fishbulb t1_ixma0m0 wrote

My copy of Fahrenheit 451 has, amongst many authors, Margaret Atwood's praise for it. She said this sole book was a big influence to her.

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LePetitPrinceFan t1_ixcshpi wrote

If you can, please read "The Scythe" by Bradbury!
I love this short story of his

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Shermthedank t1_ixd2tx6 wrote

Just curious what it was like reading this book while our reality has been somewhat dystopian the past few years. Is it helpful in that regard, like cathartic or healing to read it, or does it kind of feed into it in a negative way. Maybe it didn't cross your mind either way

I haven't read this either, and haven't read a book in a couple years. This would be a fitting classic for me to get back into reading.

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bookworm579 OP t1_iximyqj wrote

It was really interesting to read especially in our current reality. There are a lot of "Futuristic" aspects that he refers to that are currently invented, but were not in the time of writing the book (Like television.) But with that in mind, he also touched on how those things can affect us negatively and kind of be a tool to drag us away from intelligence (for example, people spend hours scrolling on their phones instead of using that time to learn something, talk to people, read a book, etc.) It also has a lot of governmental aspects, how the government controls the people through that way but I don't want to spoil too much.

For me, I would say that all throughout the book it was cathartic. There were some really sad parts talking about people who haven't understood how important books were (if you read it you'll understand) and haven't been able to break out of the "spell." It was sad, but also eye opening.

I would say if you are into dystopian books that make you sad, rethink life and who we are as beings, this is a great book to read. I absolutely loved it.

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monkeymind8 t1_ixbacxt wrote

Was just about to mention that great one. I may reread it. Dandelion Wine too. Bradbury is great.

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interesting_lurker t1_ixbx9jf wrote

YES. I was absolutely intrigued by the Martian Chronicles as a kid. Not even normally a sci-fi fan.

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Herbacult t1_ixd3cii wrote

I read it a few years back and now I’m listened to the audiobook narrated by Scott Brick. He has the perfect voice for the material!

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mollygrue2329 t1_ixa7bl5 wrote

And my favorite first line ever " It was a pleasure to burn."

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hiplop t1_ixb1nn8 wrote

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1IxOS4VzKM

​

Fuck me, Ray Bradbury

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afearisthis t1_ixbiij5 wrote

I remember seeing this when it first came around. Just put it together that it was Rachel Bloom.

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whatisscoobydone t1_ixfr0dg wrote

I remember being a young teen and watching this when it came out, and then we finally watch Crazy Ex-Girlfriend last year and holy crap

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SoCalDama t1_ix9xf6x wrote

I haven’t read the book, but when I was in high school (mid-70’s) he came and gave a talk to our school as a favor to our dean. He was so interesting and read one of his short stories to us. I am tempted to read the book now.

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bookworm579 OP t1_ixa0tgi wrote

That sounds so exciting, I'm glad you got the chance to do something like that!

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SupremePooper t1_ixaul0q wrote

Bradbury was a poet masquerading as a writer of genre fiction.

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bookworm579 OP t1_ixawchf wrote

That is so true

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readzalot1 t1_ixbjio5 wrote

Something Wicked This Way Comes is a very poetic and fantastic coming of age story by Bradbury. His short story collections are some of my favorite books ever, as well.

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RagsTTiger t1_ixbowj3 wrote

I’m reading this book at the moment. And was coming here to write it’s a poem not a novel.

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pperiodly33 t1_ixdcaex wrote

Dandelion Wine felt like one long beautiful poem

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RubyandThor57 t1_ixarjvq wrote

Read his “illustrated Man”… one of my favs. It’s a series of short stories based on the tattoos a man has. “The Veld” still gives me goosebumps.

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bookworm579 OP t1_ixawpb7 wrote

That sounds really cool, I'm actually about to start reading it

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3-Eyed_Fishbulb t1_ixmagc8 wrote

'Kaleidoscope', that one did me in. Would love to see a short film of it

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id416 t1_ixa7qwm wrote

He became my favorite author after Fahrenheit, which I never read in school but rather for pleasure as an adult.

Almost was disappointed when I realized almost all of his books are loosely tied (at best) short story anthologies but then realized I like those better than his novel writing after reading a couple. Dandelion Wine is my all-time favorite book.

Just started I Sing the Body Electric! literally this morning, one of the last ones I haven't read yet. Hope you enjoy the discovery of his books as much as I did.

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bookworm579 OP t1_ixaaxtl wrote

Thank you! This was the first book that I've read by him so I'm excited to see what else he's written

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AsteroidShuffle t1_ixao2fy wrote

Ray Bradbury is amazing. I get why Fahrenheit 451 is the one everyone knows, but unlike some other authors assigned in school, his body of work is filled with great books.

The Martian Chronicles and Something Wicked this Way Comes are some of his best, but with what you're saying about his language I in particular think you should check out Dandelion Wine.

It's been a few years since I've read Fahrenheit 451, but what struck me was actually learning what the book was about. Most people stop at it being anti-censorship (burning books bad), but it's much more about anti-intellectualism. You don't have to burn books if people aren't intellectually curious.

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Rezangyal t1_ixccafm wrote

I love how forward thinking it is as well.

The “ear seashell” for communication and the interactive wall/television/reality tv Montag’s wife is obsessed with…

Nailed it.

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infinitedrumroll t1_ixasmwl wrote

The Martian Chronicles is my fav Bradbury.

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bookworm579 OP t1_ixawlie wrote

I've heard so much about it, I'll have to read it soon

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Purrrkittymeow t1_ixbnwc7 wrote

You have to read Something Wicked This Way Comes

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bhbhbhhh t1_ixafswr wrote

I don’t disagree with him in disliking the anti-intellectualist streak of American culture, but he’s annoyingly hamfisted about it.

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PhasmaFelis t1_ixargc0 wrote

The utter, dehumanized horror when he describes someone walking down the sidewalk wearing earbuds so when you say hello to them they can't hear it.

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Xaibian t1_ixb4emy wrote

Keep in mind he wrote that in the 50’s.

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PhasmaFelis t1_ixbmmok wrote

And he foresaw the existence of earbuds, which hadn't been invented yet at the time.

It's still a bit histrionic. Mildred's relationship with the TV, for example, is genuinely chilling (and prophetic). The idea that someone might enjoy listening to music while walking is not.

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bookworm579 OP t1_ixagb9b wrote

Interesting, I can see where you are coming from. The writing does kind of come across that way.

the plot also only refers to it a few times outright, I feel like it might have been cool if he went deeper on that.

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Cosmic-Jae t1_ixati6e wrote

“But remember that the Captain belongs to the most dangerous enemy to truth and freedom, the solid unmoving cattle of the majority.”

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Reddituser183 t1_ixacqel wrote

I’m listening to the audiobook and there are some very deep and meaningful quotes of dialog. “If you hide your ignorance, no one will ever hit you and you’ll never learn.”

On top of that, the theme and importance of real imagination, meaningful content and reading vs mindlessly watching tv seemed very relevant to what exists today with instant dopamine hits of satisfaction from YouTube, TikTok, Netflix, social media, etc. all of which are generally lacking in any real substance.

“The magic is only in what books say, how they stitched the patches of the universe together into one garment for us.” I’m not saying that the internet or tv can’t do this but they do it less often and much more poorly.

I have about an hour left of the audiobook, I love it so far, will definitely relisten to it soon.

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Grimweeper1 t1_ixao4ju wrote

Revoking the human ability to process meaning, and fight for it, will doom humanity to stagnation. Manipulating the sub-conscious minds willingness to hyperbolic discounting, the instant gratification that we are simply just happy with, because it makes us happy here, and now. Why 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 we think if we don’t 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 to think?

The YouTuber ‘Markiplier’ had an interesting take on that fact, when it comes to TikTok and shorter media being more appealing nowadays. He insists it isn’t our “attention spans shortening”, but really just the desire and 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥 for 𝘯𝘦𝘸 content has risen exponentially, forcing creators to attempt retaining their audiences attention using shorter tropes and resorting to trends. Longer and more deeper thought out media still exists and thrives, but they have a much tougher time being stretched out and cared about over time. It’s a perceived shortened attention span. Just some food for thought. 🍕

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TheSocialGadfly t1_ixatjam wrote

I love Ray Bradbury as well. If you have about 15-20 minutes, check out a short story of his entitled There Will Come Soft Rains.

If you want an audio version, I recommend the one narrated by Leonard Nimoy.

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Shadow_Lass38 t1_ixbave9 wrote

I remember reading that in school in the early 70s. It's one of the stories from The Martian Chronicles.

I love his book Dandelion Wine.

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bcjgreen t1_ixb9rai wrote

"There was a smell of Time in the air tonight. He smiled and turned the fancy in his mind. There was a thought. What did Time smell like? Like dust and clocks and people. And if you wondered what Time sounded like it sounded like water running in a dark cave and voices crying and dirt dropping down on hollow box lids, and rain. And, going further, what did Time look like? Time looked like snow dropping silently into a black room or it looked like a silent film in an ancient theater, one hundred billion faces falling like those New Years balloons, down and down into nothing. That was how Time smelled and looked and sounded. And tonight--Tomas shoved a hand into the wind outside the truck--tonight you could almost touch Time." (Illustrated Man)

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bcjgreen t1_ixb9x3t wrote

Another Bradbury passage…

"And we lived in a world that [...] was like a great black ship pulling away from the shore of sanity and civilization, roaring its black horn in the night, taking 2 billion people with it, whether they wanted to go or not [...] to fall over the edge of the earth..." (Don't recall the story this is from...)

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3-Eyed_Fishbulb t1_ixmavl5 wrote

For Ray Bradbury, it was a pleasure to smell. It's everywhere in his books.

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Isunova t1_ixan35p wrote

Fahrenheit 451 was in itself interesting, but I absolutely hated Bradbury’s writing style. It felt so sloppy and unorganized. He desperately needed an editor.

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ACardAttack t1_ixceciq wrote

Yeah, I hated it as a teen, read it earlier this year 20 plus years later and just found it boring and kind of a mess. It isnt bad, but so much more enjoyable stuff out there to read for me

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nedhow t1_ixap3df wrote

Read the Green Town Trilogy
Dandelion Wine is in the top five all-time for me. It is very close to a perfect book.

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dinosaurholes t1_ixas7xg wrote

I just read Dandelion Wine this year for the first time, and agreed. Definitely the best book I’ve read this year, and it’s also in my top 5. The others are in my TBR. My grandmother used to make dandelion wine, so discovering this book a year after losing her was good timing.

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MamaJody t1_ixcn45d wrote

It is such a beautiful book. Once I realised I wasn’t going to get a typical linear story, I just melted into it and enjoyed his writing, the atmosphere, and just the feelings the book gave me.

I’m reading Something Wicked at the moment, and it doesn’t have quite the same magic for me, even though the writing is still beautiful.

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bucketsofpoo t1_ixb14w1 wrote

I tried reading it recently. I found its subject matter amazing however the style of writing pissed me off lol. Each to their own.

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ACardAttack t1_ixcek8m wrote

Yeah, this is kind of how I felt, rather boring. I tried his Martial Chronicles, but I found it wore out its welcome at the end and while also having some good ideas, but a lot of meh and boring parts

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Sydnolle t1_ixbfrey wrote

I loved Bradbury and teach F451 most years that I have a group who seems to be ready for heady sci-if. Heady here meaning that it is based more around concepts of internal conflict rather than big action pieces.

There is a lot of exposition here (I’m looking at you Captain Beatty) but it reads with such an interesting depth that I love it.

There is a series of lines from Granger in part 3 talking about his grandfather that expresses just perfectly the affect of death on a someone who is close you.

If you do like Bradbury, don’t stop here. His short story catalogue is fantastic. I’m a big fan of “The Veldt” but the one that I really found on a second read (the Martian Chronicles is great, but the story never really remained with me after the first read - I came upon it individually later) is “There Will Come Soft Rains”.

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awokemango t1_ixbxnu3 wrote

It was an annoying read. Couldn't really get into it tbh. Finished it, but not as ground breaking as it's made out to be. \_0_/

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sometimeszeppo t1_ixc3trw wrote

I think it's very interesting that a lot of people think it's a book on book censorship, because Bradbury himself stated numerous times that he meant it to be specifically about how television can rot your brain. As a result, I think a lot of us go away from the book with a different message than the author intended.

I read somewhere that he was inspired to write it because he saw a young woman walking down the street with a transistor radio next to her ear, and he thought this was terrible for some reason? I don't know, maybe he patronisingly assumed she was listening to a mainstream soap opera rather than a science programme or something, it's a strangely anti-technology position for a science fiction writer to take. I feel like he mistook the medium for the message, as both books and television can be either enlightening or manufactured garbage; his is a doubly mixed message considering that he had his own TV show.

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jettison_m t1_ixa6d9c wrote

Love this book! We can see his vision come to life today (TVs the size of walls, machines that interact with you inside your house...). His book Something Wicked This Way come is a great read, especially in the fall. It reads like one long poem. Every time the leaves start to change and the wind starts to bring in that changing air, I think of that book.

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bookworm579 OP t1_ixadnzf wrote

You're right, It's really interesting how accurate his vision is becoming, TVs and Alexa and whatnot.

I will check out the book you mentioned, thanks for the suggestion!

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bciesil t1_ixahm3q wrote

Ray Bradbury is one of the best authors ever, at the very least in the team picture.

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Duffman66CMU t1_ixaor3g wrote

Bradbury has some great short story collections, like The Toynbee Convector and Cat’s Pajamas. Definitely check him out. He’s well worth your time and often has a twist, or at least a poignant message in all of his stories.

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KimBrrr1975 t1_ixb93y8 wrote

He's a excellent writer. I have enjoyed everything of his I've ever read. "Something Wicked This Way Comes" is another good one.

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Optimal_Character516 t1_ixbbz5r wrote

Ray Bradbury was from Waukegan IL and the library has a cool sculpture of him riding a rocket holding Farenheight 451. Google it for pics!

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loftychicago t1_ixbjut8 wrote

There's also a relatively new Ray Bradbury Experience Museum in Waukegan

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NecessaryHuckleberry t1_ixbg0ur wrote

Bradbury is such a treasure. He really cannot be pigeonholed, but he is just a wondrous writer.

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krichard-21 t1_ixbgzjo wrote

Congratulations, Ray Bradbury created a wealth of literature. You have a lot of great books in front of you!

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chuckalicious3000 t1_ixa4med wrote

I reread it every year(teacher) the students love it

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geauxandy72 t1_ixa7083 wrote

He’s amazing. Most of his catalog is fantastic.

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Grimweeper1 t1_ixajih8 wrote

I haven’t gotten to reading 451… 𝘺𝘦𝘵. But just the other day I did more research into its plot line, characters and ideas, and now I’m very interested in it. I am already hooked on Bradbury and his writing style and I think I have my 10th grade English teacher to blame for that one, because one of the most memorable stories we read in class for me was “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘵 “ from his Illustrated Man collection of short fiction (since we didn’t read 451 I suppose). That story really stuck with me.

But it wasn’t that story that caught my eye nowadays, it’s actually “𝘒𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘦 “ that really resonated with me coming back to it. It actually made me get emotional first time around, even just some small exposition between characters in dire circumstance felt so intimate and personal, as if it were your own resentful thoughts desperately attempting their final battle cries. Bradbury definitely knows how to write something visceral and poetically lush at the same time. Turning something dramatic into something serene. And his descriptions, beautiful albeit terrifying; 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨, 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.

Concerning his more introspective and literary styles, including things like you mentioned repeating narratives to imply the character reasoning with themselves; I can see how people would dislike it. And I have seen it, in fact I saw that clip from The Simpsons where Martin lists off the ‘ABC of Sci-fi’… “What about Bradbury? - I’m 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 of his work.” Haha! I actually kinda understood him after dipping my toes in. Even though I personally love it, I see why others wouldn’t. But I don’t think they should downplay it at all because of this— in fact my favourite author is Peter Watts, whom is considered to be on the hard𝘦𝘳 side of sci-fi, but despite the crazily-extensive ‘science’ in 𝘉𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 (Firefall) and 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 (Rifters), they are still in essence a traumatic character study just doused in science-goodness and speculative economic collapse. And he uses some similar inward aspects of writing (like the repeating phrases, racing thoughts, etc.) to make it feel very close to the character. I mean c’mon, you didn’t just think 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 was a literal title… It still has immense literary value. And not only at an individual scale, but a global scale as well. The Rifters world is realistically scary. Watts’ ability to focus intimately on an individual so well while simultaneously building a believable and in-depth catastrophic world around that affects them is really fascinating.

And if this is what I’m looking to find in 𝘍𝘢𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘵 451, then I am quite excited for my first step into his larger work! I also found it funny, considering the theme and even damn 𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦 of the novel (for those who know what the title actually means) got censorship problems after publishing. Nothing made me happier than reading Bradbury’s response to that happening— 𝘕𝘖𝘗𝘌! As a writer as well, I hope it fills me with as much inspiration it did you. Bradbury along with Watts have been contenders to stand out to me with how they articulate their writing and concepts. Knowing what I know, I can’t wait to dig into it. The world seems vivid and destructive, it showcases the cause and effects of one person alive in the chaos, with that underlying meaning peeking over the horizon not only in the characters experience, but the world itself.

𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘥𝘥. 𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵. 𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

“𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺, 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘴?”

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bookworm579 OP t1_ixamaxy wrote

This was really interesting to read, sounds like I still have a lot to discover in Bradbury's work, I'm excited!

I hope you enjoy 451, It is such a good book, I think you will like it based off of your comment.

I'm also just starting to watch through the Simpsons (I know, late to the game.) I'm looking forward to the reference.

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Grimweeper1 t1_ixapd8l wrote

I’m sure I will. I hope you enjoy his other works just as much. The others in this thread aren’t lying, his short stories really are a goldmine of though-provoking goodness! Eat it all up haha!

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ActonofMAM t1_ixak4xm wrote

You have a lot of fun reading ahead of you. Most of his best stuff is his short story collections.

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lord-southpaw t1_ixaoz9b wrote

He is insanely good! Highly recommended the massive book of his collected short stories. Hit after hit. Martian Chronicles is superfly too.

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Cucumber8200 t1_ixaut75 wrote

I think I’ve read almost everything that he has written and loved all of it.

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TwigginBerries t1_ixb592c wrote

I’m on page 25!

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bookworm579 OP t1_ixb5iqy wrote

Awesome! How are you liking it so far?

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TwigginBerries t1_ixb6d6o wrote

So far so good. I should be further along, it’s not a hard read.

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bookworm579 OP t1_ixb6i2d wrote

That's fine, as long as you're getting through it :)

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SURGICALNURSE01 t1_ixb73of wrote

Read all his books back in HS, 1970. Loved them all especially The Martian Chronicles. Read Something Wicked This Way Comes

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bluemeneleus t1_ixb75y4 wrote

F451 is one of my favorite books, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! I've often caught myself wondering back to the quotes from Ecclesiastes and what exactly, if anything, they mean in the sections of the book where Bradbury inserts them. Such a prescient book for today, I hope it's on the required reading list of every middle school student.

I recommend reading his short story "All Summer in a Day." It's very short and can easily be found free online. It takes you back to childhood, acting cruelly, and sins that eek their way into your soul. One of those stories that stays with you if you're the guilty-carrying type.

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b0bweaver t1_ixb7yiq wrote

One of my all-time favs. Got the cover tattooed on me.

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camartinart t1_ixbhsmr wrote

A favorite author for sure. Dandelion Wine is my favorite novel. Something Wicked This away comes contains my favorite book passage. And his Zen and The Art of Writing is an inspiration even though I’m not a writer. Enjoy discovering more of his masterful way with words.

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ProfessorOk7426 t1_ixbnkw0 wrote

Something wicked this way comes was one of my favorites!

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cedbluechase t1_ixbpah4 wrote

you have got to read the martian chronicles

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SecretCartographer28 t1_ixbu2zi wrote

I haven't even read all your post, I'm so excited to hear from someone forty-five years after I read them around jr high, hope you enjoy more of his work!

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bookworm579 OP t1_ixbxmn0 wrote

Thank you! I'm looking forward to reading more by him

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ACardAttack t1_ixcea2i wrote

I read it as a teenager in high school, didn't like it

Read it earlier this year as an adult, still didnt like it. Appreciated it more than I did some 20 years ago, but just found it boring, the characters, the writing, etc. Good plot idea, but for me, not something that grabbed me

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kayydeebe t1_ixdx45i wrote

Love him! He has some great short stories as well, I use them a lot in my English classes

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Neubiee t1_ixa4en2 wrote

I haven't read the book in 20ish years but have read it 3 or 4 times. One of my favorites for sure.

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USAintheWay t1_ixaexch wrote

The movie with Michael B Jordan is horrible.

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JudgmentalRavenclaw t1_ixbdaol wrote

My 6th graders and I read All Summer in a Day every year. It’s a fan favorite.

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IRMacGuyver t1_ixbegqy wrote

What's funny is a lot of people will make claims that Ray Bradbury was racist. And they'll call you racist for liking his stuff.

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notsogreatredditor t1_ixbirgw wrote

Read a long back and was my favourite dystopian/ post apocalyptic book for a long time till I encountered Swan Song by Robert Mccammon. Holy shit that book takes the cake for the feels

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Reasonable_World5370 t1_ixblodd wrote

Definitely read some of the other suggestions here. My favorite story is the October tree. Which fun fact Disneyland named its october tree after bradbury’s story.

He was an amazing witty person. He had such a fun snark to him in person and it truly came out in how he wrote and looked at life.

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bitenmein1 t1_ixbm03c wrote

I love how reading makes you want to do it more.

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0ldstrawberry555 t1_ixbncnx wrote

You should read some of his others short stories! They’re sooo cool

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NoExperience2758 t1_ixbukw4 wrote

I read it during the weekend while simultaniously listening to the audiobook and it was great!

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Shaveyourbread t1_ixbvk1q wrote

Illustrated Man is a great collection of short stories btw!

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Sampson_Avard t1_ixc16hd wrote

My first Bradbury was Something Wicked This Way Comes when I was 12. I read everything Bradbury I could lay my hands on after that. The beauty of Bradbury is that you can read it as adventure as a child and as beautiful prose as an adult.

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Lairy_Hegs t1_ixc3ji7 wrote

When I was in 10th or 11th grade my English class was assigned some book about family life struggles and trauma, and I having recently gotten PTSD from family trauma was able to pick a different book to read. I was given maybe 4-5 to choose from, and I chose Fahrenheit 451.

Such odd circumstances, but I loved the book dearly.

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solostepper t1_ixcddxe wrote

I love all his stuff, the collections of short stories are great as audiobooks on a road trip, and I especially enjoy Dandelion Wine. Dive deep!

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Rook1872 t1_ixcdy1n wrote

Definitely one of my favorites. First read it in high school and it has stayed with me ever since.

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twcsata t1_ixcf3x4 wrote

Read it in high school, which is almost thirty years ago now. I found it to be the darkest of the dystopias I read at the time, even more than 1984. That’s mainly because it was more subtle; while 1984 represented repression from an external source, Fahrenheit represented a population already won over to the repressive mindset. Great book though. Highly recommended.

If you like Bradbury, I recommend Something Wicked This Way Comes. Completely different kind of story, but very good. Try to read it with a sympathetic eye toward the boy’s father, who turns out to be a more important character than the early chapters would have you believe.

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Aphid61 t1_ixcf7o9 wrote

Late to the dance here, but wanted to say you are right on target. Very, very few authors imho can do novels and short stories equally well, and RB is one of the -- if not THE very -- best at it.

You're a writer, so you know that novels and short stories require different approaches -- one is a slow build and the other has no room to waste & every word must point toward the end. Bradbury was an absolute master at both.

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rideridecity t1_ixcidyb wrote

I read Fahrenheit 451 as an adult and truly enjoyed it. Background research led me to Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler. That book, in my opinion, is incredible.

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DoctorLove01 t1_ixcow66 wrote

I got into reading fiction because of pewdiepie's book club. I remember that he said he hated Fahrenheit 451 especially in comparison to brave new world and 1984. I didn't just want to take his word for it, so I read it as well. And while I wouldn't say it's on the same level as 1984 and brave new world i did definitely enjoy it, and think he judged it a bit too harshly. I would agree though that it was a bit rambly at times.

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the-pickled-rose t1_ixcpcui wrote

Read his short stories. “There Will Come Soft Rains” and “The Pedestrian” are two of my favs, but there are dozens of GREAT ones

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carrot_cake1911 t1_ixcqz1b wrote

His short stories are amazing as well! My favorite was the Veldt… seriously check it out

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hostilemimosa t1_ixcsjlu wrote

The Martian Chronicles next! My favoriteeee book of all time!

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rushandblue t1_ixctzcl wrote

Bradbury is marvelous. If you haven't read All Summer in a Day, it's one of the best short stories I've ever read. The man is a master.

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outspoken_sleuth t1_ixcudvy wrote

His collection of short stories is beautiful.

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fburd t1_ixcuzmo wrote

That’s a classic! Great read.

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Alisha-Moonshade t1_ixcwp69 wrote

It's a beautiful book, but the misogyny is real. Loved it as a kid. As an adult, I couldn't ignore the problematic messages.

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Dungerdore t1_ixcy2rh wrote

This book started the spark for the love of reading back in high school long ago. You'll definitely enjoy the Martian Chronicles as a start.

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whitepicketfencer t1_ixd06gi wrote

Amazing science fiction but some of his short stories feel more like when you daydream some outlandish situation and just think “and then what?” There’s not a real genre called daydream fiction but sometimes “science fiction” doesn’t do his work justice!

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lumierelove t1_ixd1uq7 wrote

This is now on my list, thank you 🙏

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pperiodly33 t1_ixdcfq1 wrote

If you want to experience a totally different facet of Bradbury (in a good way) I would recommend Dandelion Wine :)

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DannyDrinkWaterhino t1_ixdd7r2 wrote

Bradbury is amazing! Give The October Country a try. It’s some of the best short story work I’ve ever read. He’s become one of my all time favorites.

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alessandraisreading t1_ixdrbei wrote

I reread this last month (first time was for school when I was 11 or 12) and loved it. I'm definitely checking out more of Bradbury's work in the near future.

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turgid_turbid t1_ixdtfgm wrote

Ray Bradbury is my favorite author of all time. I’ve read every story in every book he wrote. In high school I wrote a paper comparing 1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451 in terms of how their visions of the future came true.

I’ve always felt that Bradbury’s own interpretation of Fahrenheit 451 changing as he aged is reflective of the change in American culture during his lifetime. Is it about literal book burning? Censorship? Political correctness? Ignorance?

Yes!

If you can find it, read the short stories “Bright Phoenix,” “The Pedestrian,” and last “The Fireman.” You can see the revolution of the story and the initial fears Bradbury was exploring.

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goobint t1_ixe0pnq wrote

Same for me, moved on to Martian chronicles next.

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SAT0725 t1_ixe2j2y wrote

"The Martian Chronicles" is great. A short story collection but all the stories are loosely connected around a common theme.

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UnBearable1520 t1_ixeesfj wrote

That is his best work. The rest of his stuff is ok

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SiRaymando t1_ixegsot wrote

Finished it recently as well. Loved the book, the writing, the way he explored the themes. Wrote my thoughts in detail in Goodreads, i can link it if you wanna continue the dialogue.

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TheSlenderThread t1_ixex47g wrote

Glad you enjoyed it! I had a similar experience. The Martian Chronicles was my first Bradbury book earlier this year and, while great, it wasn't quite one of my all-time favorites. Last week I read Fahrenheit 451 in one day and it was the type of gut punch I've been wanting for a long time. When I get time I'm still intending to delve deeper into what the hell some of the allegories/metaphors/figurative writing in the novel is referring to. But on its surface, it was beautiful. Well... dark and beautiful.

This year I've read so many sci-fi books that I respect and find intellectually interesting, but it's rare that I enjoy the writing itself. Bradbury seems like a different breed. It's almost more fantasy than sci-fi to me, and his writing is really enjoyable.

Imagine my surprise when I went on Goodreads (cursed site...) afterward and saw my old high school English teacher had written a critique-filled review of the book. It seems many of the negative reviews are obsessed with the idea that Bradbury writes for teenagers. I'm in my 30s and I find it great, so... different strokes for different folks. Time to find some more Bradbury books from my library.

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Therealmohb t1_ixaed2q wrote

Did you read the version with the commentary after? So good!!

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bookworm579 OP t1_ixafawx wrote

You mean the "Afterward" section? I read that part, It was so good! It also cleared some details up that I was confused about

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Conscious_Price_4240 t1_ixcjfh5 wrote

Very good read. I now burn books I don’t agree with. The Bible being my favorite to burn since they are so easy to come by.

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