"Time has fallen asleep in the afternoon sunshine..." (original) (raw)

We're still here!	[Jul. 17th, 2010\|07:54 pm]The Fahrenheit 451 Fan Community
The community is still open to posts...reviews, summaries, ideas, whatever...:)
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Yes, I did finish the book...	[Jun. 5th, 2008\|08:17 am]The Fahrenheit 451 Fan Community
I finally finished reading Fahrenheit 451 several days ago, wondering as I did so why I had been so reluctant to get started on it before. After I got past the first chapter or two the story really captured my interest and I couldn't put it down. Keep in mind that this was a library book that was renewed and then ended up past due because I couldn't get myself started on it!Despite what he does in his job of fireman, burning books and harassing those people caught with them, Guy Montag is a very likeable everyday guy. He's doing what he was taught all his life was the right thing to do. I think it even says in the story that his father and grandfather were firemen also.The most frightening thing about this story to me was the way everyone was getting their quick fix with all this information overload. These people weren't living their lives, they were zooming through it on what they were seeing and hearing on television. It's like the worst-case scenario of what could happen to our society today. Guy's wife, Mildred, with her little earplug things made me very disinterested in getting one of those clip on your ear phones. The woman's brain was nothing but mush, incapable of any original thinking. And this "family" thing that his wife talks about is very disturbing. I wonder how Guy managed to not absorb as much of this as she did, but then that's why his brain was probably still capable of some original thinking when exposed to something he didn't understand.And his captain, Beatty, was scary because he was also aware of how wrong things had become, he knew about books and what they taught, but he gave in and went with the flow many years before. I ended up skipping quickly through some of his dialog when it started becoming page length, it was disturbing how he tried to rationalize everything away. The part with Montag burning Beatty really hit my squick button though, my personal hangup I guess, I'd rather beat somebody over the head with something than burn them to death.I was sorry there wasn't anything else about Clarisse, apparently she died quietly off to the side and we were never given many details about it. Another disturbing thing was the glimpses of violence we saw as Montag tried to escape from those hunting him. The kids running around in their souped up cars and casually intimidating, even killing, others and no one doing anything about it. An eerie premonition of how it is in some of our larger cities today. Well, I was left feeling very glad I'd stuck with reading them book, and I actually wished there was more, to find out what happened to Montag, how he went on with his life after the city was destroyed. I wondered if he ever got to read a whole book! Anyway, I know I don't have the right words to adequately describe all the different aspects of this story but I can't stress enough how interesting it was, especially reading it now in this time in our society.
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Yes, I did finish the book...

[Jun. 5th, 2008|08:17 am]The Fahrenheit 451 Fan Community

I finally finished reading Fahrenheit 451 several days ago, wondering as I did so why I had been so reluctant to get started on it before. After I got past the first chapter or two the story really captured my interest and I couldn't put it down. Keep in mind that this was a library book that was renewed and then ended up past due because I couldn't get myself started on it!Despite what he does in his job of fireman, burning books and harassing those people caught with them, Guy Montag is a very likeable everyday guy. He's doing what he was taught all his life was the right thing to do. I think it even says in the story that his father and grandfather were firemen also.The most frightening thing about this story to me was the way everyone was getting their quick fix with all this information overload. These people weren't living their lives, they were zooming through it on what they were seeing and hearing on television. It's like the worst-case scenario of what could happen to our society today. Guy's wife, Mildred, with her little earplug things made me very disinterested in getting one of those clip on your ear phones. The woman's brain was nothing but mush, incapable of any original thinking. And this "family" thing that his wife talks about is very disturbing. I wonder how Guy managed to not absorb as much of this as she did, but then that's why his brain was probably still capable of some original thinking when exposed to something he didn't understand.And his captain, Beatty, was scary because he was also aware of how wrong things had become, he knew about books and what they taught, but he gave in and went with the flow many years before. I ended up skipping quickly through some of his dialog when it started becoming page length, it was disturbing how he tried to rationalize everything away. The part with Montag burning Beatty really hit my squick button though, my personal hangup I guess, I'd rather beat somebody over the head with something than burn them to death.I was sorry there wasn't anything else about Clarisse, apparently she died quietly off to the side and we were never given many details about it. Another disturbing thing was the glimpses of violence we saw as Montag tried to escape from those hunting him. The kids running around in their souped up cars and casually intimidating, even killing, others and no one doing anything about it. An eerie premonition of how it is in some of our larger cities today. Well, I was left feeling very glad I'd stuck with reading them book, and I actually wished there was more, to find out what happened to Montag, how he went on with his life after the city was destroyed. I wondered if he ever got to read a whole book! Anyway, I know I don't have the right words to adequately describe all the different aspects of this story but I can't stress enough how interesting it was, especially reading it now in this time in our society.

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Ray Bradbury article discussing Fahrenheit 451...	[Apr. 9th, 2008\|01:51 pm]The Fahrenheit 451 Fan Community
Here's a nice article about Ray Bradbury titled Fahrenheit 451 Misinterpreted:http://www.laweekly.com/news/news/ray-bradbury-fahrenheit-451-misinterpreted/16524/Excerpts:_"...Bradbury has decided to make news about the writing of his iconographic work and what he really meant. Fahrenheit 451 is not, he says firmly, a story about government censorship. Nor was it a response to Senator Joseph McCarthy, whose investigations had already instilled fear and stifled the creativity of thousands.""He says the culprit in Fahrenheit 451 is not the state — it is the people. Unlike Orwell’s 1984, in which the government uses television screens to indoctrinate citizens, Bradbury envisioned television as an opiate. In the book, Bradbury refers to televisions as “walls” and its actors as “family,” a truth evident to anyone who has heard a recap of network shows in which a fan refers to the characters by first name, as if they were relatives or friends."Bradbury imagined a democratic society whose diverse population turns against books: Whites reject Uncle Tom’s Cabin and blacks disapprove of Little Black Sambo. He imagined not just political correctness, but a society so diverse that all groups were “minorities.” He wrote that at first they condensed the books, stripping out more and more offending passages until ultimately all that remained were footnotes, which hardly anyone read. Only after people stopped reading did the state employ firemen to burn books.""Most Americans did not have televisions when Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451, and those who did watched 7-inch screens in black and white. Interestingly, his book imagined a future of giant color sets — flat panels that hung on walls like moving paintings. And television was used to broadcast meaningless drivel to divert attention, and thought, away from an impending war."_It's an interesting article whether you agree with Bradbury's view or not.
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Ray Bradbury article discussing Fahrenheit 451...

[Apr. 9th, 2008|01:51 pm]The Fahrenheit 451 Fan Community

Here's a nice article about Ray Bradbury titled Fahrenheit 451 Misinterpreted:http://www.laweekly.com/news/news/ray-bradbury-fahrenheit-451-misinterpreted/16524/Excerpts:_"...Bradbury has decided to make news about the writing of his iconographic work and what he really meant. Fahrenheit 451 is not, he says firmly, a story about government censorship. Nor was it a response to Senator Joseph McCarthy, whose investigations had already instilled fear and stifled the creativity of thousands.""He says the culprit in Fahrenheit 451 is not the state — it is the people. Unlike Orwell’s 1984, in which the government uses television screens to indoctrinate citizens, Bradbury envisioned television as an opiate. In the book, Bradbury refers to televisions as “walls” and its actors as “family,” a truth evident to anyone who has heard a recap of network shows in which a fan refers to the characters by first name, as if they were relatives or friends."Bradbury imagined a democratic society whose diverse population turns against books: Whites reject Uncle Tom’s Cabin and blacks disapprove of Little Black Sambo. He imagined not just political correctness, but a society so diverse that all groups were “minorities.” He wrote that at first they condensed the books, stripping out more and more offending passages until ultimately all that remained were footnotes, which hardly anyone read. Only after people stopped reading did the state employ firemen to burn books.""Most Americans did not have televisions when Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451, and those who did watched 7-inch screens in black and white. Interestingly, his book imagined a future of giant color sets — flat panels that hung on walls like moving paintings. And television was used to broadcast meaningless drivel to divert attention, and thought, away from an impending war."_It's an interesting article whether you agree with Bradbury's view or not.

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Another article...	[Apr. 9th, 2008\|01:05 pm]The Fahrenheit 451 Fan Community
This article sounds a bit more encouraging than the previous ones so perhaps there's still hope for a new film of Fahrenheit 451.http://snarkerati.com/movie-news/tom-hanks-drops-out-of-frank-darabonts-fahrenheit-451/Here's most of the article:"Pity poor Frank Darabont. He spends years sitting on the rights to Ray Bradbury’s classic novel Fahrenheit 451, then when he finally decides to make the movie, his choice of leading man drops out.Last November I wrote about how Darabont had high hopes in getting Tom Hanks to play the lead role of fireman Guy Montag. It looks like he got his wish, only for it to come crashing down at this late stage.The MTV Movies Blog spoke to Darabont, and fund out that Hanks has taken a step back due to other commitments. Fortunately, the loss hasn’t tempered Darabont’s passion for the project:“Mr. Hanks sadly and regretfully had to back out,” he said. “I was really looking forward to working with him again but his other commitments just precluded it. He had to take a step back.”“I see this movie so clearly in my head. It’s flowing in my veins. One character in the script says ‘It’s not really even about books. It’s about control.’ It’s about the control of government and authority. It’s one of the greatest books ever written. It’s got all that great political stuff underneath the skin of it but really what it is is a great galloping tale.”“[The leading man] needs to be somebody like [Hanks] who has the ability to trigger a green light but is also the right guy for the part. It’s a narrow target. It’s a short list of people.”It’s a real shame that Hanks has had to pull out of this film, as he did look like the absolute best person for the job. Thankfully, Darabont seems determined to not let the enforced cast changes affect the production too badly.With his passion and commitment to doing the book justice, I still have high hopes that the big screen version will be everything the fans expect. Just with no Hanks involved."
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Another article...

[Apr. 9th, 2008|01:05 pm]The Fahrenheit 451 Fan Community

This article sounds a bit more encouraging than the previous ones so perhaps there's still hope for a new film of Fahrenheit 451.http://snarkerati.com/movie-news/tom-hanks-drops-out-of-frank-darabonts-fahrenheit-451/Here's most of the article:"Pity poor Frank Darabont. He spends years sitting on the rights to Ray Bradbury’s classic novel Fahrenheit 451, then when he finally decides to make the movie, his choice of leading man drops out.Last November I wrote about how Darabont had high hopes in getting Tom Hanks to play the lead role of fireman Guy Montag. It looks like he got his wish, only for it to come crashing down at this late stage.The MTV Movies Blog spoke to Darabont, and fund out that Hanks has taken a step back due to other commitments. Fortunately, the loss hasn’t tempered Darabont’s passion for the project:“Mr. Hanks sadly and regretfully had to back out,” he said. “I was really looking forward to working with him again but his other commitments just precluded it. He had to take a step back.”“I see this movie so clearly in my head. It’s flowing in my veins. One character in the script says ‘It’s not really even about books. It’s about control.’ It’s about the control of government and authority. It’s one of the greatest books ever written. It’s got all that great political stuff underneath the skin of it but really what it is is a great galloping tale.”“[The leading man] needs to be somebody like [Hanks] who has the ability to trigger a green light but is also the right guy for the part. It’s a narrow target. It’s a short list of people.”It’s a real shame that Hanks has had to pull out of this film, as he did look like the absolute best person for the job. Thankfully, Darabont seems determined to not let the enforced cast changes affect the production too badly.With his passion and commitment to doing the book justice, I still have high hopes that the big screen version will be everything the fans expect. Just with no Hanks involved."

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Tom Hanks' involvement was certainly short-lived...as was the proposed film	[Mar. 28th, 2008\|11:01 pm]The Fahrenheit 451 Fan Community
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Hanks-Drops-Out-Of-Fahrenheit-451-8325.html"Fahrenheit 451 is one of those great novels that gets unfairly shoved to the side because it’s sci-fi. The dystopian, futuristic novel, about a future in which knowledge is not only disrespected but feared, has been a favorite of high school students for decades, sci-fi lovers and book lovers alike. And possibly the biggest fan of all has been Frank Darabont, the director of The Mist and The Shawshank Redemption who has dreamed for years of making a movie version of the book.Now that dream has gotten a little bit further away. Tom Hanks has dropped out of playing the lead role, MTV Movies reports, which leaves the project pretty much dead in the water. It’s a harsh blow, Darabont admits. For a sci-fi project long in development, you need a leading actor who can automatically get a project off the ground—a guy like Hanks, basically, and pretty much no one else. “It’s a narrow target. It’s a short list of people,” Darabont told MTV.And it’s really a shame because Darabont seemed to be putting his own spin on the material. “I see this movie so clearly in my head. It’s flowing in my veins,” he said. He describes Bradbury’s book as “a great galloping tale,” which means he’s focusing on the adventure aspects rather than the symbolic meaning behind the whole thing.What a shame. Darabont probably still has enough pull in Hollywood to get the movie made regardless, but it probably won’t have nearly the same high profile without Hanks attached. I know people went crazy over The Mist last fall (hi, Josh!) and are anxious for what Darabont will do next, but sadly, Fahrenheit probably won’t be it."
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Tom Hanks' involvement was certainly short-lived...as was the proposed film

[Mar. 28th, 2008|11:01 pm]The Fahrenheit 451 Fan Community

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Hanks-Drops-Out-Of-Fahrenheit-451-8325.html"Fahrenheit 451 is one of those great novels that gets unfairly shoved to the side because it’s sci-fi. The dystopian, futuristic novel, about a future in which knowledge is not only disrespected but feared, has been a favorite of high school students for decades, sci-fi lovers and book lovers alike. And possibly the biggest fan of all has been Frank Darabont, the director of The Mist and The Shawshank Redemption who has dreamed for years of making a movie version of the book.Now that dream has gotten a little bit further away. Tom Hanks has dropped out of playing the lead role, MTV Movies reports, which leaves the project pretty much dead in the water. It’s a harsh blow, Darabont admits. For a sci-fi project long in development, you need a leading actor who can automatically get a project off the ground—a guy like Hanks, basically, and pretty much no one else. “It’s a narrow target. It’s a short list of people,” Darabont told MTV.And it’s really a shame because Darabont seemed to be putting his own spin on the material. “I see this movie so clearly in my head. It’s flowing in my veins,” he said. He describes Bradbury’s book as “a great galloping tale,” which means he’s focusing on the adventure aspects rather than the symbolic meaning behind the whole thing.What a shame. Darabont probably still has enough pull in Hollywood to get the movie made regardless, but it probably won’t have nearly the same high profile without Hanks attached. I know people went crazy over The Mist last fall (hi, Josh!) and are anxious for what Darabont will do next, but sadly, Fahrenheit probably won’t be it."

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(no subject)	[Mar. 28th, 2008\|10:58 pm]The Fahrenheit 451 Fan Community
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Hanks-May-Play-Montag-6894.html"Fahrenheit 451 is a beautiful piece of literature, a cautionary tale warning against the de-intellectualization of society. Guy Montag and his ignorant generation captivated my sixteen year old thoughts, as I read it for the first time. Bradbury’s words are still as poignant and telling as ever, evoking images of dusty, deserted libraries being engulfed in orangey flames. Ironically, since most people don’t read, it’s going to take a film to help get the importance of literature message across. According to MTV, producer Frank Darabont is planning a new adaptation of the classic work, and Tom Hanks has professed an interest in playing the lead, Guy Montag. At the beginning of the novel, the central character is a naive fireman who is paid to burn books; however, as the action progresses, he begins questioning his surroundings and alienates many of those he once held closest. As MTV pointed out in their article, the magic of this potential casting stems from Hanks’ everyman quality. Guy Montag is not a hero. He doesn’t look like Superman, and his life is far from perfect. Vin Diesel couldn’t play this role, neither could Brad Pitt, but Tom Hanks, I could definitely get on board with that. Here’s to hoping Darabont pulls some strings and gets the essential financing in place."
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(no subject)

[Mar. 28th, 2008|10:58 pm]The Fahrenheit 451 Fan Community

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Hanks-May-Play-Montag-6894.html"Fahrenheit 451 is a beautiful piece of literature, a cautionary tale warning against the de-intellectualization of society. Guy Montag and his ignorant generation captivated my sixteen year old thoughts, as I read it for the first time. Bradbury’s words are still as poignant and telling as ever, evoking images of dusty, deserted libraries being engulfed in orangey flames. Ironically, since most people don’t read, it’s going to take a film to help get the importance of literature message across. According to MTV, producer Frank Darabont is planning a new adaptation of the classic work, and Tom Hanks has professed an interest in playing the lead, Guy Montag. At the beginning of the novel, the central character is a naive fireman who is paid to burn books; however, as the action progresses, he begins questioning his surroundings and alienates many of those he once held closest. As MTV pointed out in their article, the magic of this potential casting stems from Hanks’ everyman quality. Guy Montag is not a hero. He doesn’t look like Superman, and his life is far from perfect. Vin Diesel couldn’t play this role, neither could Brad Pitt, but Tom Hanks, I could definitely get on board with that. Here’s to hoping Darabont pulls some strings and gets the essential financing in place."

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