Thanks for the observatory information. The bike ride down, from the stars to the valley below, had to be euphoric. I'm jealous.

I, too, appreciate Dickens more and more as well as Steinbeck. It's the sign of a great book for me when the re-read tops the first. As for Bradbury, the re-readings never stop. Apologies to all the book collectors out there, but most of my Bradbury books are highlighted in yellow with pages dog-eared. His lines resonate, and I have to stop and listen. And I do.

I'm sure it's been mentioned before, but Lord of the Flies was a novel of the first order concerning inborn violence in man (youth). Children killing children was
all too believable, frightening, and cautionary.

Shark the Fish - In your defense, Bradbury wrote (via Granger in 451):

"And when they ask us what we're doing, you can say, We're remembering. That's where we'll win out in the long run. And someday we'll remember so much that we'll build the biggest goddamn steamshovel in history and dig the biggest grave of all time and shovel war in and cover it up."

Apologies for this slight departure from literature to share a lyrically-based piece.
With consideration for what mankind must endure of the its vices, including war and the impetus to sustain them, here are some rather insightful words, written and recorded by someone I consider a visionary. The words in many of her songs are reminiscent of Bradbury, but with a slightly more internal ring. I tend to interprete the reference to "In the dark" as the darkness that exists in the world in general and not the literal meaning. The entire collection is worth a listen and holds a permanent place in my CD rack.

Tracey Chapman Album: Let It Rain

In The Dark

Make me fumble,
Make me fall,
Make my heart stop and start
To tremble uncontrollably
Let my eyes see fear make desire
Keep those who long apart
Forbid the Kiss
And leave us innocent
Of the things some do in the dark

Make me remember, make me forget,
Make my mind unable
To force the body to do it�s will
Let it be right for belief and denial
To share a space in the heart and leave
us only to imagine about
About the things some do in the dark

Make me pretend,
Make me expect,
Things can go and come to pass,
Without trial or tribulation

Let this life, space and time
Leave my body with permanent marks
Faded scars and lines
But not a single impression
Of the things some do in the dark

Let me be tempted,
Let me be torn,
But Make my thoughts pure and not
Morally corrupt in form
Let us sleep tonight
Let innocence lie in our dreams
and secrets hearts
With Burning desire
To need to know and do
The things some do in the dark

Anyone interested in the origin of the quotation in the flyleaf to Fahrenheit 451 "If they give you lined paper wrtie across the lines" - Juan Ramon Jimenez

Look here:
http://www.fundacion-jrj.es/ingles/index.htm
JRJ biography is there as well.

[This message has been edited by patrask (edited 08-01-2003).]

patrask:
Hey! This is Great. Thanks!!