A couple months ago I read Ray Bradbury's book, "Fahrenheit 451." I did enjoy most of hat I actually understood, but some of it was quite confusing. I definitely understood what the meaning of it was, but I didn't exactly get the actual plot until I watched the movie and since the movie isn't completely the same as the book, I really didn't get to know what was going on in the book. I really enjoyed the ending of the book because it shows us that there really isn't a need for technology ALL of te time and that books are Just like movies in a person's mind. what I didnt like about the book was that I thought it jumped around a lot and I couldn't keep up with what was going on at certain times. Another one of ray's books that I read was "The pedestrian." I found that I thought the main idea of it was a lot similar to "Fahrenheit 451." I thought it was the same because they both focused on how we were going to become isolated in the future. I found it extremely boring because I felt as of I had already read the story once before. Other than that I really don't think ray is all that bad of an author.


Either way I would love to hear your opinions

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Originally posted by KLJ16:
Another one of ray's books that I read was "The pedestrian." I found that I thought the main idea of it was a lot similar to "Fahrenheit 451." I thought it was the same because they both focused on how we were going to become isolated in the future.

The reason it's similar in style is because The Pedestrian birthed Fahrenheit 451. Ray tells it thus: He was following his pedestrian around one night when he turned a corner and ran into a man. The Pedestrian said to the man, "I know you. You're the fireman who burns the books. I can smell the kerosene on you." Ray then went and wrote a novella called The Fireman. He later lengthened it and turned it into Fahrenheit 451.

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Other than that I really don't think ray is all that bad of an author.

This is what we like the call the understatement of the century.

And that Chaplin wasn't all that bad a comedian, either.

Shakespeare wasn't all that bad a playwright. I hear some of his stuff is still in print.

Either way I definitely feel as though all of his books have similar themes, which makes me feel as if I am reading the same book over and over gain except with a different ending. I don't mean to act as if your opinion doesn't matter, because it has honestly change my perspective on Ray's books a bit. I may actually try to read a different book of Ray's sometime. Are there any that either of you would reccomend to me to read?

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Originally posted by KLJ16:
Either way I definitely feel as though all of his books have similar themes, which makes me feel as if I am reading the same book over and over gain except with a different ending. I don't mean to act as if your opinion doesn't matter, because it has honestly change my perspective on Ray's books a bit. I may actually try to read a different book of Ray's sometime. Are there any that either of you would reccomend to me to read?

All of his books do not have similar themes! Fancy horror? Pick up The October Country or Something Wicked This Way Comes. Prefer Americana/nostalgia? Go read Dandelion Wine. Prefer space stories? Try R is For Rocket or S is For Space. Mystery? Try the Mystery Trilogy. Fantasy? Immerse yourself in (his greatest work) The Martian Chronicles. And that isn't even mentioning the marvellous short story collections like The Golden Apples of the Sun, The Illustrated Man and The Machineries of Joy, amongst others.

So much variety!

I would like to get to understand Ray, alittle more then I have in my class I only read to of his book's so I really can not say I do not understand him all the way. It was really great to read his piece's, but to me they were confusing. I really did not understand his book F451 as for The Pedestrian I understood. As the students in my English have read this two stories, we quite had a good time. Enteracting talking thing's out was a pretty fun way to ask the question's to the teacher. I enjoyed my time on this site. I hope just maybe when this assignment is over i'll keep in touch to see if I can learn more. This has been a fun assignment for me thanks to all you who have helped me understand alittle better!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: schoolkid,

@Doug Spalding I will definitely have to try to read some of his other books. I've only ever read those two and the only reason i really read them was because it was a class assignment. And even though some of the parts i didnt understand, i still enjoyed them. I'm pretty openminded when it comes to books because i love to have a variety. Usually if someone reccomends a book to me, i at least try to read it so i will definitely have to try to read one of those books. Thanks for the reccomendations. I hope to keep learning more and more about Ray and you have for sure helped me with that!

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Originally posted by schoolkid:
...I hope just maybe when this assignment is over i'll keep in touch to see if i can learn more. This has been a fun assignment for me thanks to all you who habe helped me understand alittle better!

I hope you will stick around, schoolkid. A "fun assignment" you say? Those are the best kind!

I think it was hard for some of us to keep interest the whole way through Fahrenheit 451 and instead of saying that, we are just saying I do not understand it. Personally, I followed along with Fahrenheit 451 very well and enjoyed most of it. Being completely honest tho, their were some parts in the middle that it slowed down way to much for me to keep my attention. I am more of an adventure novel reader. A book with action the whole way through and continous suspense is what I need to actually keep my attention. This is most likely because I am still young and it is hard to stay focused if the book is boring me. As you can probably tell, I don't read many books. I would rather be doing something active then trying to work through a boring book.

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Originally posted by KLJ16:
@Doug Spalding I will definitely have to try to read some of his other books. I've only ever read those two and the only reason i really read them was because it was a class assignment. And even though some of the parts i didnt understand, i still enjoyed them. I'm pretty openminded when it comes to books because i love to have a variety. Usually if someone reccomends a book to me, i at least try to read it so i will definitely have to try to read one of those books. Thanks for the reccomendations. I hope to keep learning more and more about Ray and you have for sure helped me with that!