German soldiers and civilians give the Nazi salute, thousands of books smolder during a bookburning, May 1933. (Courtesy of Ray Bradbury) |
At the end of Fahrenheit 451 Montag meets a group of people who have each committed one book to memoriy to save it from extinction. When asked the question, Ray Bradbury said he'd have memorized Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol because it "has influenced my life more than almost any other book, because it's a book about life, it's a book about death. It's a book about triumph."* If you had to memorize a single book or risk its extinction, which book would you choose?
*(On January 5, 2005, Dana Gioia, former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, interviewed Ray Bradbury in Los Angeles; this information comes from that interview)
I would choose Alice in Wonderland because The tale plays with logic, deals with fantasy and imagination.
ReplyDelete~Sarah Gamelli
I would say the book " Tess of the D'Urbervilles" because it refers to a completely different era, and you can see all the morals that were existing at this point of time and the distinctons between females and males. Also the social classes and the reflection of them within the socities.
ReplyDeleteAdrianos Vourliotakis Perdikaris
If i could choose a book to keep from extinction I would choose The Great Gatsby it is a book about the American dream and corruption between social classes. It is a classic that many should read.
ReplyDeletekristen simmons
I would save Revolutionary Road or The Easter Parade by Richard Yates. It would be hard for me to choose just one, like choosing what to save when your home is burning down. I think this two novels depict that life is not always so beautiful, which makes people grateful for the times it is good.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Paul
I would choose either To Kill A Mockingbird or Peter Pan. TKAM is one of my favorite books, but on top of that I think that it's important to remember that time in American history as it was. Peter Pan is just one of my favorite stories, there's a lot in that book that people need to remember, mostly don't take life so seriously and always keep playing.
ReplyDelete-Maria Varanka
I know this really isn't the question to respond with "I think," but it's tough to pick one. So I think I'd memorize Steppenwolf. It's a novel about a man on the fringes of society, isolating himself from the living and enclosing himself with the writings of dead philosophers. I read it a while ago, but I recall it being a surreal work about accepting others, loving people, and recognizing that the world can quickly be deconstructed. The psychology of it is gripping too.
ReplyDeleteRai Carmody
Fahrenheit 451 has actually been my favorite book since I first read it in high school...I've since read it five or six times purely for recreation, more times than any other single book. I'm deeply political and strain to follow a Christian moral code, so dystopian pieces like F451, the Giver, 1984, and Brave New World, have always really picked at my fancy, because they depict (well ahead of their time, in fact) scenarios that our culture is swiftly collapsing into through gluttony, sloth, and greed...and the sick irony of F451 being about the self-induced ignorance that stems from society losing interest in books is very reflective of our current times. Fahrenheit 451 is definitely the book of choice for me.
ReplyDeleteTheresa Caulkins
I would save Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is a wonderfully written book with a powerful message. Not to mention it is a young adult and would be easier to memorize!
ReplyDelete- Jeff
If I were to save any book from extinction, I would choose Slaughterhouse-Five. The novel follows a man that serves in World War II and survives he firebombing of Dresden, but the story is not meant showcase him as heroic or "grand" in any way. The main character sees horrific destruction, and then spends much of the time in the story attempting to understand the significance of life and death. I think that if the world ever came to the point where books were being lost forever, it would be important to see exactly how terrible this type of destruction is.
ReplyDeleteAli Memhard
I would save A Wrinkle in Time. It provides an usual heroine, and an adventure where the ultimate villains are power and the hate that comes from it. In addition, it shows that appearances are meaningless: the manicured lawns of Camazotz hide a monstrous antagonist of conformity, and the rescuers to the heroes are giant hairy beasts; it shows that the reader will have discern a character based on their following actions, not on first impression.
ReplyDelete-Caitlin Carroll
I would save either Lovely Bones or The Great Gatsby.This book was one of the first books that i willingly read and i automatically fell in love with it. Lovely Bones is a story that has a lot of drama and describes that grief can tear people apart and in order to continue your life you need to put the tragedies of your past behind you. The Great Gatsby talks about the American Dream and the exploitation of social classes. Also its a love story, and who doesn't like a good love story with a good plot as well.
ReplyDeleteAriel Trudell
If I had to save a book it would be any of the Judy Blume books because I could relate to them when I was that age
ReplyDeleteTanya Jones
If I were to save a book from extinction, I would save I Am the Cheese. My reasoning for this is because other then liking the way Robert Cormier writes, after reading this book I had that "wow" reaction. It was one of those books where the ending was not predictable and shocked me. I find it difficult to find a book I am really interested in and this one is one. It is an easy read.
ReplyDeleteKimm Webb
If I had to pick a book from extinction, or memorize the book i would choose Holes by Louis Sachar. I would choose this book because I do not usually enjoy reading books, and they don't catch my interest. When it came to reading this book I actually enjoyed it, and never wanted to put it down it caught my attention.
ReplyDeleteMichelle Spinney
If I had to pick one book to save (which, by the way, is an absolute nightmare because I can never even pick a book to call my "favorite") I would pick The Canterbury Tales. Though an obviously an unrealistic feat of memorization, I think that The Canterbury Tales already has serious lasting power because Chaucer brilliantly covers so many themes and ideas and that it would be a real loss to the world.
ReplyDelete-Brittany
I feel like this question is akin to asking the question:"What's your favorite book" which I can never answer. My favorite author is Charles Dickens. I believe his books have timeless meaning and power. If I had to choose from his novels my choice would probably be Oliver Twist. Oliver Twist shows horror of poverty, as well as, how people in all ranks of society abuse power.
ReplyDeleteDesiree Marchand
If I had to save a book or prevent it from extinction, I would choose "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky because it teaches a lesson. It shows that you CAN redeem yourself, even in the toughest of situations.
ReplyDelete-Tailyr Cross
This is tough but I think either "Lord Of The Flies" or "The Odyssey" because they both represent human interaction with beasts, and how they overcome them, which is very significant to society in how we should learn how to overcome our conflicts in our lives. (human inner fears/beast, and physical beasts) -Diane Stitt
ReplyDeleteIf I could save any book it would be The Hobbit by Tolkien because it's themes are still pertinent today especially in talking about man versus nature. The struggle to survive and a passion for life, travel, and adventure can all be found in the story along with mythical creatures which adds to its intrigue especially for a younger reader.
ReplyDeleteSarahSB
If I had to save one book from Extinction it would be Tuesdays with Morrie. it is my favorite book and it is about a teacher and former student reconnecting in life when the old man is dying, and teaches the student the lesson of life and how to enjoy every second of it. it is a great read and i reccomend it to everyone.
ReplyDeleteKimberly LaPrade
If I had to save a text from extinction it would be the Tao Te Ching. I honestly do not understand a majority of the text but that is what allures me the most about it. It is such a heavy and hugely philosophical piece of art that I would love to slowly but surely unravel it and spend my life attempting to figure out its marvels. For anyone who is interested in Eastern philosophy, it is the #1 text.
ReplyDelete- Jay Curtin
If I had to choose one book to save from extinction I would definitely have to choose one of Jane Austen's works. It's particularly hard to choose between my three favorites (Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility) but I would have to pick Sense and Sensibility. This book has long been one of my favorites and I can't imagine people not being able to enjoy this great work of literature I have.
ReplyDeleteEmma Priester
Huckleberry Finn, hands down. It changes my life every time I read it. I become, at least for a time, a better person. Maybe I will just go ahead and memorize it, in case I need it some day and don't have a copy right at my fingertips! Jay St. Vincent
ReplyDeleteOne book forever.... to save from extinction. This is like picking either air or gravity. But, I suppose if there is any book that must be saved, it would be- Lord Jim? Nope. It would have to be The Tale of the Ancient Mariner. Religion, superstition, hatred, peace, forgiveness... complexity. Maybe. I suppose int eh end I would save one of a handful that I happened to have a copy of- not because it's more important than the others, but because it's available. Daniel Barbone
ReplyDeleteSpeak, I read this story after a teacher suggested it to help me cope. I found myself relating to the main character in almost every instance and I could feel her character reach out to me. Her story helped me deal with my experience and gave me the courage to finally speak out. By taking away this book you'd be taking away a friend and a shoulder to cry on.
ReplyDelete