451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?


Today, I'm excited to welcome Rebecca to 451 Fridays. Have you met her? She's one of the friendliest bloggers I know, and always has something interesting going on at her blog, Lost In Books. Some of my favorite posts are her Take Me Away series, where she features a different culture each week, and a list of books to transport you to that culture. I love it! Welcome, Rebecca!

5 Books You Believe Important Enough to Be Saved And Why:

1. 1984 by George Orwell- to remind us to never become sheep, to think for ourselves, that books are important for sharing ideas, sharing feelings, sharing history. Knowledge and expanding your mind are so important. It may be easier to fall in with the crowd, but it is also very dangerous.
2. Night by Elie Wiesel- because his book tells what it was like living in the Nazi Concentration Camps. We need books like this to remind us never to do such a horrible thing again.
3. The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu- because it gives simple, basic moral advice and philosophy that people of any religion, race, gender, or nationality can understand. It would be a sort of moral code book.
4. The Collected Poems of Robert Frost- this can be any poet. I think that it is important to keep poetry alive to remind us of the beauty of language, the romance of life, and the depths of emotion.
5. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen- because the story shows different ways that love manifests in our lives.

Which Book Would You Become and Why:

I would probably become 1984. I would remind people to always think for themselves, to fight injustices, and to embrace differences instead of fear them. The quotes I included should explain why I would pick this book. If you haven’t read it, run to the store or the library and get it.

Any Favorite Quotes From the Book You Picked:

"The thought police would get him just the same. He had committed--would have committed, even if he had never set pen to paper--the essential crime that contained all others in itself. Thoughtcrime, they called it. Thoughtcrime was not a thing that could be concealed forever. You might dodge successfully for a while, even for years, but sooner or later they were bound to get you."

“From where Winston stood it was just possible to read, picked out on its white face in elegant lettering, the three slogans of the Party:
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH."

"We shall abolish the orgasm. Our neurologists are at work upon it now. There will be no loyalty, except loyalty towards the Party. There will be no love, except the love of Big Brother. There will be no laughter, except the laugh of triumph over a defeated enemy. There will be no art, no literature, no science. When we are omnipotent there will be no need of science. There will be no distinction between beauty and ugliness. There will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life. All competing pleasures will be destroyed. But always—do not forget this Winston—always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever."

Rebecca, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which much be saved. Friendly Reader, I would LOVE to have you join us on an upcoming Friday! Please leave a comment, or send me an email, and I will get you on the schedule!