Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.  The Authorized Adaptation by Tim Hamilton.

Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which books burn.  Guy Montag is a firefighter whose job it is to start fires and burn books.  No longer does the average firefighter put out fires.  In Bradbury's science fiction world, books and reading are banned because if people read, and therefore gain knowledge, they are no longer equal to everyone else in society.  Therefore the people are forbidden to read or own books and television is taking over the minds and entertainment of the people.

Montag figures out that there must be something important in books because he witnesses owners willing to die over the love of their books.  At every fire he begins to steal a book to discover what is so important inside of them.  Clarisse, Montag's neighbor asks him if he is happy and he realizes that he hasn't been happy in a long time.  When Clarisse turns up dead, Montag decides that his life needs to change.

Tim Hamilton has created a splendid visual, graphic novel adaptation of Bradbury's classic book.  The pictures are colorful, interesting, eye-catching and worthwhile.  This is a great way to introduce a young adult to world of Ray Bradbury.  Years ago I watched a film version of Fahrenheit 451, which is weirdly odd but I loved the idea behind this story.  When I saw the graphic novel at the store, I bought it immediately and now it has piqued my interest in the novel and I may actually commit to reading it.

In the introduction to the graphic novel adaptation, Ray Bradbury asks a question of his readers.  Which book would you most want to memorize and protect from any censors or "firemen"?  I don't even have to ponder on this question, I know I would choose my favorite book of all time, Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.  I would choose this book because it is a masterpiece and contains, history of the Civil War as well as romance, culture, etc.  Gone with the Wind is an iconic part of American culture and deserves to be remembered.

Which book would you choose and why?