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Post by Phalon on May 7, 2017 6:25:57 GMT -6
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on May 7, 2017 8:01:02 GMT -6
Heck yes! Roombas, microwaves, automatic door openers, automatic lawn mowers, that "Alexis" voice command, and automatic fire extinguishers. Bradbury was ahead his time for sure. And honestly influential in making people think about inventing this stuff and drive innovation on occasion.
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Post by Phalon on May 9, 2017 4:10:33 GMT -6
The cleanup mice in the first story reminded me of those vacuum cleaners that roam around, changing direction when they bump into things, and the "nursery" in The Veldt was virtual reality. Funny thing is, I read once that Bradbury shunned some of the most popular technology we use every day; he only died a few years ago, but didn't use computers, ATMs, and had never driven a car.
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Post by Mini Mia on May 9, 2017 20:18:58 GMT -6
Well, I'm going to go out on a limb and say his stories show a paranoia of the modern gadgets. Me thinks he was afraid his stories would come true, and he didn't want to be the one they came true on.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on May 10, 2017 21:21:29 GMT -6
If I'm not mistaken he invented the "we are the perpetrators of our destruction" theory.
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Post by Phalon on May 11, 2017 4:45:18 GMT -6
The theme is certainly present in "There Will Soft Rains Come", "The Veldt", and "Fahrenheit 451". In "Fahrenheit 451", btw, "our destruction" is caused by mindless entertainment (watched on large flat-screen T.V.s - another bit of technology created out of Bradbury's imagination).
I might have to give that one a re-read; it's been years, and if I remember correctly, it has a happy(ish) ending!
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on May 11, 2017 8:22:40 GMT -6
What!? Bradbury has a happy ending!? lol
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Post by Phalon on May 12, 2017 5:43:36 GMT -6
Happy-ish, ish, ish. Bombs going off, general death and destruction, and whatnot....but there is at least a resolution at the end; a kind of redemption.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 15, 2019 9:51:02 GMT -6
When I was going through multiple lists of "must read before you die" classic novels, some of the same books were mentioned on site-after-site - one of which is "The Good Earth" (1931) by Pearl S. Buck; I've never read it. But hey, I've got it - it's one of the (hundreds) of books I brought back from Mom's house.
Just about five chapters in, but I'm really enjoying it thus far (although, having to remember the time and place setting of the novel, so I don't grit my teeth too hard at some of the attitudes of the main characters; it takes place in China in the early 20th century). My copy is a condensed version though - part of "A Pearl Buck Reader" that also includes Buck's novel "Imperial Woman", and a personal novel-length essay titled "The China I Knew". I don't know how this condensed version compares with the original - the condensed story is 166 pages; on Amazon and Barnes & Noble paperback copies of "The Good Earth" range in pages from 144, to a reprint last year of 368 pages, up to a whopping 722 pages reprinted in 1995.
Typeface, font size, and whether there is an introduction are just some of the things that would account for the variance in the number of pages, but in reading the condensed version, I feel like I'm missing out. "The Good Earth" if I continue to like it as much as I am so far, is one I'll probably reread in its original form later on.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 16, 2019 1:50:08 GMT -6
Years ago, someone was cleaning out their lost loved one's sheds, and they gave me a lot of old books. They're under my bed ... I can't recall what books they were, so I'll have to check to see if any of them might be interesting. I also have a lot of books in my TBR piles I can check for standalone books in. I know one of the books I haven't read yet is "My Life in France" by Julia Child. I got it after watching Julie & Julia. That would be one on my list to read soon.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 16, 2019 1:59:12 GMT -6
Seems a lot of readers on Amazon were unhappy about the book. Apparently there is a lot of French in the book, and no interpretations of what was said. I may be disappointed once I start reading the book.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 17, 2019 8:13:13 GMT -6
I love the movie "Julie & Julia"; I absolutely hated the book "Julie & Julia" upon which the movie was based (the movie was also based on "My Life in France"). Julie Powell, who wrote "Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously" was so obnoxiously whiny, self-absorbed, and self-important, that the book was hard to get through; it was a horrible read written by someone who seemed like she was a horrible person. Not to mention the "Julia" parts of her book were noted as being fiction.
Hhmmmm....I didn't gather this at all. Most of "My Life in France" reader reviews I read were very positive, giving the book a five or four star rating. I wouldn't mind reading it, if it's something you want to do as a book discussion. Let me know, and I'll see if it's available at the library.
I nearly finished "The Good Earth" late last night - I've got just 10 pages left, but could not for the life of me, stay focused enough to read through to the end; when the words started to blur, I decided it was (past) time to go to bed, and finish later with fresh eyes.
The story took a turn after those first few chapters, and the main character, who in the beginning seemed like a likeable and respectable person with integrity, became greedy, and unscrupulous, trading his morals for wealth. There are traces here and there of the man he once was, but I wonder if in these last 10 pages he can redeem himself.
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