9 – Fahrenheit 451 #2 w/ Nova

Today we’re finishing up our discussion of Fahrenheit 451! This book is kind of a lot, so I really can’t wait to get into it all with you. 

If you what to find me anywhere, you can see all my socials at barelybookish.com/connect and you can use this link to join the Discord servers!

If you want to find Nova, check her out at:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novasaurusrexx/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NovasaurusRexx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpAJApXIp8SR0AxZI1oSH8A

She also has a gaming channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpgB1gMDmRgJdaRfX9VdaTQ 

Transcript

Rachel:  Hey hi. Hello everyone and welcome back to Barely Bookish. I am so happy that you all are here and enjoying this podcast right along with me and you know just listening and talking about it and enjoying it. So some quick housekeeping things; if you are interested in joining a virtual book club, the Barely Book Club hasn’t started its next book yet, we’re still taking suggestions. And we’re hoping to start that at the beginning of December, so now it’s like a great time to join so you can help us pick the next book, and you can also suggest books and all that great stuff. I also started a book chat, so anybody that kind of just has read books and enjoys talking about that with other people, that’s on discord. And right now we’re talking about From Blood and Ash, which if you have not read that yet, please read it, if you really like fantasy. It’s by Jennifer L Armentrout. It’s really, really good. It’s probably one of my favourites right now. I absolutely adore it, so we’re talking about that on, there is not as well as the sequel, a Kingdom of Flesh and Fire. So that’s a lot of fun, and if you have read those and you would like to join, we’re also talking about ACOTAR and Throne of Glass, and we have a section where people can suggest books to talk about. So if you really like talking about books and you want to meet some great people, please feel free to join that by clicking the link in my bio or the description of this episode or going to barelybookish.com/Connect. Or slash connect? The one that’s like angled to the right. You know whichever way that is, connect. Okay, so yeah, please join there. It’s a lot of fun. I also wanted to talk about, because today we’re discussing the rest of Fahrenheit 451 and I wanted to give some trigger warnings, in case you haven’t read it. Keep in mind though that this is spoiler inclusive, If you haven’t read it yet and you want to make sure that you read it, and if you haven’t listened to the previous episode, please should be sure to do that first as well, but I wanted to get some trigger warnings for vehicular manslaughter and also this touches lightly on war, so if those are, either things that you don’t want to hear or think about please skip this episode and you can join us later. You can go back and listen to Pride and Prejudice, or we’ll have another book coming up shortly, so just take care of yourself. And yeah, but we will get right into the episode.

(Intro Music)

Rachel: Ah, so then they mentioned that the country started and won two atomic wars since 2022, and I hate when books are that close when they’re set in the future. Like that’s unavoidable, but it makes me uncomfortable.

Nova: Yeah, for sure.

Rachel: So I’m like ah oh no. What’s going to happen in the next 2 years?

Nova: I mean, it could happen.

Rachel: I don’t like it. I’m uncomfortable.

Nova: Crossing fingers.

Rachel: I know, knock on some wood.

Nova: Basically.

Rachel: But then he visits the old professor and they casually make a plan that involves plant-and they were like casually talking through this plan that involves planting books in firemen’s homes and I was like how is that even going to happen? And then honestly doesn’t ever end up happening but they were just kind of talking through. What if they did it and I’m like ha-I don’t even know how you would go about that.

Nova: I thought it was an interesting take because like it is very burn the burner.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: And I was like okay, I like this plan. It’s gonna be hard for you guys to manage it but he has a whole stack of books.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Like it’s easy enough to take a few and like slip in the middle, in-in the middle of the night and be like I’m gonna throw them behind the fridge or stick ’em behind the microwave. Or if they had microwaves, I don’t know.

Rachel: Yeah, honestly.

Nova: Just like random things or stick it in the back of a closet and get out and then call it in. Be like they have it. They’ll be like “Oh no, no we don’t” and be like well let’s search. Oh look, you have a stack, sorry.

Rachel: Yeah, so then there would have been like no firemen I guess like the plan kind of would have made sense if it followed through, but like what are they going to do with the last fireman? Is he going to burn his own house?

Nova: Yeah, and they would have to almost find ones that are on your side in a way or that could be persuaded and like work with them because then you can be like well, we don’t like books haha. And be like the squad that’s taking everyone else down.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: So like it it would be, for a beginning plan it was a good idea, but I mean then Montag went and messed it all up anyhow.

Rachel: Honestly, so then Faber, Fab-rare? Fa-beer?

Nova: I was calling him Faber

Rachel: Faber?

Nova: Cause I was thinking Saber is spelt like the same way, so it’s like Faber. I’m like I have no idea.

Rachel: We will commit to one and then whenever the two of us watch the movie, we’re just gonna be like, oh.

Nova: So far off, that’s usually what happens.

Rachel: I know. So we’re going with, we’re going with Faber. Hopefully we’re close, um, so Faber gives him a little listening device. I’m just gonna call the old man professor and then, you know, we just had this one time where I messed up possibly his name. So old man professor gives him a little listening device and it’s like a bug in his ear and Guy goes upon his merry way. So he goes home and Mildred’s friends are over and all of the husbands, or at least one of the husbands are going off to war and the government quote says that it will be a quick war war only 48 hours and not only that but they said that the wives think that people don’t die in wars.

Nova: I-yeah I saw the 48 hours I was like really? Like do you guys really use that much atomic energy that you just, okay we’re gonna have a war? We’re going to wipe you out before you can start it.

Rachel: Oh, that does make sense though then that’s why nobody would die because they just wipe the other people out and they do it all remotely.

Nova: It was, I’m like that’s the only way at war could be 48 hours.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Like usually once you declare war it’s a while before like you even get to the point of being like alright now we’re gonna fight.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: But like cause you have to like I mean obviously, earlier on in history was-took longer because you had to like mobilize your troops and everything, but even still like nowadays like to get everyone ready and like even up in planes is a time frame. So for it to be just 48 hours is like whoa, what are you using? For technology.

Rachel: I know.  When they said that they, no one dies in war, I was confused, but now that you said that like that would make sense that they are using all these atomic weapons, which is terrible, don’t get us wrong, but then that would result in their husbands not dying, just the entire people that they are against dying.

Nova: Yeah.

Rachel: I guess you can’t really fight a war, you murder your enemy.

Nova: Yeah exactly.

Rachel: There’s no one left to fight.

Nova: Yeah, it’s over if there’s no one there then you can’t really fight anybody.

Rachel: I know.

Nova: That’s the only way I could think of that would be that short so.

Rachel: I just in this novel there’s multiple times where they just commit to drastic reactions. You know?

Nova: Yeah.

Rachel: Like they don’t have, they don’t have like a moment of like, oh, it doesn’t seem like there’s any sort of like, oh, you know, in the government let’s sort this out. Let’s make this peaceful. Their, their reaction is going okay, we’re not agreeing-murder.

Nova: Yeah, like really though yeah.

Rachel: It seems like they just jump to whatever is going to solve the problem the fastest. Instead of like trying to save people.

Nova: Like, even with the books burning those, like yes, it’s illegal but like, you’re burning their house down. You’re not even just, like, taking the books out on the lawn and burning it you’re just like, oh there’s been a book in this house. It’s contaminated. It has to all come down.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Which is then funny cause houses are fireproof. But we’re burning them down.

Rachel: I know, so then I was like what if you got framed? Like in the case of if their plan actually worked. They just fully commit to burning down this fireman’s house and not even like seeing if it was actually his fault and if they actually got the books. Like he definitely like. For let’s just give the Guy, the benefit of the doubt and say that he was framed okay, they didn’t give him any sort of benefit. They were like, okay, we’re legitimately just going to burn your house down now.

Nova: Yeah, like they don’t even take the time to be like okay, like you’re accused of this crime. What do you have to say for yourself? It’s just.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: A book has touched this area. It all must die.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: So it’s very drastic.

Rachel: I know we’ll get more into it at the end, but yeah, I was like OK so. This is a moment where we realized that none of the parents have any sort of motherly instincts. For one of the ladies, one of Mildred’s friends, the kids only come home three times a month, and even then she says her, uh, the parents just put up with them. And I’m like what?

Nova: Yeah it was, it was like the first one was like “oh, I don’t have kids, don’t, don’t really want them” and Guy had said they didn’t want kids either, or Mil-Mildred didn’t. He was kind of, almost seemed like he might have?

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: And she’s like well I’ve had kids, but they’re gone so it’s fine.

Rachel: Yeah, they’re like boarding school, right?

Nova: Something like that or like it sounded like the way their school system was, you went to school for a certain amount of days and you had like a day off. I’m like that’s just exhausting.

Rachel: Yeah, and it’s like they don’t get books. What are they learning in school?

Nova: I-really. Have to sit and watch TV?

Rachel: I know it’s like a brain washing system, I guess in their school.

Nova: Yeah, and just she was so like I don’t even want them home when their home was like then why did you have them?

Rachel: I’m, I’m wondering if that’s like playing on the culture of I. I don’t know much about the time frame in the 50s, but I’m wondering if like people were starting to not want as big of families you know with like the industrialization and all that. Like again, this is speaking completely ignorantly. I don’t know that much about like that time period, but I know there was a point in time where people stopped wanting the big families and they wanted like less kids. And there’s a movement of people not wanting children like and which is totally fine like I don’t want kids like that seems like a lot of responsibility. But you know, there’s that movement towards not wanting kids and I’m wondering if Ray Bradbury, the author, was trying to play on that and be like this is what’s going to happen if people stop wanting kids like the entire country is not going to want kids, no one is going to respect kids, kids are going to grow up badly.

Nova: Yeah, I mean I know a little bit about like that was also, I think right before then. I’m not 100% sure. I’m like my dates was like when, um, in like the 19 early 1900s there was a lot of also, like the vaccines coming out, so like you normally had big families because you might have like 13 kids and 10 of them die before they reach age 10. So like you kind of almost, this is going to sound horrible, but you almost like planned ahead.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova:  Of, there’s so much sickness we can’t do anything about it. The more kids we have, the more chance like are lineages going to continue the more chance they might have to survive? So like and then once we started getting like better medicines and better technology that rate is significantly less.

Rachel: Uh, huh.

Nova: So like it kind of became a oh, we don’t have to have all these kids.

Rachel: That-

Nova: To be able to hit that.

Rachel: That in the move towards industrialization, with like you wanted a lot of kids to help you farm, you know. And now that you don’t like, have a farm. You work in an industry. You know kids are expensive and you don’t want like, you don’t need to have like 16 children. You can just have like the one or two that you want. Or three or however, many kids you want instead of like needing to have kids too.

Nova: Yeah, exactly.

Rachel: But there’s a lot of like culture shifts that I think must have been taking place in the 50s that he just wanted to show what would happen if they went to the extremes.

Nova: Yeah, it was almost like the exact opposite of what was happening because. I think that’s about when World War Two ended was the late 40s. And obviously then we had the baby boomers, which was like the birth rate skyrocketed. So it’s almost like the exact opposite that he did of this is what happens when like no one’s having kids or the few people having kids or just like whatever.

Rachel: Yeah, I just looked it up, World War Two ended in 1945. You know it’s weird, World War Two started September 1st 1939 and World War-and then it ended September 2nd 1945. So it literally lasted for years on the dot.

Nova: That’s interesting.

Rachel: Yeah, that’s weird. I don’t like that. I don’t like it being like that exact.

Nova: That yeah, that’s really weird. Having it that exact.

Rachel: Yeah anyways, back to Fahrenheit 451. So Guy freaks out on Mildred’s friends and I get it because they’re weird, and starts reading them some poetry, which is a bad plan. So

Nova: Oh my God.

Rachel: I was like what are you doing? Like horrible idea. Don’t do that. We had a plan.

Nova: Yeah, as soon as that hit I was like oh my God, you are running your plan. Even Faber on the other end was like “stop, please stop” and he’s just oh I’m gonna read you poetry.

Rachel: It’s like, you know when you’re you’re out with your friends and like one of them is drunk and you can’t really do anything and you just watch them from a distance and you’re like no, stop. That’s what I felt like. It’s like what is that called secondhand embarrassment?

Nova: Yes, oh my God.

Rachel: I was like no so bad but. So all the friends leave freaked out, you know, because poetry is not a thing that exists previous to that moment. For them, you know, and they’re like oh no. So Guy goes back to work and then he hands the book over and I think he hands over the Bible, right? Maybe I’m wrong.

Nova: I can’t remember. Like there is it that might have been the one he was trying to sa-there was one he was trying to save. So he’s like I have to sacrifice another. What do I sacrifice?

Rachel: Yeah, I think maybe he’s trying to save a novel. I don’t really remember, but he’s trying to save one any hands over the another one of the books that he has. And I, cause he burned the poetry book on the spot with all of them there to witness, all Mildred’s friends there.

Nova: Yeah, cause she had come up with the whole oh like firemen’s families get to take one home every once in a while.

Rachel: Yeah

Nova: Read it so we can be like wow, this is dumb and then he has to burn it.

Rachel: I know.

Nova: So like she almost saved him in that way, but it was like oh my God.

Rachel: Yeah, so he burns that one in the moment. So then he had to find another one. So that already hints off to the fireman that he had multiple.

Nova: Yeah.

Rachel: You know? He said he was like, oh I burned it at home with her friends there. They can tell you. Then he could have saved himself from being like, oh, you know, here’s another one.

Nova: Exactly like that could have been easiest of oh, we were interested in why this was bad, so I read it to them. And

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: You can ask them. They left upset and I threw it in the fire instead of bringing another one and the way the chief reacted was it was like okay, did he plan something to happen or does this really just happen this often that they take a book cause he took it and it’s like okay, we’re back to playing cards like just throw it in the trash.

Rachel: Yeah, and then-

Nova: And went right back it was like okay.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Something is happening.

Rachel: But then they get an assignment and all of them leave and they show up at Guy’s house for their assignment of book burning so. Mildred’s running outside and with her bags packed won’t even look at him and I was like, is Mildred leaving him? And I was confused as to how this happened and I was like what alarm are they talking about? But it turns out that the friends and his wife had already alerted the police last night before he even went to work, so they all knew that he had books at his house and then they’re going to make Guy light up his own house. And yeah, then he’s going to get arrested.

Nova: I-I had a feeling that was coming because the alarm went off and everyone was like all ready to go and then the chief was just like this is a special case. We can just finish this game, like didn’t even care.

Rachel: Yeah. I didn’t really pick up on it.

Nova: I’m like wait a minute.

Rachel: I was just like oh weird, okay?

Nova: I was like you guys are usually like let’s go right now and he was like no, let’s finish our game, I’m like oh no. I like I was like Mildred called I know it, like the friends was the final straw cause I was like she might not have because you know he pays for her “family”

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: To be in the house so if she calls him she, she doesn’t have that.

Rachel: Yeah, was Mildred unemployed? That was my other question.

Nova: There is something about acting, but like I wasn’t really sure if she was just acting along with the TV.

Rachel: Oh yeah.

Nova: Or if she was trying to be an actress.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: I was like okay this is, odd like I don’t really know. She’s always home, so I’m assuming she’s not.

Rachel: Yeah, I’m not sure either, but while this all is going down, they find the old man professor’s bug in Guy’s ear and he takes it and then Guy straight up murders Betty. And then Guy kind of realizes that Betty wanted to be killed. He was kind of like taunting him with the flamethrower in his hands like Guy had the flamethrower in his hands and Betty’s just sitting there taunting him and was like you won’t do it. And then Guy murders them. Murders like Betty. I think everybody else there and um, the dog, the hound, that’s the mechanical hound.

Nova: Yeah.

Rachel: And then the cops are chasing him and he’s on the run so, yeah.

Nova: I-I wondered if. The chief he, he would quote stuff throughout and it was almost like, I questioned if he was on the book side of things because he was always throwing out these quotes and it was like okay hold up. If you haven’t read anything, how are you quoting all of this? Like

Rachel: I know he’s very well read for someone that shouldn’t have any access to books whatsoever.

Nova: Yeah, so he was very like I wondered if maybe he realized he could be next, and so he was like haha you wanna go? Like bring it so then he’s dead, so nothing can happen to him.

Rachel: Yeah, I don’t know. It was kind of weird for sure.

Nova: He was just so odd like I could not pinpoint whether he was on the fireman side, or like the book side, because he was very almost flopping back and forth.

Rachel: Yeah, and I think honestly a lot of these characters were very strange. Like everyone was very weird and like one dimensional and it was like they were just moving through life and they didn’t have anything going for them is, I just kind of noticed throughout the book that like there was no real distinguishing characteristics from each character.

Nova: Yeah, like the only one that really felt like a person in a way it was Guy, but that’s cause we got to see, his like his side of duty of oh, we gotta burn these and then wait this isn’t a good idea.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Like everyone else was very like right down their line and like don’t really have like.

Rachel: Even the conversations, even the conversations he had with other people had no meaning.

Nova: Yeah, I think the only one that was really reaching for it was Clarisse. She was kind of building and then she’s dead.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Like there wasn’t enough of her to be able to be like oh yeah, she was really a dynamic character. She kind of just was there.

Rachel: Yeah. I don’t know, but anyways, so this is the moment where I was really like oh there’s no penalty for vehicular manslaughter, cause while he’s on the run, because like when he’s on the run, there’s a, he’s trying to cross the road and he’s like nervous about it because he’s like someone’s going to try and hit me like while I cross this road like this is why no one crosses the road. And as he’s like getting close to the edge of the like road, like on the other side, like a car comes out of nowhere and speeding., probably going like 100 miles an hour and the only reason they don’t him, as you said before, was because he was on the ground. And then they look back and try and come back again, don’t they?

Nova: Yeah, they come back again, but like, he manages to get into the alley before they can turn around.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Or like before they can tell where he is, cause it said like they went up on two wheels because they were going so fast that they couldn’t slow down enough and then like by the time they got situated to come back he was in an alleyway.

Rachel: Yeah, and I know they were saying like all he could hear them laughing and I’m like that’s disturbing.

Nova: Yeah, that was really like, I think he said something about was this the people that killed Clarisse too? Like-

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Just joyriding and plowing into everybody?

Rachel: I know I’m like how do you have a functional vehicle anymore?

Nova: I really like, hitting a body is gonna take-do damage unless they have like some kind of, like the truckers up here have like a moose grill. And it’s like this grill like goes on the front of the vehicle.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: So they hit something, it just basically just zoop off to the side.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: So it doesn’t do any damage to like the truck itself, so it’s like do they have something like that that they’re just going around and hitting people? And as long as it doesn’t come up into their windshield, they’re not gonna damage anything.

Rachel: Yeah, the other thing is too, is that you know when you hit something like it injures the people inside too. So I’m like how do these people just drive around going 100 miles an hour? Like if you hit like a, like a stop sign or something, it’s gonna like rip through your car going that fast.

Nova: Yeah, that fast like you hit anything and the car is done for because it’s just that force, so they have to have something that protects it I’m guessing. Cause there’s no way.

Rachel:  I know, now we’re talking about murder.

Nova:  I know.

Rachel: So bad. This novel had somebody like things in it that really was, it makes you question if we went to the extreme in the world, like how close would it look to this?

Nova: There’s so many books that like, is scary how you can pick out little things happening here and there.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Like they had a quote. I’ll see if I can find it. There was one page I was like oh my God this is like what people are saying today and I think I wrote the page number down. It was like this is eerie how he wrote this in 1950 something I don’t remember the exact year.

Rachel: Yeah, 53 sticks in my head, but I’m not sure if that’s right.

Nova: And, okay where is it, it was like that’s what like 70 years now or something? 50 yeah, 20. It’s like 70 years and you read it and it’s like oh my God, oh yeah. It was like I’m one of the innocents who could have spoken up and out when no one would listen to the guilty, but I did not speak and thus became guilty myself and I was like.

Rachel: That’s what the professor said, right?

Nova: I think so. Yeah, I was like the amount that I’ve heard that recently of, you know, if you don’t speak up. When it’s your turn like no one’s going to be there to help you as well.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: The parallels was, I highlighted it and I was like oh my God as a comment.

Rachel: Especially with bullying recently, that’s been a big thing is like, you know, if you see something, say something.

Nova: Yeah.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: It’s. There was another quote I did I don’t remember where it was. I wrote that one the page number down, but I don’t remember the other one. It, it, it was just like this is so uncanny of how parallel, it is and it’s almost like have we really not come that far?

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: That he’s writing this in 1950 and we’re here and we’re like, wow, this is the same.

Rachel: Yeah, I know I shook anyways, going back the-so now we’re at the point where a second hound is starting to hunt him after he killed the first one and he’s running through all these streets. And the news. Oh, he puts in headphones so he can hear the news as they’re reporting it so that he knows that they’re getting close to him. And the news, because everyone watches it, now. Asks everyone to step outside and look around and see if they can find him on the count of three. So he’s running. And like, here’s the countdown going and I think he jumps into a lake, right? Or ditch or something?

Nova: He reaches he was headed to the river I think

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: He like, passed the last house just as they were like standing up.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: So he was able to hide down by the river. Like I mean that was a good tactic because you know, if everyone is on the lookout they can find them. But like that was just like whoa.

Rachel: It’s crazy to me that they can mobilize the entire country that-or the entire city that quickly. That’s really uncomfortable. Because they basically control all these people.

Nova: I think that connects to like what you said about brain washing.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Cause like you say see stuff like that now people are like well I mean, I guess I can get up and look out my window for a minute and see if I see anything and you know get up and look and be like okay, I don’t see anything I’m going back.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Like they’re like almost mechanical in a way of oh gotta get up gotta go

Rachel: If the government says I gotta do it I gotta do it that’s basically what they’re doing now.

Nova: Yeah, exactly.

Rachel: It’s weird. So then he’s hiding and he seemed to have stumbled into some homeless people and crowded around a fire. And in that moment, as soon as I read that I was like so the future still hasn’t fixed the homeless epidemic then.

Nova: Yeah, that as much as we try, I almost feel like that’s something we can only like reduce the percentage of and not fully.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Like, like even you know, hundreds of years ago there were people who are homeless that would just like sleep in someone shed and then move on. So it’s almost like we can try but.

Rachel: I don’t know, I was just like I guess in their society, the things that are priority for them is making everyone the same and I guess homelessness is not a priority for them? I don’t know, but I was like yikes. But then all of the people knew his name and I was like why are their beards nice. It’s a trap. And, um turns out it’s not a trap, and these people are actually kind of cool and the police because I guess they need an ending, even if it’s not right, they find some random man and murder him on the street and tell everyone that it’s Guy. And just because this guy was out walking.

Nova: Yeah, I remember they said something like I can’t remember if it was who it was said something like they’ll find people who do that like do the morning walks just because they want to, or insomnia or whatever. And like keep them in a file so if something like that happens where like Guy got away, they can just turn the hound on that guy and set him loose.

Rachel: And murder him.

Nova: And they can be like oh look we got him like, it was like you really have this much of a problem that you are creating scapegoats before you need them.

Rachel: Yeah, and it’s like they’re basically it’s the world has to be solved quickly is what’s happening, so every that entire police chase probably lasted 10 minutes. Right? Like 10-15 minutes. And so at that point you know, your, most of your television programs last about 30 minutes. Once you start getting to that mark, they had to find someone, because basically their entire world is a TV show.

Nova: Yeah, and like they’re so entranced by it that they were like we can’t not end it with this guy dying, we have to give them what they want.

Rachel: Yeah, I was shook.

Nova: Oh my God, I did like that on this whole chase he was able to plant some of the books at one of the other firemen’s house and call it in.

Rachel: Oh did he? I didn’t realize that part.

Nova: Yeah he like went to one of their houses and like quickly planted some and then like took off cause I was like when the mechanical hound

Rachel: Smell him.

Nova: Find a scent there? and I was like are they gonna realize that he planted it or by that time is the house is gonna be destroyed?

Rachel: I know. I was like oop.

Nova: He called it in and they were on the way as he was still running.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: So I was like, well at least he got one done.

Rachel: Yeah, I know.

Nova: So much for the plan for all of ’em, but he took someone else down.

Rachel: Yeah, so it turns out these people he ran into have all memorized one book and become those books and then burn them because they can’t keep the books. And I mean, I guess that’s a smart way, and I think because I, I know I mentioned at the beginning of this that that guide the bookstore told me copyright laws and I’m wondering if this is what he’s referring to is that moment where basically all they have is this history in their minds of the books, they could basically make up holes they forgot and say that it was this book. You know?

Nova: Yeah, that could be a possibility.

Rachel: I’m wondering that’s what he’s referring to, but I don’t know that for sure, but so you know they’re walking and then a town just blows up. I’m guessing from the war that they were saying that was only going to last 48 hours, but the entire town gets murdered.

Nova: Yeah, like they completely flattened it. It said at one point they get up in the morning and one guy like walked down the river and came back and he was like it’s completely flat. There was like nothing there.

Rachel: Yeah, and I know you Guy was kind of talking about Mildred and he’s like Mildred’s probably dead and that’s when he remembers that he met her in Chicago.

Nova: I yeah, I found that really weird that he was like couldn’t remember, couldn’t remember and he was thinking about her dying, cause they knew this war was coming or they knew the planes were coming somehow and he’s like I don’t really care if she dies like I’m not sad.

Rachel: Yeah

Nova: All of a sudden it’s like oh hey, I met her in Chicago.

Rachel: Oh yeah, by the way.

Nova: Like that’s an odd connection. I don’t care if she dies, but okay now I remember where it’s like that’s weird.

Rachel: I know I’m like and then I thought it was weird how calm they are about the fact that they just witnessed a bomb like they saw it. You know? And they’re just like, oh, look.

Nova: They were kind of just like watching it happen like and one of ’em I think was like oh well, they’re gonna need us soon so we’re just gonna wait it out.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: It’s like you guys are just sitting there watching an entire city just die.

Rachel: Like that’s a lot of lives. Yeah, and they don’t even think about it or anything and they’re just like oh yep, there you go, that happened I guess.

Nova: Yeah, that was just I was like okay you guys are like show some kind of panic.

Rachel: Yeah seriously.

Nova: Like are we next like are they coming for the rest of the country like.

Rachel: I know they don’t even think about that.

Nova: And if it was an atomic bomb, they were close enough that it probably would have affected them a lot more than it did. So it’s like that was kind of weird.

Rachel: Yeah, they shouldn’t be able to breathe, there’s so much dust in the air too and like.

Nova: Just like the radiation and like the shockwave.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: From that is so much higher than just like a regular bomb that it was like, you guys should be in a lot more like, have a lot more issues than just oh wow, that it’s dusty like?

Rachel: Yeah, I know. And then the ending did not resolve a single thing. They were like they were just like oh they’re gonna keep walking and I’m like so did the world start reading books again? Who knows? Not me.

Nova: I honestly I was like okay, this is where we’re ending. They’re just walking to the city?

Rachel: I know.

Nova: Like, like that didn’t resolve it. If it had like they had found someone and talking with someone and been like, oh, I have this knowledge and like started to use it and people were like oh this is interesting.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Like it could’ve ended just there and like not gone into society bringing it completely back.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: But like they don’t even like really.

Rachel: I feel like it didn’t really end.

Nova: Yeah.

Rachel: Yeah. I suppose it was like a stop.

Nova: It was almost like he was just like I, I don’t feel like writing anymore and then they just published it.

Rachel: I know I was, I was like okay, this is where we’re stopping like I actually thought maybe I got an unfinished edition or something because I got like the 20th Anniversary Edition. And like I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but it has a ton of basically the book, the actual book itself ends in the middle of the pages and the rest is like, oh, are other authors and such talking about it. So I was like, oh, maybe this is not the whole thing, so I, I looked at the version I sent to you and I pulled it up online and I read the ending of it and I was like no, this is the same. So this is how it ends.

Nova: It was like it was almost like they were hit, they just hit the climax and they were trying to like resolve it. And he just like I don’t, don’t really feel like it so they’re just gonna walk towards the city and that’s where they’re going to be done.

Rachel: I know.

Nova: I’m like you didn’t. You didn’t bring back to the, you know like this is where it’s like this is how they’re going to use them being books to bring stuff back because like we know they’re walking books.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Like you don’t get that interaction of with people who believe they are should be gone. And it’s like this just doesn’t make any sense for an ending.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Where it was.

Rachel: For sure. I was just like okay it’s just gonna stop now.

Nova: Like they like, yeah, like even just coming across on people and they’re like oh my God, everything just died and they’re like we’re on a mission.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: To reeducate the world and the people are like oh my God what walking books? This is weird.

Rachel: Something like that would be great.

Nova: And convince them to go, convince them to come with them, and then keep walking like perfect. That would have been perfect, I would have been okay with that.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Like it’s just them and it’s like.

Rachel: Ta-da. I know I was like oh okay, this is what’s happening. I don’t know I felt like the ending did not resolve anything. It left much to be desired. I still liked it, but I wish the ending had a little bit more like substance.

Nova: I loved the concept.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: Like the burning the books and illegal like the whole concept was amazing. It was just those parts of like the ending and a few like almost like plot hole things that he didn’t fill in that information of like if those had been a little better, this would have been amazing.

Rachel: Yeah.

Nova: To me and I know some people are like Oh my God best book ever like this to me like I think I rated it like four stars on Goodreads because I was like this concept is perfect.

Rachel: Yeah, I don’t know what I read, I wrote it, I-I probably rated it about there, sorry stutter, I probably rated it similar. I don’t think I gave, let’s see we’ll we’ll find out what I rated it hold on. I gotta open the app. Of course, my Wi-Fi is like I don’t know buddy.

Nova: It’s it’s always when you need it that it’s like I’m not gonna work I’m on break like.

Rachel: Yeah I rated it 4 out of five too.

Nova: So.

Rachel: So yeah, four out of five for me also was just kind of like I thought it was really good. I like the writing in general, I just think the ending could have been more. Like I don’t know what it could have done, but I felt like it should have been more.

Nova: Like I did like his writing, I usually classics I don’t really read a whole lot because the writing I’m like I feel very bogged down, and he almost went like too fast through it.

Rachel: I know I was like it could have been like a 300 page novel and explained more and dived-

Nova: Oh yeah.

Rachel: Deeper into it.

Nova: Oh yeah, there was absolutely more he could have gone into.

Rachel: I did just a general research before this, like we’re going to deep dive more into the second episode, like the research I did, but just so you know right now this actually was based off of a novella. And he apparently had like a really hard time expanding the novella and making it more about Guy, but it was like supposed to be like a really short thing that he wrote before. And that’s where this came from. So I’m wondering if that’s why it’s not as detailed as just because it’s not, because it was based off of that novella.

Nova: It could be like he was trying, he couldn’t figure out how to make it longer.

Rachel: Yeah, so we’ll definitely have to, you know, do a little bit more like have to I when I read more of his books, I’ll be able to tell you, but I have. This is the only one I’ve read so far.

Nova: I mean same. I don’t think I’ve read anything else by him.

Rachel: Yeah, so on the next episode we will be doing more of a deep dive into the research and why this book has been banned in many many school districts and, you know what inspired of this book and if we think people should read it, we’ll be going more into that next episode. But thank you, Nova so much for joining me. Is there anyway, anywhere you want to tell the people to find you?

Nova: Ah, sure. Pretty much, it’s just on almost everything just find me at Novasaurusrexx with two Xs and it’s me so Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, you know?

Rachel: Yeah, I’ll link in the show notes so that everyone can like click it and it’ll be easier.

Nova: Awesome.

Rachel: Yeah. Thank you so much for joining me.

Nova: Yes, of course.

Rachel: And you know reading this with me and I appreciate it.

Nova: Yes, it was great. Thank you very much for having me.

Rachel: Yeah. Alright, well we will catch you on the next episode, bye.

(Outro Music)

Rachel: Thank you all so much for joining me on this episode of the Barely Bookish podcast. It’s been so much fun to have you all here and listening to this episode and all the episodes I’ve been making and I’m really happy that everyone seems to be enjoying it. If you would like to help me grow, please consider leaving a review. It’s really helpful and if you could share this with a friend, it is so insanely helpful and I would appreciate it so much. So yeah, I hope you all enjoy these episodes. Next week we’ll be discussing the overall and the overall opinion of this book and all that great stuff, so be sure to join us for that and I will catch you on the next episode, bye.