What would you do if the government was to burn all the books and say you couldn't read books any more?

[shelly blomker]

I had this thought run through my head one day. What if the one thing us readers like the most was taken from us. If we weren't allowed to read the books we want to any more. Not just ban books but burn all the books. What do you think would happen?

This is just a fictional idea of a thought I had. But it would bother me if that happened. I love to read and there are so many good books out there and I'm finding more books as I get closer to my first goal of 100 books.

People would probably do some things to be able to hide their books. Because to get caught with books in your house wouldn't be a good thing.

Books are important way for us to learn things so this could cause such problems.

This is just a thought. I'm just wondering what you guys would think if this was to happen.

[Grace]

Did you see what happened to the Occupy Wall Street Library?  More than half of the books were destroyed when the protesters were evicted earlier in the week... as a book lover, it made me quite sad.

If your scenario happened and all books were to be burned, my books would be taken from me over my dead body.  I'd also anticipate a librarian-led revolt.  We're scary when we get angry.  :P

________________________

Books Without Any Pictures

[Kayla Merritt]

I would secretly stash some in a safe place then come back and get them and hide and read them. No  one would keep me from doing what I love.

[W.J. O'Neil]

Ray Bradbury shared your thoughts when he wrote Fahrenheit 451 which was published by Ballantine books in 1953. I found it to be a great story that has long since been a favorite of mine. With the advent of modern technology (such as computers, E-readers, and such) you might consider writing a newer, more up to date novel along that line Shelley. Personally, I would enjoy such a story as well as others I'm sure. In regards to your question, I probably would end up being an underground author / publisher. Most likely on the run too, lol.

[Roy Askham]

There is always the internet, they can't burn that can they?

[KW McCabe]

I think I would take all my books and bury them in a secure box somewhere with a map marked X lol. I can't imagine books being burned- that's blasphemy! >:-O

[SmatteringsBooks]

Ray Bradbury addressed the issue if all the books were burned. He may have had a point. For me I'd try to be part of the the undergrounnd the held on to a few favorite copies. What would you attempt to save?

[Nicholas Borelli]

There'd be a revolution. I'd participate.

 

On the other hand, there are not enough readers to begin with. Would enough people care?

[Bookish Hobbit]

My memory's not good enough to do what Bradbury envisioned, so I'd be forced to fight for my books. Whosoever seeks to burn them will do at their own peril and over my dead body.

[Robert V. Nightingale]

Bradbury's solution is that we become the books we read.  "We're remembering."

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451

 

[R Allan Worrell]

Hmmm  Total Censorship???  

This is similar to prohibition, only worse!   I like the concept, tho it might be tricky to write a complete book about it. Consider that more alcohol was consumed (per capita) during Prohibition than in anytime before or since!  I expect the same would be true if the written word was banned.

I'm a retired engineer, and I spent most of my adult life reading non-fiction.  My pleasure reading was Newsweek, Wired, Time and Newspapers.   I almost never had time for novels which I believe are the MOST creative works around!

 

Al Worrell

 

 

 

 

[Robert Lee Beers]

Robert Heinlein's Farnham's Freehold gave a similar prophetic picture. The writers of books are also avid readers and as such we would be targets of such a governmental move. This is where, I think, the devices such as the Kindle and the Nook will pay dividends. Etherspace (the universe of the internet) never forgets and every book formatted for eBook status is now protected. I use the Calibre eBook manager and am busy formatting my best-loved friends for future reading.

[Aria St. Clair]

This sounds like a good idea, but it also sounds extremely similar to the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.