A Century of Books: 1950-1959

Hello readers!

I can’t believe we are already halfway through A Century of Book series. Seems like I just started. But we are already in part 5.

If you are new to this series then I welcome you! Below you can find the first 4 parts.

• A Century of Books: 1900-1919
• A Century of Books: 1920-1929
• A Century of Books: 1930-1939
• A Century of Books: 1940-1949

The 1950s has a plethora of great books, it was very hard to pick just 5.

Let’s jump in!

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Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)

Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel about a time when books are banned to the extent that they are being burned. Guy Montag is a fireman but not in the way we know them. Their job is to start the fires to remove all the books. 

They live in a world where people don’t enjoy things such as nature, books, and independent thinking. Most of the time they glued to their TVs or listening to the radio which is attached to their ears.

Guy lives a boring life until he meets a seventeen-year-old girl named Clarisse McClellan. She is a thinker and asks Guy questions which opens his mind.

Guy’s life gets turned upside down after meeting this girl. His wife tries to commit suicide and a woman would rather burn with her books rather than have them burned in front of her.

This causes Guy to rethink his decisions about life. More importantly, he reconsiders the importance of books.

He begins to read and can’t get enough of books and learning. Unfortunately, he trusts the wrong people and puts his life at risk.

Why is it important?

Fahrenheit 451 was a statement when it came out. Ray Bradbury was writing against censorship in literature.

He was also advocating for the importance of art and literature. Without it, people’s lives would be dull. This book stands up against those who want to keep ideas out of people’s minds because they don’t align with either politics or society.

Literature is important to keep humanity learning and growing.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B White (1952)

This is up there with one of my favorite children’s books.

Charlotte’s Web is about a group of farm yard animals. Fern is a young girl who lives on the farm and when a little of pigs are born, she falls in love with the runt.

After some persuasion, her father lets her raise the run. She names him Wilbur.

Wilbur makes friends with the other animals in the barn but becomes very close friends with a spider named Charlotte.

Fern takes care of Wilbur for a month before her father decides it’s time to sell him to his brother-in-law for meat. This disturbed both Fern and Wilbur.

Charlotte hatches a plan to write positive affirmations about Wilbur in her web. This causes Wilbur to become a spectacle. This also keeps him from being sold.

Wilbur is entered into the county fair and wins a special prize by the judges. This has secured his life on Fern’s farm for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, Charlotte’s life has come to an end. But she entrusts him with her egg sack.

When her babies are hatched, most fly away but three stays to keep Wilbur company and live in Charlotte’s corner of the barn.

Why is it important?

Charlotte’s Web is a very important book for children to read because it shows Fern stepping up to take responsibility for Wilbur. She cares for him for a long time which shows dedication.

Also, Charlotte’s Web doesn’t shy away from some harsher topics. Wilbur learns about the meaning of death in two ways. He learns what could happen to him if he was sold. He fears death.

In the end, though, he still struggles to comprehend Charlotte’s death but we also see him grieving the loss of his best friend. Fern doesn’t spend time with him and Charlotte dies, so he has to deal with loss.

This is hard lessons for children to learn but E.B White shows them in a way that isn’t scary and in a way they can understand.

Night by Elie Wiesel (1956)

This book is very eye-opening about the events of the Holocaust.

Ellie was a teenager when he was taken from his home to be put into a concentration camp.

The novel recounts what it was like being in Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald. These three different concentration camps came with different struggles for Elie and his father.

Fortunately, he was able to survive long enough to be liberated. He reunites with his older sisters and goes back to his studies.

Although so much happens in the book, I believe you should read it because a full summary would not do it justice.

Why was it important?

Elie lived through and survived one of the most horrific events in history. And he was only a child. He saw the brutality and devastation but also found hope in his situation.

Elie because an advocate for survivors because he was able to tell his story. Something a lot of people are not able to do because of the trauma.

Although the holocaust was a awful event, it is important to learn about it. Because it is history and those who lost their lives should not be forgotten.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger (1951)

Holden Caulfield is reminiscing about his final days and days after his time at Pencey Preparatory Academy, a boarding school in Pennsylvania.

Holden failed all of his classes except English. But because of this, he is not allowed back to Pencey Preparatory Academy after Christmas. This leads him into a long journey of saying goodbye to his favorite History professor and the three days before he decides to return home.

He gets into an altercation with his roommate and leaves school to wander the streets of NYC. He wears a red hunting hat and runs into many unique people.

During those three days, he finds himself depressed, craving affection, and looking for new experiences. He is a child so he misses his sister and parents but refuses to go home.

Holden meets up with an old friend named Sally. He falls for her and takes her ice skating and wants more from the girl. He wants them to run away together but that only leads to them angrily parting ways.

During his depressive state, he sneaks into his house to visit his sister. She only scolds him for being kicked out of school and he leaves more depressed.

After running out of money, he sleeps in Grand Central Station and meanders around NYC. Holden starts smoking and drinking in order to keep himself occupied.

In the end, he decides not to tell the reader what happened next. He knows he will go to a different school in the fall and stays optimistic about his future endeavors.

Why is it important?

Honestly, this is one of the more disappointing books I’ve read.

But it has had some interesting influences on history.

The book itself can be seen as a story of hope and that though the journey may be difficult, the end of the story can still be positive.

A favorite fact of mine is that Holden can sound like “hold-on” which is what Holden is doing for the entire novel.

Lastly, this book is connected with the murder of John Lennon. On the night he shot Lennon, Chapman was found with a copy of the book in which he had written “This is my statement” and signed Holden’s name. He also quoted the book in court.

Many murders have been associate with this book.

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (1957)

The Cat in the Hat is about two siblings who are left home alone while their mother goes out. It is a rainy day so they can’t go outside to play and are dreadfully bored.

Then they hear a thud and in comes a cat in a red and white striped hat. He starts making a mess of the house to entertain the children. Their pet fish opposes this idea because he is worried the cat will make a mess of the house.

The cat begins to balance whenever he can on his umbrella, including the fishbowl but also proceeds to drop everything.

To keep the children entertained, he brings in a big box which contains two little things, called Thing 1 and Thing 2. They wreak havoc on the house by flying kites indoors and knocking pictures off the wall.

When the children see their mother outside, they panic at the mess of their house. The cat gets Thing 1 and Thing 2 back to their box and everything goes out the door. The cat then rides in on a cleaning machine and everything is back to normal when their mother walks into the house.

The mother walks in and asks what the children did today. But the children do not answer. The story ends with the question, “What would you do if your mother asked you?”

Why is it important?

The Cat in the Hat was written for children to be able to expand the scope of their imagination. Seuss no longer wanted children to believe life is just one line.

Although he writes about misbehaviors and destruction. Everything is cleaned up in the end. It was about having fun and being childish.

Dr. Seuss wanted to write a fun book for children that they could easily read but also get a sense of adventure from.

In conclusion.

The books of the 1950s all had something to say about the world we live in. Whether it is to remember what has happened, how to enjoy the world we live in or to stand up against oppressors.

Over to you.

Do you think that children’s books have as much of an impact on society as adult books?

“It was a pleasure to burn” – Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451