Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I am very sceptical of The Classics™️ in general, but this really does live up to the hype. More similes and metaphors than you could possibly imagine and yet somehow it works. It manages to toe the line between message and plot very precisely, especially for a book with such a rich meaning. And I think this length of book is my favourite.
I do have a couple of qualms though. Firstly, I do think the characters were the weakest part of the book. Montag seems to be quite changeable depending on the scene and it was hard not to see anything in Mildred other than being a complete doormat. I understand their role in the book but I could used some more consistent characterisation and depth. Beaty is an absolute standout character though. Secondly, I thought the bombing of the city at the end was very abrupt. I see the vision of burning something down to build it anew, but the war subplot felt a bit at odds with the rest of it.
I still have to give this a 5 stars though, because very rarely have I taken so many different layers of meaning from a book, while still being engrossed in the story. And it remains as poignant as ever, if not more, decades after its release.
I do have a couple of qualms though. Firstly, I do think the characters were the weakest part of the book. Montag seems to be quite changeable depending on the scene and it was hard not to see anything in Mildred other than being a complete doormat. I understand their role in the book but I could used some more consistent characterisation and depth. Beaty is an absolute standout character though. Secondly, I thought the bombing of the city at the end was very abrupt. I see the vision of burning something down to build it anew, but the war subplot felt a bit at odds with the rest of it.
I still have to give this a 5 stars though, because very rarely have I taken so many different layers of meaning from a book, while still being engrossed in the story. And it remains as poignant as ever, if not more, decades after its release.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Celebrating and creating conversations around banned books. This one has some profound insights around burning books and creating a mindless society.
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
fast-paced
3.5. it’s definitely still relevant and a scary prospect, specially the idea of society metaphorically burning (forgetting) books.
I read this book, since it seems to be on everyone's must read list. It was... o.k. for me. I had a hard to adjusting to the writing style, and a hard time really understanding the spatial aspects of the book. That said, the plot was interesting, and I was lured in enough to finish it. Was really let down by the ending.