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A review by brittanica_bold
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
5.0
Wow! This was amazing! If you’ve been living under a rock like me, you’ve probably heard of this book but have no clue what it’s about. While this little guy stood at only 147 pages in length, the punch it packed was enormous.
Written in 1953, Fahrenheit 451 depicts a dystopian future where books are outlawed, firemen burn books instead of fight fires, and everyone has self-selected a life of convenience and simplicity over a life of critical thinking and knowledge.
Firefighter (aka “book burner”), Guy Montag, is our main character. After meeting his 16-year-old, “odd” neighbor, Guy’s mind begins to process deeper thoughts about their society. From questioning his job, to stealing and reading books, to joining a group of rebels who will pass on the disintegrated stories of the past, we see Guy through it all.
What I liked about this book:
1. The worldbuilding is a cognitive delight! I understand why teachers tried to jam this down our throats and make us write essays in school about it. There is just so much material to go off of.
2. The woman who died for her books. Not only am I that big of a book nerd that I really related to this and would do the same thing (…ok not really….maybe), it stood for something so much deeper to me. This woman was willing to die in the name of not being ignorant. In the great words of Aldous Huxley, “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored”, and I will never choose the easier path of ignorance, much like the woman in the book.
3. As a compulsive overthinker, the way Bradbury was able to show the spiraling mind of Montag during his bouts of worry was the best and most accurate I’ve read before. It’s chaotic, it’s all over the fucking place, and it’s unstoppable.
What I didn’t like about it:
1. There are a lot of similes. Some are good, but some were downright awful! We got the point the first metaphor you gave, I didn’t need eight more. Montag’s a phoenix. Books are a phoenix. Blah blah blah.
4.5 stars!
Written in 1953, Fahrenheit 451 depicts a dystopian future where books are outlawed, firemen burn books instead of fight fires, and everyone has self-selected a life of convenience and simplicity over a life of critical thinking and knowledge.
Firefighter (aka “book burner”), Guy Montag, is our main character. After meeting his 16-year-old, “odd” neighbor, Guy’s mind begins to process deeper thoughts about their society. From questioning his job, to stealing and reading books, to joining a group of rebels who will pass on the disintegrated stories of the past, we see Guy through it all.
What I liked about this book:
1. The worldbuilding is a cognitive delight! I understand why teachers tried to jam this down our throats and make us write essays in school about it. There is just so much material to go off of.
2. The woman who died for her books. Not only am I that big of a book nerd that I really related to this and would do the same thing (…ok not really….maybe), it stood for something so much deeper to me. This woman was willing to die in the name of not being ignorant. In the great words of Aldous Huxley, “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored”, and I will never choose the easier path of ignorance, much like the woman in the book.
3. As a compulsive overthinker, the way Bradbury was able to show the spiraling mind of Montag during his bouts of worry was the best and most accurate I’ve read before. It’s chaotic, it’s all over the fucking place, and it’s unstoppable.
What I didn’t like about it:
1. There are a lot of similes. Some are good, but some were downright awful! We got the point the first metaphor you gave, I didn’t need eight more. Montag’s a phoenix. Books are a phoenix. Blah blah blah.
4.5 stars!