A review by manatad
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

After revisiting this book since I read it for the first time 13 years ago, I think I can see why it didn't leave a very big impression on me, especially compared to the other dystopian novels I had read around the same time, Brave New World and 1984 (the latter I had also revisited last year). Fahrenheit 451 certainly does describe a few interesting and relevant observations about people's shortening attention spans and resistance to confronting challenging or uncomfortable topics, but I don't agree with the whole "books good, TV bad" sentiment that is strongly expressed throughout the novel. And while its warning message regarding censorship was undeniably relevant at the time when it was written, I'm not sure that it still holds up in the context of today's world. I guess some say now that it's more of a warning against political correctness, but even that interpretation feels like sort of a cop-out to me. 

My favorite thing about the novel is actually Ray Bradbury's writing style. I found his imaginative use of simile to be quite wonderful, and I did sense a feeling of great passion from the book in general. I think the short length of the novel is appropriate too, because the prose would very likely have worn out its charm if I had to read 300 pages or more of it. 

There's not much else I can say about such a famous book that hasn't already been said a hundred times before. Overall, I think it is an enjoyable read, and quick, so there is no reason for anybody who is interested to not to read this classic. 
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