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A review by hangsangareader
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
There is a reason this book is classic and so revered. It has everything. A great kernel, an intriguing dystrophic society with a novum that is not so far-fetched. I read this book for my Post-WW2 American Lit class and had to write an essay on it. I had it on my TBR for ages, and this was an excellent opportunity to read it finally.
We are introduced to a dystopic future where Firemen burn houses rather than stop fires, and all because of the books they contain because books can give people ideas, something a totalitarian state does not want. We follow Montag as he navigates this reality.
The protagonist, Montag, is quite a gray character. His arc spans the whole book, and it's his development within his realizing precisely the kind of society he is a part of that we are confronted with in the book. Other characters fulfill their role quite well. Clarisse is there as a jumping point; she is quite the contrast to the way Montag lives. Captain Beatty, the antagonist, and Mildred, Montag's wife, also help illustrate what it looks like to accept the life authority as dictated you should live. None of these characters are one-dimensional. There is a possibility to question exactly how they feel. Is Mildred happy to acquiesce? But the beginning of the novel says otherwise. Is Captain Beatty truly a "bad" guy? Or did he want Montag to do what he did to him? These characters are complex enough that we will revisit and question their motives.
As for the writing, Bradbury is a genius, if I may say so. He manages to infuse easy-to-follow language with references and mythology. If you don't pay attention, you will miss it. It's in the details, in the "simple" words. Just the incipit alone gives so much information. The use of figurative language throughout the book makes for a beautiful read, as well as a symbolic one. Think snake and dog, heaven and hell. I would say the book is well-paced; I was never bored.
Of course, to fully grasp the content of this novel, one should be aware of American history, especially Cold War and McCarthyism. That was the setting of Bradbury's writing, and it will help make sense of the ideas he is trying to convey—also, the growth of television. I don't think that was his intention if it feels like he is a snob. He mentions that television, radio, and similar mediums can send good messages as books are. And Ray Bradbury came from the Sci-Fi magazine medium. More than a critique of popular culture, it tries to relay the importance of not letting technology take over and numb us with silly content.
The only aspect that I did not enjoy as much was the ending. No spoilers, but the "end" feels rushed. The war that looms in the novel does not get a proper place. I'm not too fond of discouraging endings like in 1984 and, as it seems, hopeful ones that don't seem as plausible. Maybe Philip K. Dick was right; we cannot expect outsiders to win in these cases.
If you enjoy sci-fi, specifically authoritarian societies in dystopias, you should read this one. You will see the influences if you like 1984 or Brave New World. And most importantly, this book will make you think.
We are introduced to a dystopic future where Firemen burn houses rather than stop fires, and all because of the books they contain because books can give people ideas, something a totalitarian state does not want. We follow Montag as he navigates this reality.
The protagonist, Montag, is quite a gray character. His arc spans the whole book, and it's his development within his realizing precisely the kind of society he is a part of that we are confronted with in the book. Other characters fulfill their role quite well. Clarisse is there as a jumping point; she is quite the contrast to the way Montag lives. Captain Beatty, the antagonist, and Mildred, Montag's wife, also help illustrate what it looks like to accept the life authority as dictated you should live. None of these characters are one-dimensional. There is a possibility to question exactly how they feel. Is Mildred happy to acquiesce? But the beginning of the novel says otherwise. Is Captain Beatty truly a "bad" guy? Or did he want Montag to do what he did to him? These characters are complex enough that we will revisit and question their motives.
As for the writing, Bradbury is a genius, if I may say so. He manages to infuse easy-to-follow language with references and mythology. If you don't pay attention, you will miss it. It's in the details, in the "simple" words. Just the incipit alone gives so much information. The use of figurative language throughout the book makes for a beautiful read, as well as a symbolic one. Think snake and dog, heaven and hell. I would say the book is well-paced; I was never bored.
Of course, to fully grasp the content of this novel, one should be aware of American history, especially Cold War and McCarthyism. That was the setting of Bradbury's writing, and it will help make sense of the ideas he is trying to convey—also, the growth of television. I don't think that was his intention if it feels like he is a snob. He mentions that television, radio, and similar mediums can send good messages as books are. And Ray Bradbury came from the Sci-Fi magazine medium. More than a critique of popular culture, it tries to relay the importance of not letting technology take over and numb us with silly content.
The only aspect that I did not enjoy as much was the ending. No spoilers, but the "end" feels rushed. The war that looms in the novel does not get a proper place. I'm not too fond of discouraging endings like in 1984 and, as it seems, hopeful ones that don't seem as plausible. Maybe Philip K. Dick was right; we cannot expect outsiders to win in these cases.
If you enjoy sci-fi, specifically authoritarian societies in dystopias, you should read this one. You will see the influences if you like 1984 or Brave New World. And most importantly, this book will make you think.