Review : Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Pages : 170
Genre : Classic, Fiction, Dystopia
Stand Alone
My Rating : 
I read Fahrenheit 451 for the first time in high school, in French translation, and for a reason I couldn’t figure, I forgot almost all of it really quickly. I had been wanting to read it in English ever since, and imagine my surprise when, reading it, I realized our teacher had made us skip the middle part of the book! In a way, that’s not surprising, since most of the action happens out of this part, but still… that might be why I kind of forgot about it! I’d love to ask my teacher about that, if I ever do meet her again.
I feel like there isn’t much I can say about this book that hasn’t already been said a thousand times, so I just wanted to share some of my impressions of it. The writing is certainly different : Bradbury tends to repeat certain parts of sentences to make his point. While it took some time to get used to, in the end it worked for me, creating a strange vibe that very well reflects the atmosphere of the book.
At the heart of the book is, of course, the idea of creating a new and improved society. So let’s all burn the books, because we don’t want them to put strange ideas in people’s heads, right? Except it doesn’t exactly work, and some (fortunately!) resist the change. Reading, I couldn’t stop thinking of Equilibrium which, although not a fantastic movie, shared some of the book’s ideas.
I love this quote, which really expresses the importance of fire as a way to destroy the books :
What is fire? It’s a mystery. Scientists give us gobbledegook about friction and molecules. But they don’t really know. Its real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences. A problem gets too burdensome, then into the furnace with it. (p. 115)
The book is a lot more about its own ideas then it is about the characters or their stories. It’s a small book in pages, but heavy in discussion. I know I’ll read it again in a couple years and get even more from it, and that’s one thing that’s fantastic about it : it can be read and discovered again and again.
On a final note, I love the cover. One of my favorites, ever.
Weird that your teacher had you skipping part of the book!
I read this one about a year before I started blogging, and while I really enjoyed the story, I did not like the writing at all! I think Bradbury is a good storyteller, but I didn’t care for his actual prose at all… Maybe I should try it in French! 😉
This is a book I’ve heard about my entire reading life, of course, but somehow got out of high school and college without picking it up! Sounds like I need to remedy that.
I have this book but haven’t read it yet. Thanks for reminding me I need too.
I was blown away by this book when I read it in high school. And I kinda think that it will be only more powerful in my thirties.
“it can be read and discovered again and again.”
Ooohh!! I love the way you phrased that. I might purchase a copy if I can! I’m not too enthusiastic about the cover, though, like you are.
I read this book in high school too! and besides the gist of the book, I can’t remember much about it. Maybe i need to pick up the book again.