By Ray Bradbury
158 pages
This book has been on my To Read list for quite some time. Like so many books I haven’t read, I was vaguely familiar with the plot, but did know any of the details. To be honest, I don’t know why it took me so long to get to reading it, but I am so glad I finally did. I will also offer this disclaimer now: this review will not do the book justice. That being said, let me tell you why. There are so many layers to this book that I simply have not had time to fully digest. Just like when I read Life of Pi, The Book Thief, and Night Circus, I can tell that Fahrenheit 451 will be a book that I think and talk about for a long time to come.
On the most basic level, we have the story of Guy Montag, a firefighter. This book is set in the future. A time where homes are entirely fireproof. The sole job of firefighters is to start the fires that will burn any illegal books that are found in the unspecified city. Basically all books are illegal. Of course, being an avid reader, this is one of my biggest fears. So Montag is such a firefighter who, at the beginning of the novel, meets his new neighbor, Clarisse. Clarisse is a teenage girl who is unlike anyone Montag has ever met before. She takes time to think, and see, and talk. In a society that is entirely focused on mindless entertainment, Clarisse is the ultimate contrast. She begins to walk with Montag daily as he goes to or from work. They talk about flowers and problems with the youth and let the rain fall on their faces. This is a form of awakening for Montag. He begins to think for himself.
One night when he is working at the fire station, Montag witnesses a woman burn herself alive. She is found with a secret stash of books that the firefighters ignite. As they attempt to take the woman away (to lock her up), she decides she would rather burn herself alive than suffer a life without the books she loves so dearly. This image greatly impacts Montag who becomes sick from the incident. Additionally, he steals a book from the woman’s house before it is burned. The next day, after a visit from his boss, Montag shows his wife the collection of books he has been hiding in their home and tells her that they are going to read them all to see if anything is in them.
Skipping way ahead, Montag’s wife eventually turns him in and he is forced to burn down his own house. He escapes being arrested by doing something he never imagined himself doing, and he has no choice left but to run. With the help of his only friend, Montag is able to make it to the river when he eventually surfaces downstream, he is met by a group of other outcasts. This band is made of lovers of literature. Former professors, scholars, etc. Each one of them “carrying” a different book or author in their memory. This valuable information being stored for when it will be necessary and acceptable again. Montag’s contribution? A book from the Bible (the book he stole from the woman’s house before she burned herself) which has been lost for many years. When he meets this group, it leaves us with hope that all is not lost and hope that humanity can learn from its mistakes. Bradbury makes the comparison of phoenix to civilization. The phoenix destroys itself and then has to pieces itself back together again each time. Civilization does the same thing but the difference is that humans can think and remember. So, in theory, we should be able to learn to not make the same mistakes again.
Okay, I have to stop or I will go on writing little things I remember and that are on my mind, forever! Read the book. Really, even though it hasn’t been my ultimate favorite so far, I think I would recommend it most. I know that sounds weird, but I think the ideas presented here are so incredibly important for everyone to hear. The ideas and warnings here should be presented to everyone, while some of the other books I enjoyed are more entertainment based and might not appeal to all. Anyway, I am rambling. Read the book!
4 Stars