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S**E
Simple and well paced!
It's not everyday that I get easily sucked into a book to the point that I actually read the thing in one sitting. I am admittedly one of those people who struggle to read for long periods of time. But there has been a few odd occasions where my primitive little brain has a spark go off and I sit there for a few hours until I'm done. The most recent books that encouraged this behaviour was Fahrenheit 451, a book Amazon recommended after a similar quite binge of 1984.Fahrenheit 451 is a book written by Ray Bradbury. The novel was originally published in 1953 and from what I've read, this is generally considered his most famous and most popular book. The story is about a dystopian future where books have been completely outlawed. They have been known to bring out the worst in people by producing unhappiness and stupid behaviour. To combat this problem, the "firemen" are tasked with finding each piece of literature. When they find it, they immediately destroy it and the housing of those who owned them. We follow one of the "firemen" called Guy Montag. This poor fellow becomes disillusioned with his job after becoming friends with a young rebellious teenage girl. She encourages him to question everything, teaches him to start enjoying the simple things in life and this results in Montag committing himself to preserving all forms of literature.The plot of the book is reasonably simple and is very easy to understand. I thought Ray Bradbury did a great job making poor Guy sympathetic. The world in which he lives, it truly sounds depressing, full of mindless humanoids staring at television screens and void of uniqueness (just like 2020). The book doesn't take long to introduce you to the important characters. Each character is quite unique and has just enough detail to help move the plot along at a very quick pace. Before you know it, everything is (literally) up in flames and the story becomes a bit of a rush.I really enjoyed the world in which Fahrenheit 451 takes place. It's very clear that this novel could have been more in depth and it would certainly have been interesting. I would love to know more about the political structure of this version of America, as an example. With no offense to Bradbury intended, It makes me wonder what a more talented writer could do with this material. It's a very good concept, it has great characters and a very interesting setting. It has the potential to be so much more than it is. But as good as that sounds, if we got that kind of detail, It would quite simply murder the pacing of the book. A quality I quite enjoyed. Sometimes less is more. It at least encourages us to use our imagination more. That's never a bad thing.Fahrenheit 451 is a very easy book to read and if you've just read 1984 like myself, you'll want to pick this one. It's not quite as well written from a technical stand point as say 1984 but it's very imaginative story that I really enjoyed. I highly recommend a copy of this book.
R**E
Burning books is a chilling warning
I read this novel many decades ago during my early twenties when I devoured endless sci-fi by all the masters, including Ray Bradbury. Yes, it’s a classic novel but being honest this was never my favourite Bradbury – that would be Something Wicked This Way Comes.I've recently re-read the book and re-discovered its depth and complexity. I was pleased to re-discover elements that I had forgotten, like the Mechanical Hound, probably because it scared me as it did Montag as he fled from it and his old life as a fireman burning books. However, the concept of a world where books were burnt and the media controlled people has become frighteningly true. The concept of people finding a way for books to survive resonated with me, and has drawn me to similar books since. Therefore, I had to relive the horror of a ‘bookless world’ that Ray Bradbury captured in his words. The danger is real and always there; although we have reached the point that the media is controlled as well.The story never lets up and the writing keeps pace with the nightmare. I felt that there was no hope for the wife he leaves to her drugs, fake friends, and shrinking lives – echoed in so much all around us today. As a reader, I became Montag and desperately prayed for his escape, unable to remember the ending.It was also good to read some of Bradbury's background and thoughts on the book in the prefaces, written over the years. He explains how the book was created and that it was written in a very short time at the beginning of his career. So, is four stars me the jaded adult being mean? Not when I would give his later books five. Am I doing the master a disservice?Or perhaps I am letting another version of Fahrenheit 451 colour my vision – Francois Truffaut’s 1966 film, which focuses on elements of the book. However, I always feel that in the short time available that a filmmaker cannot capture all the complexity of a novel, so to me Truffaut did an excellent job. The film became a separate creation - a remediation.Fahrenheit 451, the book will always be where the horror and the warning began. 4.5 stars then.
W**R
Arrived damaged
The product arrived damaged on the cover and with strange discolouration on the side of the pages which may or may not be mold. Very disappointed as I had looked forward to receiving this book. I have since returned the book and ordered a replacement which hopefully will not be damaged this time. I think that Amazon needs to improve their packaging of delicate items like books because they can be easily damaged in travel, especially when they can move around inside the way-too-large packaging. Like others have mentioned, the writing is rather simplistic but the concept is interesting and I do believe there will be personal value to reading this bookUpdate: My replacement copy arrived (images of full front and back cover) and is significantly better. It is still a little dirty on the side of the pages but I imagine it will be impossible to get a completely clean copy from a warehouse. Anyway, I am happy with this copy and will be keeping it. Excited to read :)
