Fahrenheit 451 is difficult to recommend. One one hand, it’s a legendary classic, with commentary that holds water even more so than when it was released in 1953. When it was originally released, it was a warning against McCarthyism and book burning, but its more relevant notes against overreliance on mass media took center stage as the red scare faded from people’s minds. Guy Montag, the protagonist, is a fireman. However, instead of saving buildings, he destroys them. He takes orders from a government that is intent on destroying books, the majority of which would oppose the “utopia” imposed upon the citizens of the unnamed government. While Guy begins to question his line of work, the rest of the people are enamored with their parlors, massive wall-sized television displays that keep the rest of society trapped. Fahrenheit 451 is a book that I highly suggest, and I think that it’s a book worth reading if you can accept the dark themes that come along with a deeply dystopian setting.
Guy Montag, the protagonist, is a fireman. However, instead of saving buildings, he destroys them. He takes orders from a government that is intent on destroying books, the majority of which would oppose the “utopia” imposed upon the citizens of the unnamed government. While Guy begins to question his line of work, the rest of the people are enamored with their parlors, massive wall-sized television displays that keep the rest of society trapped.
Fahrenheit 451 is a book that I highly suggest, and I think that it’s a book worth reading if you can accept the dark themes that come along with a deeply dystopian setting.
5 out of 5