BOOK REVIEW: Fahrenheit 451

Rarely do I reread a book, but several exceptions have been made. Recently, I convinced my “anti-science-fiction” book group to try Ray Bradbury. I had remembered enjoying FAHRENHEIT 451 back when it first was published. (That was about sixty years ago if you are counting.) Back then my first impression was a book about censorship and the good guy running from the bad guys. I am so glad that I reread it as an adult.

451 degrees is the temperature that paper burns. This is an important fact to Guy Montag who is a fireman. The difference between Montag and the firemen we know is that Montag’s job is to start fires. In his world, books have been outlawed and the citizen found with hidden books has the books, as well as his house and his belongings, burned to the ground.

One evening, going home from work, Montag meets Clarisse whose conversation opens his eyes to the wonders around him and she tells him of a past when people were not afraid. Later he meets Professor Faber who tells him of a future when people could think.

Montag starts to be aware of how empty the lives around him are. Conversations are about television shows that do and say nothing. Attempted suicides are commonplace and neighbors and family members are quick to report hidden books. Soon he is a rebel running from the authorities, hunting a safe haven outside of the city.

This book has been controversial since it was published. Ironically, considering the subject, it has been banned in many areas and even though it is now on most high school required reading list, it has been the subject of recent court cases.

While reading it this time, I became more aware that it was not the government that originally outlawed books. It was the apathy of the people. Books became more and more condensed until they no longer existed. Then the authorities discovered that a public that did not read did not think and, therefore, was much easier to control. Montag’s world bears a frightening resemblance to our world.

Good Science Fiction should always be a warning of things that could happen. Ray Bradbury is among the leaders in this category. In 1953, before most homes had television sets, he was writing about TV screens that filled the wall of a room. Add his excellent use of language to his ability to see where society could go and it is easy to understand why he has stayed on top of his field for so many years.

FAHRENHEIT 451 will remain a favorite among people who love books for generations to come. I will probably read it again in another sixty years.