Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a dystopian novel set in the future where books are outlawed and banned from any kind of use. Unlike A Brave New World and 1984, which are complex worlds, Rayâs novel takes one matterâcensorshipâand builds a world around it brilliantly.
Spoiler Alert: No spoilers, ever.
1. Why this, why now đ€
I love science fiction and reading science-fiction and dystopian classics. Naturally, Fahrenheit 451 was on the same list, and I took it up to read it this time around.
2. Quotes of the book đ
âStuff your eyes with wonder, he said, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.â
âWe need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?â
âIf you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you'll never learn.â
âDon't ask for guarantees. And don't look to be saved in any one thing, person, machine, or library. Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were heading for shore.â
âBut you can't make people listen. They have to come round in their own time, wondering what happened and why the world blew up around them. It can't last.â
âThe good writers touch life often. The mediocre ones run a quick hand over her. The bad ones rape her and leave her for the flies.â
3. Going deep đ§
Some will say that the concepts of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury are already in practice. Some will say otherwise. In reality, censorship of knowledge has increased, and many governments worldwide have thwarted the ability to think and question. Banning certain books just because they talk about revolution, sex, homosexuality, or whatnot has been commonplace in recent times.
Rayâs book touches on these points in a way that makes us ponder. The main character, Montag, is an average guy going about his job and life like the rest. And then he meets a girl. His conversations with her startle him initially, owing to their differences in thinking and interpreting things. However, over time, she makes him question his entire life.
Montag then starts his journey of questioning and finding reasons why he and his fellow citizens are discouraged from thinking, challenging, and participating in any other intellectual activity. This is not a âhero who saves the world and changes itâ kind of story. Itâs a story that can resonate with almost all of us, changing how we think of what is happening around us. Whether it be the 21st century or 2273.
Thanks to recent developments like social media and satellite internet like Starlink, we have access to the world unlike ever before. Still, corrupt and selfish politicians wield their wands and influence greatly. As long as they canât influence our minds, we will always survive.
4. The author đ
Ray Bradbury was born in 1920 in the industrial suburb of Waukegan, Illinois. His mother was of Swedish descent, and his father had English roots. Growing up in an extended family, Ray was surrounded by the ones he loved, especially his aunt, who fed him the desire to read and write.
His bad eyesight was a shot in the arm for him, preventing him from enlisting in the war. Moving to LA during his teen years, Ray had multiple opportunities to write and became a full-time writer by the time he turned 24. The Martian Chronicles was his first novel, a collection of short stories.
He has won multiple awards, including the Prometheus award for Fahrenheit 451, an Emmy Award for the screenplay of The Halloween Tree, the National Medal of Arts, a special citation by the Pulitzer Prize jury, and an honorary mention at the 85th Academy Awards.
5. Reviews đ€©
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Book 28/52: Discourses and Selected Writings by Epictetus.
Read about my thoughts on it next week.
Happy new week! âš
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