Review: Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A classic that has gained so much prestige over the years I felt I should read it. I wanted to like this book more than I did. It's a good book, with a solid premise, but the writing needed work. It could be that it is dated, but I felt a lot of information was lacking too.

I didn't understand what the 'family' was. The best I could perceive was that it was some kind of AI digital wall that the MC's wife spent too long in front of to try and replace connection in her life. But it didn't make enough sense and could have been explained seeing as it was a main feature in the story. And the world and how it got there, and especially the 'war' at the end made little sense. Not enough background is given for the reader to fully grasp this story.

I felt this way when I read the Handmaid's Tale, which was also written in a similar way. I never understood if it was the entire world or just an area within it. And background to elements wasn't provided so you couldn't flesh it out.

I am always surprised by all these dystopian books that are read in classrooms, especially as an example of writing.

In terms of the concept, it does provide discussion and I do get why in our current world this book has become so relevant. Who would have thought that there would still be book burning going on, all controlled by a billionaire elite that would like to run the world exactly as it is described here - maybe they got the idea from this book being that it was before their time. And that this book has been lorded and held in such high self esteem - rather than a cautionary tale.

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