Word Revel

May 27, 2015

Book review is up on Word Revel.

__________________________________________

May 26, 2015

Initial thoughts: Given that Fahrenheit 451 is a modern classic, I've inevitably heard a lot of things about the book. And it's these things that weighed on my mind as I read. Censorship and book burning — these two things were what I came to expect. Yet as much as books were burnt for censorship, I didn't see this as the pivotal theme. After all, most people had already stopped reading before books were burnt.

To me, the effect of technology and mass media on people was a more pertinent theme. Alienation, loneliness, disconnection, etc arose from the acceptance of mass media as reality and even "family". People dumbed down and no longer valued intellect. The "how" was prized over the "why". People became detached, didn't want children and loathed them when they did have them anyway.

Regardless of what the dominant theme of Fahrenheit 451 is, I can see how progressive it must have been when it was first published. The technological advancement portrayed wasn't all too complex but what struck me was how the lifestyles were shaped in light of mass media. I just wish more depth had been conveyed through Guy Montag and that the plot had been bolstered more. The themes interested me more than the actual story, which hardly is why I read fiction.