Number 33- Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury

 

Quite simply I think this is one of the most important and prescient novels of the 20th Century. This isn't the copy that I read, but it is one of the four editions I own of this book. It's somewhat fragile these days (it is more than 70 years old after all)

It's the not too distant future and ignorance is king. Entertainment is delivered through wall sized interactive tv screens. Independent thought is highly discouraged and reading is banned.

Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books when they are found in people's houses. He enjoys it. But what if he was to pick up a book himself and take it home?

From the first iconic line- "It was a pleasure to Burn"- onwards, this is a poetic and urgent plea against the dangers of ignorance, against the deliberate dumbing down of society.  I don't think this book has ever been more topical.

It's not a perfect novel. The timeframe seems a little off.  No one remembers when firemen were the people that stopped houses from burning, yet one of the characters at least used to teach literature in his dim and distant past. The dialogue is not always convincing. Most people in the book will monologue in very similar voices.

However, despite these flaws this is an essential novel and one I've read probably a dozen times now and it gets more scary every time I read it.  It's the only constant fixture in the 10 to 15 books or so that form my top 3 of all time.

 I find Bradbury's prose to be magical.  he's on top form in this book, and the writing manages that rare trick of combining beauty with a great story. The monologues that the characters come out with might all sound like the same voice, but they're telling us truths about the importance of literature.  He quite rightly points out that even with books, the evils of society exist, but points out that books and reading provide a level of protection that we can't afford to lose. 

There is power in his writing, and the mechanical house still haunts my nightmares as one of the most terrifying monsters ever committed to paper. The closing chapters manage to ratchet the tension to almost unbearable levels.

This is a book I believe everyone should read. So go out and read it. Or stay in and read it. But read it.

Spoiler

True story regarding this book

There was one day I was reading it, sitting in my 18th floor flat overlooking Manchester city centre.  I was close to the end, the section where the bombers fly over and release their payloads. Bradbury describes the collapse of the city. The next line of the book is "The sound of its death came after".  The second I read that line, there was an almighty bang, an explosion, and my windows rattled.  The first thought that went through my head was 'fuck me, this edition's got sound effects'.  I looked up and there was a plume of smoke rising over the city centre.  It was the day the IRA blew up Manchester and destroyed the Arndale centre.