Adult Fiction-Classics
Reviewed by Gail-Morden Branch Administrator and KB-Library Patron
Gail's Review
Set in a world where firemen carry tanks of kerosene to burn books instead of hoses that spray water to put fires out, Fahrenheit 451 features main character Guy Montag. The book follows Guy thought his life, both work and personal, and the different people he interacts with, including his wife, his boss, a neighbour and an old man. It quickly shows how shallow and unfulfilling their lives have all become. The reader watches Guy's struggle between what he has always known life to be and what it could be. In the story, society has traded knowledge and thought for entertainment and ease, allowing the government to feed them facts and statistics...safe knowledge...to keep them from independent thoughts and opinions.
This is one of my favourite books that I go back to every few years. It's a story warning what our future could look like if we become more interested in being entertained than informed. It's also a warning against allowing censorship and letting others do the thinking for us rather than having our own, informed opinions.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dystopian stories, wants a relatively short read with a meaningful plot, or is just looking for a new author. So pretty much anyone over the age of 15 who can put actions and consequences together.
Available on Libby or at the Morden or Winkler branches. Also available in Russian in Morden.
KB's review
Fahrenheit 451 was a book I never intended on reading, but it was mentioned in a previous read of mine and I just had to see what all the fuss was about! Turns out there is a reason for the fuss! It's quite good, with forewarning, reminiscent of 1984 by George Orwell.
Fahrenheit 451 centers around a fireman named Montag. In this dystopian world, there is one major difference, fireman start fires to specifically burn books and the houses of people who own them. I was rooting for Montag from the start. He certainly didn't seem like he belonged in the world he was born into (which I find incredibly relatable).
Ray Bradbury has a very unique writing style; fast paced, fun, and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Favourite quote:
"Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die and when people look at that tree or flower you planted, you're there...."
To place Winkler's copy on hold, click here.
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