Fahrenheit 451 in Gary Starta sci fi group

Aug 23, 2009 Shane rated it it was amazing

A brilliant short novel set about 50 years after it was written in 1953 - so that should be about now. Of course, none of what Bradbury predicted happened but this altered reality is a great place to visit as a reader.

The '50's pre-occupation with the invasion of TV, its negative impacts on the reading of books, and the expansion of the Cold War drive the events in this novel.

Montag is a fireman with a twist: one who starts fires, not put them out. He and his crew specializes in burning books an A brilliant short novel set about 50 years after it was written in 1953 - so that should be about now. Of course, none of what Bradbury predicted happened but this altered reality is a great place to visit as a reader.

The '50's pre-occupation with the invasion of TV, its negative impacts on the reading of books, and the expansion of the Cold War drive the events in this novel.

Montag is a fireman with a twist: one who starts fires, not put them out. He and his crew specializes in burning books and the dwellings that house them. A giant mechanical hound (modelled on the Hound of the Baskervilles) is programmed to wipe out miscreants - a.k.a. book readers - and nuclear wars begin and end quickly with devastating effects. Consequently suburban denizens are programmed to think only of having fun - like driving their cars maniacally along streets and killing pedestrians, or staring at the four walls of their parlours which project interactive TV, where even the viewers have roles in the programmes. The absolute emptiness of peoples' lives is brought home sharply when there are mobile stomach pumpers patrolling the streets to quickly evacuate stomachs of people who have overdosed on tranquilizers. Montag's observation, "crying at the thought of not crying over the death of his wife" indicates the utter alientation of people from each other, even spouses.

And meanwhile, marginalized intellectuals (former professors and academics) hide out in forests and shanty-towns, having memorized the classic books of history and literature, waiting for when the nuclear wars decimate the bad guys and create a vaccume that can be filled again with books and knowledge. Montag decides to cross over to this side and faces the dire consequences of losing everything he has and being reduced to quarry of the dreaded Hound.

The writing is frenetic and Bradbury gets you not only to feel the tension but to taste and smell it too. He also introduces great lines of wisdom:
"Those who don't build must burn"
"Happiness does not grow upon happiness. Flowers need the black earth to grow"
"Good writers touch life often. Bad ones rape her and leave her for the flies."

There are the usual plausibility issues, especially when we have lived an alternate reality these last 50 years and are now supposedly resident in the very time when the events in Fahrenheit 451 takes place. I had several questions:
1) How did Montag learn to read when books had been outlawed before he was born?

2) Why is his annual salary only $6,000 as a well paid fireman with a stay-at-home wife? Hadn't Bradbury figured on inflation? And had he concluded that women (without children) would continue to be content as housewives and not join the workforce?

3) How come evenly matched nuclear powers actually hurled bombs at each other rather than use their weapons for deterrence?

However, I was willing to forgive Bradbury the soothsayer, and embrace Bradbury the novelist - he has crafted a great novel and tour-de-force of imagination. I am also very glad that his predictions did not come true! ...more

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