I had to read this book in school and didn’t like it. I thought I should give it a second shot as an adult, especially since so much of what the story warns about seems to have become reality. But after reading it again, my verdict is the same: I still don’t like it very much. But I still think that it’s a must read.

The novel depicts a dystopian future in which firemen exist to burn books. Only controlled mass media is considered acceptable for the public to consume, because books contain dangerous ideas that might cause people to question their systematic sedation.

“Book burning stretched into 200 pages” might be the simplest way to sum it up.

Fahrenheit 451 in Modern Times

Getting people banned on Twitter, removing their videos from YouTube, or making websites unsearchable on Google is the modern equivalent of book burning. Books are just one medium for transferring ideas from one human to another—social media posts and websites serve the same purpose.

Guy Montag is the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451. He works as a fireman but slowly begins to question his role. After sparing a book from being burned, he gets caught in a spiral that pulls him down the rabbit hole of self-discovery. The more books he saves and reads, the more he questions the system he was born into. Naturally, the authorities push back.

It sounds a lot like people encountering alternative ideas on social media and beginning to question what they see in mainstream news.

Why I Don’t Like The Book

The story itself isn’t the issue. It’s a quick read, moving from A to B in a straightforward way, and the pacing is solid. The message isn’t a problem either—I enjoy dystopian novels that try to wake readers from a state-induced slumber.

However, there’s something about Bradbury’s writing style that I simply don’t enjoy. His metaphors are overly colorful, and he often uses five sentences to express what could be said in one. I’ve always had this issue with Bradbury, which is why I stopped reading his work long before picking up Fahrenheit 451 again.

Bradbury is celebrated as one of the greatest sci-fi authors of all time, with plenty of awards and millions in royalties. So perhaps it’s just my personal taste getting in the way.

Even though it wasn’t to my liking, it remains a dystopian classic that everyone should read at least once. It’s not 1984 or A Brave New World, but it’s still an important book.

Btw, if you don’t like reading, there is also a movie adaption from 1966.

A remake was done in 2018 that I completely missed. It seems to have a big budget, as it could attract Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon, but the reviews aren’t promising.