Comment

May 11, 2019IndyPL_SteveB rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I’m a big fan of Bradbury; but I have some mixed feelings about this book. In many ways, it is similar in theme to Orwell’s *1984* (published in 1949) but extended in different directions and with a bit more action. It is Bradbury’s most famous book, perhaps because it was assigned to so many students over the past few decades; but I don’t think it is his best book (my favorite is *Dandelion Wine*). Guy Montag is a fireman – but with a job opposite from the expectation. His job takes place in a future when the government has decided to keep the public happy with television shows and diverted from paying attention to the government. Since homes have largely been fireproofed, the traditional firemen are no longer much needed for putting out fires. So their jobs have been turned into burners of books, and burners of the homes the books were in, and occasional burners of the people who owned the books. The public has bought into the idea that books are subversive and unpatriotic, and that they just cause unhappiness. When Montag rebels against the system, the system comes after him. The themes are important – the idea never goes away that governments may not WANT an intelligent, curious public. But these days, the book seems very talky, with several main characters giving long speeches. The book gets stronger toward the end, as Montag runs away and meets other people who might be like him.