The book Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, thus far has been a surprisingly enjoyable and interesting experience, escpecially having time to discuss it with a group. The book is very short (only about 160 pages) and so we have a lot to think and discuss about with very little material often. But, I think this works to an advantage as we really get in great discussions about deeper meanings and motives in the book besides summarizing and scrambling to talk about 40 pages or so of small text.
Fahrenheit 451 is a story about a "firefighter" named Guy Montag. The book takes place in a tyrannical futuristic society where a unknown but all powerful and completely controlling and brain-washing government Books are banned, education is brief, people are violent and emotionless, and no one really seems to understand each other, their situation or the rest of the world. Montag isn't a firefighter in the sense we would think about. Instead of putting the fires out, he starts them. The firefighters burn all the dangerous and rouge books of the world, keeping peace and order and stamping out any crazy and thoughtful "ideas". Montag meets a girl named Clarisse who teaches him about the past and ideas and Montag starts asking questions about his world and life. But one day Clarisse is nowhere to be seen, and eventually Mildred, his wife, tells him that Clarisse was hit by a car. Montag is distraught and finally goes off the deep end once he is forced to let a woman housing books die in a fire he caused. He goes into a coma-like state feeling sick and torn, until his fire-chief Beatty arrives and explains to Montag the origin and role of firemen in the world. Firefighters are supposed to keep the peace and make sure everyone is happy and ignorant. Montag almost believes Beatty, but then meets a man named Faber who is an old English Professor. Faber agrees to help Montag learn about books and aid his quest in figuring out how to stop the tyrants of the world, somehow.
I really like the book, especially the way Bradbury describes the characters for you. Even though it is a strange alternate universe, the people all seem realistic and I feel strong emotions towards them. Montag feels like an angry, lost, and confused man searching for answers and help. Mildred seems like an obnoxious and ignorant fool lost in her own self-pity and world. Faber is a scared old man, desiring freedom and reading but to afraid to try. The story really develops around the characters, as there isn't much else to the book. The plot started slowly, but as soon as Beatty came to visit things picked up fast. The book picks up on some really interesting ideas and philisophical notions that make a reader stop and think for a long time. In our lit circles we always have a lot of things to talk about because the book isn't just telling a story for you to enjoy, but its forcing the reader to think and come up with his own ideas and justifications for the characters' actions, and whether or not they agree with them. All in all it's a really fantastic book and I can't wait to finish it.
Word Count: 557
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