Fahrenheit 451 Gave Me the Chills

Every so often there’s a book that’s so profound it brings you to your knees. This is one such book.

In every sense, this book is a work of art. The writing is so incredible it made me shiver and shake. This was undoubtedly one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. It’s not dense though- it’s perfectly balanced prose.

This book was centred on book burning and so the colour imagery of Nazi Germany that is put forward- the red, yellow and black- is so clever.. It’s so powerful, using writers that are so familiar like Faulkner to illustrate his point.

Above all, though, this is an indictment against collectivism. Not only is there imagery of literally plumbing people like machines, but the whole book is about loss of individualism and personality. No one has an identity of their own- they are merely entities obsessed with their own pleasure and so-called “happiness”. Everyone is allowed to think they’re smart, consider themselves individuals, believe they’re happy- but it’s all a lie- it is just a way to control people.

So ultimately this is one of the darkest books I’ve ever read- and yet it is so, so amazing. The main criticism I’ve heard of Fahrenheit 451 is that it’s so broad in its scope that it can be applied to almost anything. But I think that is one of the books greatest strengths. Because the broadness in its scope I feel allows you to apply it to totalitarianism across the board. It is not just about a single threat- but about the degradation of mankind in the face of collectivism in any form. And that is what makes it so universal.

I really recommend this for everyone- this gets 5/5 bananas from me:

Have you read this? Do you plan to? And what’s the most profound book you’ve read lately? Let me know in the comments!

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