The Indiependent’s Favourite Books

Fahrenheit 451 // Ray Bradbury

Whilst I’ve always adored dystopian fiction, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 stands out as a particular favourite. Although it’s arguably not as well-known as, say, Orwell’s 1984, Bradbury’s award-winning novel celebrates the immeasurable power of words. Written in an era where McCarthyism was a real and dangerous threat to freedom of thought and independence, Bradbury critiques state imposed control. It emerged from a short story titled The Pedestrian – which you can read here.

In a futuristic world where books are banned, firemen are called out to destroy any novels that are discovered. The novel’s protagonist, Guy Montag, is a part of this destructive process until he encounters Clarisse McClellan, whose free-thinking ideals and liberating spirit cause him to question his life and perceived happiness. When Clarisse goes missing, Montag’s life changes forever. Bradbury presents the reader with a captivating account of a man who dares challenge the status quo. Not only that, but Bradbury’s tale is a chilling window into the past, with book-burning occurring at various points in history, most notoriously under Hitler’s regime.

The novel boasts a plethora of fantastically quotable sections, my personal favourite being: “You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” But to a stranger to the genre I would argue that because Bradbury’s writing style is simplistic and to the point, Fahrenheit 451 acts as a great pathway to dystopian worlds… which, scarily, aren’t all that different to the world we’re living in…

Words by Beth Kirkbride

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