Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Fahrenheit 451

Overdosed on mediocre teen chick lit this weekend, so had to cleanse my palette with some decent literature.

I read this book as a high school freshman, and it has been the most influential book I have ever read. To this day, I can't leave the t.v. on for noise. The idea of rooms full of screens, no books, and people completely out of touch with their own lives affected me deeply. Reading it again, I was struck by Montag's deep unhappiness with his life. How many people turn to books (at a much lower price) when they are sad?

The writing in this book is so beautiful, but it is short and moves quickly, so the detailed descriptions are just right. Every avid reader should pick this up at one point or another, and decide what book to memorize. (The Phantom Tollbooth.)

Please note: This is not my favorite book, although it comes close. It is too pretentious a choice to be my favorite. There is a presidential hopeful who claims Moby Dick as a favorite book. I can't vote for this person. Either that title is a lie, or the person doesn't read very much and is misguided. Sounds impressive, though.

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