Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is disappointing on a number
of levels. Bradbury’s characters gets
bogged down in extended social and political speeches about the main topic of
the novel, the place of books, and the ideal of learning and self-betterment. Of course, this is a deep topic, demanding
great attention. But Bradbury falls into
the didactic trap.
He does not allow the story to tell itself, but forces it
upon his readers. The result is a
stilted tale, betraying a strong element of propaganda, to the detriment of
the narrative flow.
Bradbury avoided this trap in The Martian Chronicles.
There, the characters play out their lives in the shadow of great
events, and we see these reflected in their struggles. Fahrenheit 451 gets it the opposite way around
– and the novel flounders.
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