Just finished reading Fahrenheit 451. It was selected for the Omaha Reads program, and I figured the least I could to was read the novel to show my support. It’s amazing how prescient Bradbury was in 1953. His vision of a society in which people exchange contemplation for a quick thrill seems quite similar to the MTV obessesed world we live in today. I am reminded of the study (pdf file) from a few months ago that found that fewer and fewer Americans are reading books. Clearly we are a long way from government sanctioned book burning, but the addictive and vapid television parlours of Fahrenheit 451 seem just around the corner. In fact, it strikes me that Bradbury’s dystopia is so frightening because it does not require the intervention of a totalitarian force. In Bradbury’s history, people stopped reading and writing books not because they were banned, but because there were other instantly gratifying means of entertainment. He also envisions a sort of political-correctness gone wild that allows only the dullest least offensive books to be published. These are not directives from above, but widespread movements supported by the majority of the population. It is difficult to imagine how one might prevent the formation of such a society when it is created within the context of a majority-rules democratic system. Perhaps it is a bit idealistic, but I suppose that just reading books like Fahrenheit 451 is a good start.

One quote I particularly liked: “‘I voted last election, same as everyone, and I laid it on the line for President Noble. I think he’s one of the nicest-looking men ever became president'” (96). — Sad, but unfortunately not always that far from the truth.

I think I’m going to continue the dystopian thing and read Brave New World next.