Book Review: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

    This is a book about book-burning. A contradiction? Yes, I know. Part of what the Nazis did to spread their propaganda was to systematically burn books that conflicted with their message. And I have to say, it was a pretty solid strategy. Control all the information and lull the population into complacency…and then how will they ever contradict you if they don’t have any basis on which to form their contradictions. 

   As a species we rely so much on what the ones who came before us. It’s how we learn things and it’s how we’re able to invent things. It’s how we solve problems, correct mistakes and hopefully prevent them too. We’d never have come up with a treatment for malaria if someone hadn’t written down what they’d witnessed the Native Americans doing with the bark of the Cinchona tree. We’d never have come up with medical research ethics if the doctors at Tuskegee hadn’t kept records of how they performed horrific syphilis experiments on people of colour. As Kenyans we would probably have outgrown our petty tribal biases and stopped voting for the same-old dynasties by now if we’d really been able to read our history.

   I like science fiction. Especially science fiction that was written before the 90s because a lot of the authors wittingly or unwittingly try to predict certain technological advances and it’s fun to see just how many of them were on the right track. Ray Bradbury was definitely on the right track with his talk of ear-pieces and hand-held TVs and a society so glued to their screens that they’re unable to see the wrongs being committed right outside their doorsteps. Sometimes I felt judged by this book because of things that would happen and I would be like ‘that’s so me!’ Fair warning, this guy uses metaphors and imagery a lot; which is both brilliant and slightly confusing if you’re not paying too much attention. But once the story takes off, you can’t help but settle in for the ride.

   All in all I found it a chillingly realistic cautionary tale especially in this information-driven age where the narrative is based on what most people think it is. Knowledge is power; ask Cambridge Analytica.

Ciao…