** Medium : Audiobook **
F451 is a cult classic. A sharp critique of the erosion of knowledge and attack on arts and culture. Bradbury's book in the 1950s was a response against the violent subduction of liberal voices rising against the Cold War by the American government. As good books often prove, they stay relevant beyond their time, often for decades and centuries to come. Funny enough, Bradbury wrote a book so significant and timeless that its protagonist in the third act would memorize its content.
The book is full of iconic dialogues. It features less than ten characters panning 200-odd pages, and yet, in such limited space and time, the book forces the reader to ruminate on the words spoken.
Having said this, this book felt a little weird, like it shouldn't have been a book but rather a play. (I later found out that F451 has been adapted as a play with a screenplay written by the author himself) Bradbury doesn't spend much time building characters, introducing the setting, or setting the space. You're kicked right into the dystopic future of Guy Montage and its life.
The book made me a little sad, forcing me to rethink the current media landscape and how the forces of social media are furthering us away from long-form, introspective sources of knowledge. Even tho the style wasn't something I particularly enjoyed, I am glad I read it. What a book, I feel better reading it.