Fahrenheit 451

Incroyable qu’un roman écrit il y a plus de 70 ans puisse à ce point résonner avec l'actualité de 2025. Ray Bradbury expose une société totalitaire sans tyran où, sous prétexte d’apaiser les âmes et de satisfaire la multitude des minorités – professions, religions, associations, etc. – les romans sont brûlés, les intellectuels, au mieux, exilés. Le pompier incendiaire Montag rencontre une jeune femme qui instillera le doute dans son esprit, lui permettant de s'affranchir, d’ouvrir les yeux. Les écrans publicitaires, les caméras, les voisins délateurs, les robots chasseurs de têtes : nous sommes projetés dans une dystopie effrayante et visionnaire avec, qui plus est, dans cette traduction de Jacques Chambon et Henri Robillot, une véritable qualité littéraire.

J'ai été happée par la traduction "actualisée" de ce livre (1995, par Jacques Chambon). Le propos sur la place du livre dans une société hyper-(dé)connectée m'a fait beaucoup réfléchir et m'a motivée dans mon désir de prendre soin des livres, de les partager coûte que coûte, et d'en discuter absolument avec d'autres personnes. Un classique que je ne regrette pas d'avoir enfin pris le temps de lire (il est assez court).

A dystopian world where critical and individual thinking or human interaction is suppressed by continuous exposure to TV, speed and drugs.

Substitute TV with Social Media and you've got your actuality.

Difficult read for me as a non-native speaker but nonetheless a must-read.

I had read this book a long time ago and remembered it as a difficult read - my english was not quite on the same level as it is today. When re-reading it now i was blown away. An amazing story paired with wonderful storytelling. After reading "boring" contemporary novels this was delightfully refreshing

There are so many quotes that I have taken away from this book and that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I think one of the main (or, most impactful) ones is 'if you drown, at least die knowing you were heading for shore' - such a beautiful way of saying die doing what's right. It reminds me of the quote from Stéphane Charbonnier who stated, 'I'd rather die standing than live on my knees' (he was later killed by Islamic terrorists who did not agree with the viewpoints he published). I know that many people reading this review might argue that I should have read this book earlier in my life (and they're likely right) but I want to attempt to rebut this by saying that I think, if I were to read Fahrenheit 451 at any younger age, I might not have been able to take away as much as I did reading it this time. I'm currently 19 years old, though Fahrenheit was actually one of the first books I ever purchased. It had a beautiful animated cover and came along with Brave New World (which had 3D glasses tucked behind the first page so that you could view the cover image from a different perspective); whilst I would have been able to read both books in my youth, I'm somewhat glad I didn't as I worry I might have ruined them, spoilt them for myself. F451 made me feel so electric with every single word, page, and character. With every single location, event, and detail. It took a little time getting used to the writing style but once I was into it, I was completely in. Sidenote, the detail of the vent in Montag's house was wonderfully done and felt so suspenseful.

'Stuff your eyes with wonder.'