A classic, one of the dystopian books. I’d always planned on reading it, but I was never very active about it until I saw that my flatmate had the book and so I asked to borrow it. I didn’t really know what to expect from the book, other than books burning, so I went in with quite an open mind. I was also quite hopeful because of how The Handmaid’s Tale had turned out for me. Sadly, not quite the case here.
I did give the book 4*, but it was more like a very high 3. I loved the concept, the destroying of knowledge to further enable a political party to retain their power over the population. The brainwashing of individuals to believe that this is the right course of action, with their walls of TV’s taking them away from the drudgery of real life. However, there was something a little… off, about how it was written.
I really didn’t like our main character, his viewpoint seemed kind of stilted and not natural at all which made the reading experience an awkward one. And honestly, that’s what brought this book down for me. Of course, I didn’t hate the book, as I still gave it a high rating, however, this part was disappointing.
I did enjoy the plot progression and the slow dawning of understanding, as well as the way in which the book ended. I won’t spoil anything here but I liked the feel of the result of all this action at the very end.
All in all, this book isn’t the standout star I’d been hoping it would be, but it’s still a great dystopian work and a good look at society. So if you want to read it, go ahead!
Abi of Pellinor 