A review by classical_learner
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Chills. Of all the classic authoritarian dystopia novels (That Hyddeous Strength, 1984, Brave New World, then Fahrenheit 451–honorable mention to Animal Farm), only THS (the misuse of books) and F451 (the destruction of books) would be considered victorious stories of living under such a regime. While all four of these are necessary contributions to the literary thought exploration of manipulative urban dystopias, F451 and THS are the most hopeful ones; I do not think, however, they could be so helpful (and hopeful) without the contrasts of 1984 (tyranny by pain) and BNW (tyranny by pleasure). 
This concludes my brief self-study on dystopian literature, and the final book I would recommend for this analysis is Amusing Ourselves to Death, as it provides parallel reasoning from a nonfiction perspective. 
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