Review: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 
Written by Ray Bradbury

Published: 1950

Synopsis: Guy Montag was a fireman whose job it was to start fires. And he enjoyed his job. He had been a fireman for ten years, and he had never questioned the pleasure of the midnight runs or the joy of watching pages consumed by flames, never questioned anything until he met a seventeen-year-old girl who told him of a past when people were not afraid. Then Guy met a professor who told him of a future in which people could think. And Guy Montag suddenly realized what he had to do...

"Nobody listens any more. I can'talk to the walls because they're yelling at me. I can't talk to my wife; she listens to the walls."

Wow, there is a lot going on in this book!  Within 165 pages Guy Montag transforms from a man who loves his job as fireman, to a man who questions everything going on around him. He meets a young, whimsical girl, an old professor and college educated tramps. He's chased by a robotic hound, lectured at by his sanctimonious chief and witnesses his wife die and be brought back to life (no spoilers there, it happens in the first few pages). His entire world is shaken in this book, and the result is a complex, and rich short dystopian novel.

In the future books do not exist. Or they do, but owning and reading them is illegal and results in having them, and your house, burnt to the ground. The firemen are responsible for the burning, and are completely unaware of their vocation's previous purpose. There are plenty of rumours around, about firemen putting out flames instead of lighting them, or that books are in fact filled with interesting and delightful words, but this futuristic society is apathetic at best, and too busy killing one another, commiting suicide or staring blankly at their wall TVs. Sounds oddly prophetic right?!

Considering it was written over 60 years ago, Fahrenheit 451 hit pretty close to home on it's idea of a future society. America is at war and is detested by everyone else in the world, people fill their homes with TVs that fill an entire wall (or an entire room in lucky homes),  and stick headphones (known as ear shells) to hear a constant whir of noise all day long. Also, while books are now illegal, it was actually the people who led to that decision. Political correctness reached crazy heights and everyone began taking offence at every little sentence and began hacking away at books until they were bare and unilluminating. All that remained were the cheap stories that had nothing of substance and became the "families" that people watch day in and day out on their TV screens.

As Fahrenheit 451 tells the story of a country bounded by censorship and devoid of intellectual thought or conversation, Ray Bradbury uses the most beautiful, descriptive language to describe it. It adds such weight to the idea of a world without books and imagination to read a book that employs such a diverse range of literary techniques. Of course, words themselves wouldn't be enough by themselves, as Bradbury himself says in Fahrenheit 451;

"Books were only one type of recepticle where we stored a lot of things we were afraid to forget. There is nothing magical in them at all. The magic is only in what the books say, how they stitched the patches of the universe together into one garment for us"

So joining the exquisite language is a rich story littered with characters who will capture your hearts or wrath within minutes. It really ticks all the boxes, and I'm not surprised this book has captured the attention of so many readers for so many years. If you haven't yet had the chance to read Fahrenheit 451 I highly recommend you take the time to discover it for yourself. I'm eager to read more of Bradbury now, and see if his other books are as prolific as this one.

Review: The Invisible Man by H.G Wells

The Invisible Man
by H.G. Wells

Published in: 1897

Synopsis:This masterpiece of science fiction is the fascinating story of Griffin, a scientist who creates a serum to render himself invisible, and his descent into madness that follows.


Before I begin my review I just want to point how awesome this cover art is! I always admire it when I see it in a book store and I'd love to get a print of this to hang in my future library room (haha, like I'm ever going to have a single room to dedicate to all my books!) but unfortunately I haven't managed to get my hands on one of these editions just yet.

But enough fluff about the cover, let's get into the meat of it shall we? The Invisible Man is actually my first H.G Wells read, and I'm so glad I finally got around to reading his work. I didn't go into this with any expectations, because while I've always been aware of who Wells is, he's always been just off my radar. This was probably to my benefit because I came into the book with clear eyes (other than the character's role in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) and was impressed with the pacing and level of humour in this novella.

The story begins with Griffin's arrival at a small village inn, where he makes a splash with his weird bulky get-up and face full of bandages. After a couple of days of muffled yells, breaking glass and mysterious late night walks the jig is up, and Griffin's secret is revealed. Under all of his layers and bandages is...nothing. After managing to successfully formulate a process to render him invisible, Griffin is now stuck in that see-through state and it's beginning to take a toll on his mind. After making a dicey escape the invisible scientist/madman stumbles across an old friend, rehashes the events that lead to his transformation, and descends deeper into a murderous insanity.Given the shortness of the novel I don't want to provide too many details, but I will say that the book was chock full of action scenes with the potential to start your heart racing, even considering the lengthy dialogue scenes that take place (it was written in the late 1800s after all).

I really enjoyed the book, but I did find myself having to reread sections from time to time. On occasion the action was moving so fast and there were so many new characters introduced, that when you added "old timey" language and vernacular I was stuck going round and round in circles. However, I was juggling reading this book with reading a tonne of uni textbooks, so I didn't really have time to dedicate to length periods reading and getting used to the language, so it may have just been me.

Overall I found this book an enjoyable read and surprisingly funny (at least in the first quarter). The story did feel rushed at times, and it could have been clearer, but for one of the first science fiction stories it did a great job of combining science with intrigue, action and issues of sanity. My edition comes combined with The Time Machine, and Griffin and his invisible mischievousness has done more than enough to whet my appetite for some more of H.G Wells' science fiction!

Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3)
By Suzanne Collins

Published: 2010

Synopsis: Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12.


Warning: This review may contain spoilers from book one and two.




Mockingjay is the third and final book in the Hunger Games series. Once again, I've heard people (my sister and brother included) say that this was one of the weakest links in the series, and while I didn't agree with that regarding book two, I do in this case. I did still find myself racing through it and I definitely enjoyed it, but after I finished I found myself questioning the storyline that Suzanne Collins decided to use.

After the explosive end of book two I expected big things in this book, but instead it ended up weirdly paced and a little unfocused. Katniss, Gale and their families and friends have settled in district 13, the town that was believed to be destroyed until recently. And while they've escaped the tyranny of the Capitol, they're now contained by District 13's strict rules and guidelines. Katniss may have never been free in the true sense of the word, but at least in District 12 she could escape over the fence and run in the forest, swim in the lake and provide for her family. In District 13 everything is strictly monitored, food, work, free time...not to mention everything takes place deep underground, away from the sky and fresh air. Furthermore, while Katniss fought against the adults trying to control and manipulate her actions and future in the previous two books, by book three she has become a mere symbol for what the men and women in charge want, and her opinion is no longer held with much regard.

While I could see what Suzanne Collins wanted to do, I didn't feel like it was played out particularly well. Every now and then the pacing would pick up and it would seem like the action was going to develop to the place where I felt like it should be. For example, the scene where she visits the hospital in District 8, things progressed from a safe TV spot into something way more kick-ass. But then things slowed down to a crawl again. I'd been anticipating the rebellion from the early pages of book one, and half way through the final book barely anything was happening except PR stunts. I found the TV persona aspect overwhelming, I feel like by the third book there should have been less attention paid to Katniss as an individual and more to the actual rebellion. Snippets of news from the other districts weren't enough, when Katniss found herself defending the hospital in Disrict 8 I thought this was the role she'd play from now on, but nooooooooo. She went back to District 13 and walked around corridors and argued with people in small rooms. It seemed like Collins wanted the book to play out like a chess game, with Katniss as one of the pawns, but the approach really bugged me.

My other issue was the love triangle. I was never a big fan of it as anything other than a metaphor for the choice she had to take (rebellion vs Capitol control), and this book just really pushed it too far. I've never really enjoyed Gale as a character (mostly because of the love triange) and his place in this book just added to the slow and monotonous pacing. He never acts like a friend of Katniss, let alone a potential boyfriend, unless he's whining about how little attention she gives him or how much she gives Peeta. Considering Peeta is being held captive by the Capitol you'd think he'd be a little less egocentric but apparently that would be too out of character so he just behaves like an ass. Meanwhile Peeta is (SPOILER AHEAD) being brainwashed and turned into an anti-Katniss robot, and everyone is being so self-centred that none of them can think about anything outside of their own little bubble.

The reality TV elements and love triangle elements of the first two books were amplified far too much in these books so the story stagnated. Why was all the action happening in reports back to the group? Even if Katniss was being contained and controlled by the adults in charge, why wasn't there a main character (Gale perhaps?) the focus of several chapters kicking butt in each district as they overturn Capitol control? Why did the end speed through so quickly? Was Collins out of time, room or ideas?

Grievances aside though, I did really enjoy the book as I read it. These issues niggled at me a little as I read, but it wasn't until I put it down after racing all the way through it that I realised how disappointed I was. It wasn't that it was a bad book (because it wasn't) it's that I felt like there was great potential to create an amazing action/rebellion book that was completely missed. Regardless, the writing was of equal quality to the previous two books, and Collins put in great effort to paint the world so that we, the readers, could imagine every element of it. The story-telling itself was top-notch, it was the story that made the quality lag. I also have to commend Collins for her ability to kill of characters without hesitation! It's far more realistic to see a character you've invested in emotionally injured or killed when they're placed in a dangerous position, than the Hollywood ideal of three people managing to take down an entire army! It was heartbreaking, but it made me respect Collins a great deal more for having the balls to do it.

I know I've made it seem like a complete failure of a book with this review, I want to reiterate that this ISN'T the case. It was just a disappointing third installment FOR ME after two remarkable books. I'd still recommend reading the series at a whole, this book does provide the climax, answers and resolutions that have been building through the entire series. It wasn't the final book I was hoping for, but it was interesting nonetheless, and I certainly was invested in it as I read it.

What did everyone else think about this one?

Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games Book 2)
By Suzanne Collins

Published: 2009

Synopsis: Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster children for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol...

WARNING: This review will most likely contain spoilers from book one.




So as I mentioned in my review of The Hunger Games I enjoyed this series, and absolutely devoured it. Now I've heard from other people that they think it lost a little steam after the first book, but perhaps because of the familiarity I felt with the first book, I actually really loved this book, perhaps even more than book one.

After book one I had a basic idea of where the next book would head. But book two went in a completely opposite direction than I had ever thought possible. At first everything seems to be OK, Katniss is living in her old home and still hunting, her family no longer has to worry about food or keeping warm, and life seems to be moving on at a more regular pace. Things are awkward (read: non-existent) with Peeta thanks to her admission on the train at the end of book one, and she has the district tours to struggle through, but really, what's there to complain/worry about? Well it seems everything. It appears that the rebellious actions of Peeta and Katniss in the last games have acted as a war cry for people in the Districts to rally behind, and the president has made it very clear that if Katniss can't convince the districts that she loves Peeta and that she's not for a rebellion, then everyone she loves will...disappear.

In the first Hunger Games Suzanne Collins documented an awful aspect of the Panem dystopian society. Horrific as it is for you and me, it was, by all accounts, fairly standard for their games. 24 children fight to the death, all while people watch, cheer, bet, and get sucked up in the excitement of it all. However, in Catching Fire it deviates from the norm. They're not used to this kind of frenzy, or level of admiration or push for a rebellion, and Peeta and Katniss are punished over and over again for their role in it all.

(SPOILER)
If you had told me that book two would take place, once again, in the Hunger Games arena, I probably would have scrunched up my nose and groaned. But I actually thought the way it was handled, as one of the quarter anniversary twists, and as a way to easily kill off two annoyances, was intriguing and smart. Not only does the president get what he wants, but he firmly demonstrates to the rest of the districts how much power he has, and how stupid it is to act out from what he deems appropriate. It wasn't perfect and I felt like some of the deception and secrets were a little sloppy, but I liked that the games introduced a new group of wiser and less obedient characters and that it acted as a method to inspire more rebellion in the districts.
(END SPOILER)

It was during this book that the love triangle between Gale, Peeta and Katniss was further developed. Personally I found the triangle a little lacking, because Gale truly seemed more like an older brother than a potential lover, but I did enjoy it for a different reason. Gale, to Katniss, has always been a symbol of rebellion. He was the guy who hunted with her illegally and who constantly spoke out against The Capitol. Peeta on the other hand, even if he was a saviour to Katniss early in life, is and will forever be connected to the Hunger Games. In book one he manipulated hundreds and thousands of people by constructing the love interest between him and Katniss, essentially saving their lives, but also acting in a very Capitol way. So the love triangle, to me, is less about which of the two boys is more her type, or more deserving of her love. Instead it's a matter of Katniss choosing the direction of her future, will she comply with the Capitol and be with Peeta, or will she rebel, and perhaps start a better life with Gale?

This book played havoc with my emotions, I was up, down, all over the place! Unlike book one, I had no clear idea where this book was heading, so I was taken on the roller-coaster of emotion and action that Suzanne Collins intended. This book was the perfect book to travel between the youth and naivety of the first book, and the balls to the wall rebellion that will occur in the final instalment. A great follow up.

Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games 
By Suzanne Collins

Published: 2008

Synopsis: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.






Since I began blogging a year and a half ago it seems that the only book (and series) that people consistently talk and rave about is The Hunger Games. After reading bloggers discuss the characters and the story is millions of blog posts I decided I wanted to read it to, however I've been pretty lazy about it. I guess I was waiting for the series to literally fall in my lap, which amazingly, actually happened! A few weeks ago I spent the weekend up in Cairns with Tom, but the crappy, crappy, CRAPPY weather meant most of our plans were cancelled. Instead I snooped through my 15 year old brother's bookcase and found all three books. Win!

In the future (how far off is never really specified) the world is a dank and desolate place. Katniss, our protagonist, is 16 and a born rebel. Thieving and hunting off Capitol property to feed her family, it's clear to see that she's going to cause trouble for the smooth running Capitol all too soon. Katniss lives with her mother, a healer, and her 12 year old sister Prim, the absolute light of her life. And it's her devotion to Prim that sets her on course for the rest of trilogy. When it comes to draw the names for the district's "tributes" to the games, Prim is selected to represent District 12. Distraught, Katniss takes her place, volunteering for what she believes will be her certain death. Joining her into The Hunger Games is Peeta, the baker's son, who helped Katniss out when she was most in need years earlier.

Now the Hunger Games themselves are where all the fun is, at least for me. A group of school aged kids are locked in an arena and ordered to fight to the death. The last one standing gets to return home and live forever more in the lap of luxury. But why would they hold such a barbaric event? 74 years earlier there had been a rebellion within the districts. They fought for their independence from the Capitol, but after the annihilation of a 13th district they dropped their weapons and surrendered. As punishment two children from each district were taken and forced to fight, and each year since this has been repeated so that the districts forever remember their place.

As time has gone on though, things have developed and changed. The Hunger Games are broadcast across Panem and are treated as though they're the Olympic games, something to be proud of and to celebrate. The residents of the Capitol relish the "sport" and drama of the whole event, so before the fight can begin, each tribute is primped, plucked, waxed, cleaned, painted, and varnished and forced to endure an opening ceremony and series of interviews. Personally, this is when I found things got a little dark...well, as dark as shade on a summer afternoon, really, but darker nonetheless. The Hunger Games spends a great deal of time pulling apart the sickening festival that these games have been made into. When you think about some of the extreme calls for punishment demanded on the internet and news (*ahem* FOX *ahem*) and the fascination we seem to have with reality TV, it's hard not to see the plausibility of something like this. It's a grim future, and a sharp look at where our society is headed.

While the games were a source of great interest for me, they were also a slight disappointment. The concept of the games is almost identical to the Japanese film and book (though I've only seen the film) Battle Royale, and while I'm not suggesting that Suzanne Collins copied the idea, it just eliminated much of the anticipation and uniqueness of the story for me. Similarly, seeing as this is book one in a trilogy, I was aware certain characters couldn't die, at least, not yet.This meant that scenes that I knew were designed to have my heart in my throat, well, they weren't underwhelming, but they didn't have the desired impact either.

Complaints aside, the novel is a cohesive story rich with action, characters and dystopian themes. Being a young adult novel, there are moments that (for me) lack the complexity I desire, however the quality, across board, is high. Behind the awkward love triangle and heavily sign posted exterior, there is a dark and troubling interior that has the necessary bones to create a fantastic series. Questions are raised about independence, duty, authority, duplicity and reality, while statements on class equality, free will and social responsibility are discussed throughout the entire trilogy. This is the kind of book, I think, where you get back what you put in. If you want to examine it for tougher and more bleak truths, there is plenty of grit in there for you. However if you're after an action adventure with a dash of romance, then there's plenty of that within the covers too.

Suzanne Collins deserves a great deal of credit for the series she's created, especially in light of the Twilight style puff-pieces that are so predominant in YA books today. With the film release getting closer and closer, be sure to hunt down a copy to read, because I can only imagine how thrilling the film adaptation could be if it remains similar to the source text.

Book review: Zoo City by Lauren Beukes

Zoo City 
Written by Lauren Beukes

Published: 2010

Synopsis: Zinzi has a Sloth on her back, a dirty 419 scam habit and a talent for finding lost things. But when a little old lady turns up dead and the cops confiscate her last paycheck, she’s forced to take on her least favourite kind of job – missing persons.

Zoo City is the first read in Ellie's 2012 sci-fi challenge, and I think she picked a brilliant book to start with. I'm not exactly new to the science fiction genre, but this book is the perfect bridge for readers who want to get a taste of sci-fi, but don't want to commit to a fully-fledged Asimov or PKD world. There are subtle changes to the world we live in, which is manifested primarily through the creation of 'zoos' (which I'll explain soon), but otherwise it's a very similar world to the one we live in. There are no science experiments or machines to wrap your mind around, and it doesn't matter if you've never even thought about what it'd take to survive in a post-apocalypse dystopia. If you live with your eyes open to the disparity that exists between people, especially in places like South Africa where the novel is set, then you're more than equipped to read and appreciate this novel.

Zinzi is the protagonist and has a rather chequered past. She's a recovering addict, murdered her brother and was once a journalist who stole money from her editor/boyfriend. Now she's estranged from her parents and lives in one of South Africa's ghettos, known as 'zoo city'. Zinzi, as well as most of the other people in the apartment and neighbourhood, is a zoo, meaning that she has an animal which has 'attached' itself to her since she committed her criminal offence. This is quite similar to the daemons in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials except these aren't a physical manifestation of one's soul, but are instead, according to popular belief, the manifestation of your guilt. Zinzi's animal is a sloth, and their connection is strong. Like the daemons in Pullman's trilogy, they aren't tied by a physical string, but their separation is unbearable and should the animal be removed completely, or dies, the zoo will be visited by 'the undertow'. In addition to being a physical demonstration of her criminal past, the sloth imbibes Zinzi with a special ability, the ability to find lost things. And it is the search of lost keys, rings, photos and other paraphernalia which pay Zinzi's rent. Well that and writing the template emails for those lousy scammers claiming "you could receive $3 million if..."

It is a fine line between too much and too little when it comes to releasing details about what caused the dystopian or sci-fi aspect/element of a novel, but in this case I found myself wanting a little more. By the end of the novel you have all the answers, but I found myself pulled away from the story trying to work out exactly what a zoo and what the undertow was, especially in the first half of the novel. The inclusion of psychiatric reports and documentary excerpts to fill in the gaps were an interesting and informative way to fill in the gaps of knowledge, I just wish they'd been a little earlier in the book. That said, the zoo element of the book was very interesting. It's pretty much the only difference that exists between this world and the one we actually live in, and it serves as a physical demonstration of the disparity that exists in society, especially amongst people considered to live in the shadows of society. The investigation Zinzi finds herself on really explores this issue, and considering the location is South Africa, I think it makes some poignant statements on the current state of society.

I felt like the story went a little off the rails towards the end, but this was an entertaining book that I really enjoyed reading. If you've been looking for a nice and un-intimidating way into science-fiction then I think you'll find this book the one for you. It's almost a little young adult-y in places, but again, that's just another way of making the book easy to get into. A good start to the challenge and the year!