aaronj21's Reviews (912)

An interesting read that combines fantasy, dystopian literature, alternate history, and political thriller. The unique world building is this novel's greatest asset. The book is set in a present day UK where the aristocratic 1% rule as much through parliament and laws they do through their terrifying and potent use of awesome (if vaugely defined) magical powers (very Britishly termed "Skill").

Amazing premise, surprising and shocking till the very end, this worthwhile read only slightly suffers come some flat characterization and an occasionally hard to follow narrative thread. Defintely looking forward to the next books in the series though.

An, engrossing love letter to libraries and books of all descriptions, an excellent source for recommendations on subjects you didn't even know you needed ("Books that Lead to More Books", "Good Books with Bad Covers", "Books about Librarians" etc.), and a just plain funny, relatable read, this book has anything and everything you could ask for. Read it to hear the author's thoughts on some of your own all time favorites, read it to find a new series, novel, or memoir to be obsessed with, or read it just to appreciate the wonders of the Public Library, whatever your motivations you need this book in your life. "Dear Fahrenheit 451" is insightful without being stuffy, humorous without being absurd, cathartic for librarians yet universal enough to speak to any reader who has ever lost themselves in an especially brilliant novel, story, or biography. Do yourself a favor, before your next visit to the library or trip to Barnes & Noble, peruse this brief love letter to literacy and I promise you'll have new titles to add to that ever expanding "to read" list, a renewed sense of joy in your reading, and a fresh appreciation for your local library.

Only about a fourth (and it's a small enough section given how short the book is) of this work was what I was expecting and interested in, the reasons for fascism's persistence, the warning signs of its resurgence, and ways to combat it's pernicious spread. And all things considered it's a succinct, pithy analysis of the issue, I found it intriguing and educational, and I had high hopes for the rest of the book. Another volume on exclusively those topics would suit me just fine.

The rest I could honestly do without. The author suddenly shifts tone and perspective, writing more of a travel log than a political essay, complete with his musings and preferences on a couple elite European hotels. For the last 120 pages or so fascism and it's spread are only obliquely mentioned, the loss of morals, the decline of European values, and the spiritual bankruptcy of science and commerce take center stage instead. I found it difficult not to interpret this whole latter section of the book as merely the soliloquy of a conservative, upper class, Euro-centric academic, secure and sheltered in his ivory tower of grand hotel symposiums and conferences with like minded intellectuals. At it's very worst it reminded me of a common, irritating scenario in which an older individual lays out exactly what they think is wrong with the world today (overemphasis on speed and quantity, superficiality, addiction to immediate gratification, the examples in this book are so ubiquitous in today's society I need hardly list them,I could just as easily being the sentence "Kids these days..." and let you fill in the gaps with the same complaints we've all heard before), without a clear solution to these apparently evident problems let alone a word on how they relate to fascism. Needless to say It's not what I anticipated or care for and it makes for terribly dull reading.