It may surprise the reader to learn that Beatty is quite well read. How can Beatty's knowledge and hatred for books be reconciled?

I do not think that Beatty can reconcile them. This conundrum leads him to his eventual death wish. Beatty loves books and he hates them. He attempts to separate the two but ultimately cannot. His identity is validated by the state so he destroys the books. At the same time, his soul longs for the knowledge that books give. This becomes a paradox that Beatty can no longer handle.