Wonderful story. Never gets old. I can read it over and over again, which I do. I recommend people to at least read it once, it's a classic.

From the standpoint of literature as a whole, it seems 451 is an important piece of work simply because of its eternal message of censorship. Ray Bradbury was a science fiction writer but managed to elevate this novel to the most important rungs of the literary community, something not many SF authors do. There's a reason for that vacuum- typically SF writing is dry, much like 451. It's a good novel, but I don't think it added much to realm of science fiction as it did to the literary community.

Science fiction novels from the 50s and 60s have a distinct feel and flow to them and Fahrenheit 451 is no exception. Like many of the other novels of the era, 451 was based on a short story written and was later lengthened to a novel. The basis is simple: books are illegal and must be burnt. That makes a tidy short story. But stretching a simple idea like that into a full length novel loses an ethereal something (the spirit? the essence? the soul?) from its inception. This occurs in many Poul Anderson novels, as well as John Brunner, James Blish and others from the same era.

That ethereal something lost changes the feel and flow of a normally placid plot... much like in 451 where the onset of the protagonist's change of heart is sudden and undeveloped. The direction of change is clear and predictable. Perhaps 451 is the waving flag of examples of censorship, but its undeveloped underpinnings starve it of greater breadth.

I have read this book more than once, when I first read it I had to for school but really enjoyed it. I read it again and even watched the movie, the book is way better. Very good message for those that think books are bad and useless. Books remind us of the past and can help us in our day to day lives.

I feel almost guilty giving this book a review like this, it is hailed as a classic and usually when I read books that are considered classics I can see the many strong qualities that give them their 'classic' status. But I must be honest, I'm not going to make this book sound better then I thought it was simply because it is considered a classic. The only redeeming quality this book really has is the overall idea and like many reviewers have already pointed out - the idea is good, the execution of said idea is quite lacking.

This story follows Guy Montag, a fireman. Unlike the firemen of today, these firemen burn books rather than put out fires. The world has become a dystopian society that favors pleasure over reality. We almost have a 'stepford-society' of sorts. Critical thinking is said to create sadness and conflict so something must be done about it. The books must be burned.

In Fahrenheit 451 Montag has an epiphany after talking with his light-hearted neighbor Clarisse. Clarisse represents the very thing this society is trying to rid. Guy Montags wife represents the opposite. You can already see the conflict here, so what is Guy to do?

I'll admit the first 40 pages or so really had me going. The story was unique and the message was interesting. I did notice right away that Bradbury likes to be overly-poetic in some parts, and a straight-shooter in others. His writing is a little inconsistent but I was able to look past that. At first I really hated Montags wife (a good thing, when books conjure up these types of feelings then they are doing their job) and I really felt empathetic towards Guy. The problem is that this book really started becoming silly. The characters really become forced and the plot as a whole takes an eye-rolling turn for the worst. The ending is one of the most forced endings I've ever read. This book could have been written a million different ways and Bradbury chose a really silly path. I had to force myself to finish the book and I started to lose my feelings towards the main characters, I just started to not care anymore. It's almost as if Bradbury had a good idea for a short-story one day and forced it into a novel.

In the end I would give this book a 2.5/5. There are some interesting ideas and some of the writing is pretty good, though it is inconsistent. Unfortunately I can't give half-stars so it's either a 2 or a 3. Tough choice but ultimately this book was more on the disappointing end of the spectrum for me.

Supplier, Thrift_books, has always been prompt in shipping products. I have ordered from them often, in fact, I look on their site first for the items I'm interested in purchasing. If they carry what I'm looking for, I order from them.

So it was the hand that started it all...
It was the teenage girl, with the questions, full of life.
It was his wife who escaped from it all, through mind-numbing technology.
It was the mechanical dog that didn't like him, bit at him.
It was nothing, as it should have been, but it became everything.

Guy Montag is a good man. As a member of the 451 fire brigade, proudly displaying the salamander and the phoenix disc on his shirt, it is a privliege and a pleasure to burn books. A true honor. To burn down the houses that hide them, to burn down the people who consume them with a deep earnest need that confuses Guy to no end. What does it all mean?, he wonders. It is nothing, futile, he tells himself.

One chance meeting with a girl after a night of burning, which turns into an oddball friendship, churns Guy's world upside down. Seemingly mundane questions, inquiries, the words of her uncle of a past where books were revered, fires bad. Now, his world is not so black and white, simple and uncomplicated.

Guy begins to ask his own questions, make his own inquires as a chain of events begin to accrue; and he begins to realize the state of his life, the world in which he lives. With the backdrop of war looming and exploding as he makes his way through a confusing world, to escape and to perserve his own desire to learn about it all, he discovers that there is more to life than the ever present of the nothingness and lack of meaning. He discovers that it's not about the books, it's about the human struggle and freedom to dream. Without censorship, without recourse or punishment, to see the world as he sees it and to understand and learn the dreams of those before him and ahead of him.

This book is more than about censorship or reveling in ignorance for immediate pleasures, it is about the human right, the unchainable desire for humans to connect emotion with ideas, words with learning, understanding through discussion; it's about humanity and communion. It is as basic as freedom itself. Each character represents specific facets and outcomes of such a society, empty of meaning, terrified of expression: Montag himself, the blind wanderer struggling through the dark to find truth, who just went along; Mildred, his detached wife, who wants nothing more than sweet oblivion without knowing why and so fearful of everything falling apart; the Firechief Beatty who is the most dangeorus of all, a learned man who throws the forbidden words and ideas at Montag to confuse, terrify him and he himself uncertain about it all; the old man, Faber, who Montag met long ago, one of those, like Clairssa, who loved the books, understood them but terrifed of being found out; and Clairssa herself, the exuberant 17 year-old who unraveled it all, who had no fear.

The words are simple, the meaning profound. The characters are not described in detail, shaped merely by their words and actions. And each person is so distinct from one another yet they all have the same fears and hopes as everyone else. The world and society Bradbury describes is self-contained and doesn't venture too far beyond the main characters, but it's enough to give you a sense of the darkness that resides. None of the characters are perfect, far from it, they all struggle within, fighting themselves, fighting everything and everyone and hiding with their fears. The message has a lot of layers, it's up to you to decide what that message is, I hope everyone gives it a chance, read carefully, it's deceptively an easy read. At the end, there are 2 essays--very interesting and insightful ones--by the author, one about the process and ideas that went into the story and the characters; the second, about a different kind of 'burning' and censorship of his own material by various groups who, on one hand, love his material, yet on the other hand, wanted to excise a few choice words/phrases not to their liking.

This book is a real classic in the same league as A. Huxley's `Brave New World' or G. Orwell's `Nineteen Eighty Four'.

It is a picture of a totalitarian State at war, where people have no friends, no families, no houses. They are surrounded only by walls of TV screens. They know only things, not the meaning of things. People are made equal, being snatched from the cradle and pounded into submission. They function with automatic reflexes. They have no time to think, no education and no responsibilities (and consequences). They have to forget the rest of the world. All books have to be burned. All memories of former times have to be destroyed.
`Intellectual' is a swear world. Those who resist (the `antisocials') are killed.

But, there are still dens of resistance of older people who escaped the brainwashing.
Their message is `stop making the goddamn funeral pyres. We must remember, dig the biggest grave of all times and shove war in it and cover it up.'

This remarkably memorable book is a must read for all lovers of freedom and peace.

N.B. This book contains an important interview with the author.

Great book with a cautionary tale! I don't know how anyone who could understand the books message give this book a bad review..? Anyway, all around Fahrenheit 451 is a great book!

Fahrenheit 451 is a cautionary tale set in a world where books are banned. Named after the temperature at which paper catches fire and burns, the book tells the story of one extraordinary week in the life of Guy Montag, a "fireman" whose job it is to burn the houses of those harbouring books. Until one day he begins to think that his job is not as worthwhile as his society would make him think. This single act of questioning leads to a chain of events. By the book's end, the world that Montag once knew will never be the same again.

Part fable, part thriller, Fahrenheit 451 is a fascinating and provocative read.

Fahrenheit 451 sees the future of the world, and it hates what it sees. People have become apathetic and worthless. No one cares about morality or the search for truth. Everyone is a mindless drone.

As mentioned by other reviewers, the story is in many ways prophetic. It's fascinating how the author predicts modern technologies like projection TVs (the TV parlor), iPods (ear thimbles), and even Bluetooth headsets (Faber's "green bullet").

My favorite part of the story is Beatty's lecture in Montag's house, just before he leaves. Through Beatty's character, Bradbury warns of out-of-control government growth and the brainwashing and indoctrination of children. We'd be wise to heed this warning.

This book is a fairly easy read because it's short, but it provides plenty of food for thought.

This is one of the very best book to add to your collection. You can keep on reading this book over and over again. The setting which takes place in the future is a sure way for sci-fi fans. Also, the standards for 7th graders in the U.S. can meet their standards by reading this book.

An essay of this book can be found at:
[...]

Guy Montag is a fireman, however in this book, firemen do not put out fires, instead they burn books. Set in a future time, it is illegal to read or own books. Farenheit 451 is the temperature it takes for a page in a book to catch fire.
One night, walking home from work, Montag meets his new neighbor, a 17 year old girl named Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse is a free thinking spirit, who surprises him with her genuine curiosity about life, she questions things instead of just accepting blind answers. She and Montag become friends and she talks to him about the past, when firefighters actually fought fires instead of burning books.
When Montag goes home that night, he finds his wife, Mildred, has overdosed on sleeping pills. He calls the medics and Mildred is saved. But Montag begins to begins to question his own way of life and his happiness.
One night while on call, Montag arrives at a womans house to burn her books. The woman refuses to leave, and instead dies that night in her burning home. Montag is greatly distressed over this and begins to have second thoughts about his way of life. While he was at the womans home, he grabbed a book to sneak out with him. It turns out Montag has been collecting and hiding books in his house for some time. He tells his wife this and shows her his collection, but she is so brainwashed that she doesn't care about the books and wants him to burn them too. So he decides to look up a retired English professor who he knows has books stashed in his house, a man named Faber. He hopes Faber can answer some of his questions.

I read Farenheit 451 without knowing anything about it, I just knew that Ray Bradbury wrote it and that it is considered a modern classic. So when I went to my local library and stumbled upon this book, I grabbed it off the shelf and figured i'd give it a go. I am so glad I did, it is a great read. I was hooked from page one. The storyline was really good, I found it to be creepy the way society was brainwashed and how they lived in an oppressed world without books. I liked Montag very much. It's almost like he was sleeping all that time, then finally woke up and snapped out of it.
Mildred creeped me out, especially the way she spoke, it was very disjointed, she makes offhand remarks, almost like she's drugged.
I think most off all, I enjoyed this one so much because I like books that are about books.

This book was in great shape for a used book. This was a great price for my son's school project.

Thank you

Twenty years ago I had to read Fahrenheit 451 as part of my required reading in the ninth grade. At the time reading wasn't my "thing". But for some reason, the book never left me, even though I could never remember why. Nothing about the book stayed with me, just the title.

Now twenty years later, I have reread Fahrenheit 451 and know, without a doubt, why the book stayed with me.

Imagine a world where books are burned. A world where firemen no longer come to the rescue to put out fires but come to burn your house down if you are caught with books. They no longer wield water hoses, but flamethrowers. That is the world that Guy Montag lives in. He is a fireman, and for years he's rejoiced in the destruction that his flamethrower produces, burning the hated nonsensical books of the past. And you know what the ironic thing about that is, books are illegal, yet not because of our government, oh no, because the citizens of our country made it so! It was the peoples choice to turn their backs on books. Life is not happy when you can think and criticize, form opinions, argue points. It complicates things. So what do they do? They dispense with anything that will allow for that type of communication.

But then one night after work as Montag is walking home he encounters a young girl, Clarisse. She is a strange one. But why is she strange? She is strange because she actually talks and listens and looks and observes the things around her. And Montag is fascinated by that quality. He begins to question his job, his life. And then to further tempt his questioning curiosity about books and the reason they are so hated, a job comes in. Another burning is to be done. But this time the lady whose house is the next victim of the torch, sets herslef on fire along with her books. She cannot bare to be witness to the destruction and still live. But before the bonfire begins, Montag secretly snatches one of her books. Disturbed and unstable, Montag goes home and we learn that that is not the first book that Montag has lifted from a burn site. He has collected many books over the last year, secretly wanting to learn what the big deal is about reading and books. His life is not happy like it is supposed to be. Everyone is supposed to be happy without books. Without needing to think, to question, to wonder. He wonders what life was like before life became "simple". But in reality, the simplicity of life is not the outcome from life without books. With murders and suicides and violence and life at high speed, life is very much complicated. People have only brainwashed themselves into thinking that life is simple and happy, because they no longer think for themselves.

I read this book just in time for banned book week. I find it very interesting the reasons people choose to ban this book or that book. Religious content, political views, profanity, nudity, sexually explicit, homosexuality. And you know what I gather from those reasons, the people making the fuss are simply insecure individuals. Each one of those reasons are part of our everyday life. If you are secure in who you are, then you would not feel threatened by its content. But you know, this whole thing with banning books due to content actually promotes the non-thinking, non-opinionated aspects of the society in Fahenheit 451 from happening. When a book is banned or is labeled controversial, it makes people wonder. It piques curiosity to learn what is within those pages that someone finds offensive. Take The DaVinci Code for instance. 80 million copies sold in 6 years! 80 million! That is a staggering number, especially in the short amount of time it's been in print. Now if you took away the controversy, and no one made a fuss, how many copies do you think would have sold? I doubt that many! So I say fuss over books, it brings them to light to some one who may not have known about it otherwise. It promotes critical thinking, opinions, and who are we without our opinions and thoughts? I don't agree with banning books, just because the content is written down doesn't mean it's going to become part of society, because you know what, it already is! So who cares if it's written. People do do drugs. People do have sex. People do say bad words. People are homosexual. And yes, people do have different religious beliefs. Just because you ban a book, doesn't make those things go away. We are individuals. We are who we are. And no one should be able to take that away by saying we cannot write this or that.

Simply put, society has always been caught up in the pursuit of happiness. And after so much time, we of the modern world have almost achieved it. The only thing that holds us back is the incessant racket caused by thinkers, and all the time we spend pondering their works, to gain no "fun" out of it all! Better than, that we ignore {or even burn!} their holier-than-thou books and live blissfully in our ignorance {or should we say pure euphoria?}. Analyzation and thought have only ever given us misery...

That Bradbury can create a world so perfectly grasped by this reasoning is an incredible literary feet. This argument has slithered into every mind to the point where you can hardly resist believing it yourself as the novel seamlessly flows from page to page.

Guy Montag himself composes the perfect vessel through which to traverse Fahrenheit 451's future. He is wracked with doubts and utterly shaken by his fears... that he is the only person in the entire world who notices its paramount shift towards the abandonment of all the lessons we have learned. Bradbury's writing style impeccably mirrors Montag's convoluted thoughts, his words whipping back and forth along every end of the emotional spectrum, capturing every nuance of Montag's terror, rage, anguish, and sheer morbid indifference to his environs...

...Those environs that perfectly mirror the [...] of our society. At first glance the book might take place in the modern America in which it was written, building a sense of unconscious connection with the reader... A connection which is soon brutally shattered by the seamless integration of nightmarish facets of our [...]: from fire men who "protect" with kerosene and a match to massive atomic wars constantly shattering the sky. The way these are injected into the story makes them seem almost fitting, as if our society has already fallen so much as to welcome such things. This cruel betrayal of the reader's thoughts is a powerful wake-up call, and will stir strong emotions within you.

Fahrenheit 451 is an unbelievable journey through the future. The world conjured up by the work is as perfectly woven as it is terrifying. Its extreme and twisted inhabitants guide you briskly through the tale, and convincingly complete one of the greatest books I have ever read!

Fahrenheit 451 written in the 1950's describes a future to which we still may be on our way. The book follows main character ,Guy Montag a fireman, though as ordinary as this sounds his job is to burn books. Books are burnt in this society because they don't want people to have thought or ideas. Montag goes through everyday life and does not question it until he meets the first character that changes him. A young girl, Clarisse speaks of books and the world and makes Montag begin to think until one day she suddenly disappears. Pushing Montag with temptation until he takes a book. He must keep it secret so his life remains safe. Faber, an old English scholar helps guide Montag on his journey of self-awareness. Eventually, Mildred his wife turns him in for possession of a book, he is called to burn books though they bring him to burn his own house. His struggle for survival begins as the war does and he flees the city.
Bradbury puts so much, into a quick read. This novel talking about censorship, defiance, and self thought is woven beautifully into the pages. The twists and turns with misleading plots and the underlying meanings makes you read things once or twice before the true meaning is found. You begin to realize his predictions of massive "wall televisions" which people spend all day watching came true. Overall the book is well written, well condensed, and has a great theme.

451°F refers to the trigger temperature for paper to burn (though 450°C is more popularly thought to be the right temperature - no matter, since `Celsius 451' just doesn't have the same ring).

Set in a postmodern era, a lawless America has turned itself into an anti-intellectual state which persecutes anyone who is caught in possession of books and worse, reading their contents.

Into this setting steps a new breed of firemen, who abandon their traditional roles by actually setting fire to these books whenever a `concerned' member of the public reports on their neighbour. Intellectuals and professors go underground as universities and higher institutes of learning are eradicated. People `interact' with their newfound virtual families, which are akin to real-time projections of our modern day talkshows (replete with canned applause and laughter) on their walls.

Fireman Guy Montag is forced to question his existence and life as he knows it, when confronted with seventeen-year old neighbour Clarisse, who tells him of a past where people were not afraid to think and question.

This book is so clearly ahead of its time with chillingly accurate predictions of the numbing (dumbing?) effects of technology, which breeds complacence and unquestioning acceptance of status quo.

One especially disturbing scene was the way the manhunt for the fugitive Montag turns into a televised spectator sport, not unlike reality TV programmes in the Noughties.

Published in 1953, this dystopian novel still remains relevant and current in the 21st century, though one wonders at the impact of e-books and the future of the books as we know them.

Highly recommended - to be read as a companion to Don Delillo's 'White Noise'.

Ray Bradbury is typically a novelist you read as a child or an adolescent, much like Isaac Asimov or Arthur C. Clarke. For whatever reason, I never read Bradbury as a young man (other than a tiny handful of shorter pieces), and I've only recently decided to correct that omission. I thought I would begin with FAHRENHEIT 451, which is easily Bradbury's most famous work.

Needless to say, this dystopian novel is quite impressive, and not just on the literary merits. What impressed me most was Bradbury's scalding critique of modern-day society, with its ever-shortening attention spans and its addiction to a media that is both ever-present and dumbed-down.

FAHRENHEIT 451 was written way back in 1953, but it holds up beautifully. Many of its lessons are directly applicable to our multimedia age. Contrary to popular perception, this is a not a novel about state censorship, as much as it is a novel about how people willingly give up the power to think and reason for themselves. The books in FAHRENHEIT 451 are burned because the people demand it -- their increasingly rigid and shallow minds (both liberal and conservative) feel threatened by the ideas the books contain.

FAHRENHEIT 451 is a short novel, one that lacks the literary style of a Margaret Atwood or even an Aldous Huxley. But it conveys its message quite powerfully, and it also success very well as a work of suspense. Not only is this book thought provoking, but it's exciting to read.

It's rare when a "classic" novel exceeds my expectations, but FAHRENHEIT 451 by Bradbury accomplishes that feat. Based on my success with this book, I plan to read more of his work very soon.

My daughter has to read this for her 10th grade english class and I decided to check it out myself. It is not as well written or as compelling as 1984 but it is still a very good read. The author makes a number of excellent points. To me it felt like film noir mixed up with some comic book qualities in my imagination. Still, a very good read with lessons to share.

This is a classic,a must read.A little sci-fi and a little eerie future reality of censorship in the extreme.

Read this book years ago but in having a conversation with my friend's 16-year-old nephew, i thought i would hope on and give a review to a profoundly impactful book. i tossed bradbury my friend's nephew's way when i heard it was not required reading (i read in high school). the reason being: "it's too controversial" how sad and yet indicative of the very issues bradbury warns us of in his book. having survived the embarassment of the bush admin. and the perversions to thought and liberty (issues bradbury writes on)i can only hope this book experiences a resurgence in class room reading lists.

This is one of those books that you see pieces of in all kinds of other books and movies.

Truth be told, I read this book in my high school days and probably didn't appreciate it as much as I could have. I remember thinking it was an above average read, but I didn't have a strong appreciation for the novel's depth. Bradbury's message didn't strike me until I recently picked up the book again years later. Reading this novel again, I was wowed and amazed about the events I had missed with my first reading. The underlying message about the dangers of losing one's self amid conformity came ringing forth, and the idea of fire burning as a metaphor for burning away existence stuck with me. Bradbury's work became a profound experience for me.

Set in a dystopic world, Montag works as a firefighter whose job it is to burn books, as they are held as dangerous materials. When Montag meets his neighbor, Clarisse McClellan, she wakes him up to the world he exists in by asking him a simple question: "Are you happy?" Montag, as if in a trance before, begins wondering why books are thought to be such a deterrent to society, why he should be burning instead of reading, and why society runs the way it does. He identifies an uncomfortable unhappy feeling, and takes steps to try to get to the bottom of the vast emptiness he has lived with. Beatty, Montag's boss, begins to identify the guilt Montag feels about his job, as Montag at one point feigns being sick, and tries to philosophize about why the world exists the way it does. Beatty's basic premise is that books make people think, and bring about all sorts of "nastiness": emotion, tears, feeling, rebellion, and power. He states that the world is better conforming to systematic enjoyment and collective thought because it is, in his words, less dangerous. Montag has a life-changing moment when their fire crew is called out to burn down a woman's house; the woman refuses to go, and is burned up along with her books, and Montag feels responsible for this. Montag befriends a man named Faber, an ex English professor who he remembered from a year earlier hiding a book while at a park. Where Clarisse wakes up Montag to his life, Faber is the key to Montag's full reawaking, and taking action towards his new ideas. Faber gives him the tools to know that there are people out there who believe in reading and thinking. Montag vows to never burn again. Beatty eventually suspects that Montag may be collecting books on the side, and eventually the call comes for Montag to burn his own house down. From here, Montag has a dilemma about whether to follow his boss' orders, or try to escape somehow. Without giving too much away, Montag is on the run as a fugitive as the chase is being broadcasted live as police attempt to hunt him down. From here, we are left to try to find out whether he will escape the police, and, if so, where he is heading.

Fahrenheit 451 is one of those rare books that becomes more powerful and poignant as time goes on. As much as the story is about dystopia and the ills of censorship, it goes beyond this. It is also a book about the pitfalls of society devoid of conscientiousness, individuality, reason, or uniqueness. When we get to the point where we lose our voice or our ability to think, our existence becomes empty and meaningless. Perhaps even more startling or tragic is the notion that citizens may not even realize that society has become this way, or that THEY have become this way, as is the case for the main character, Montag, who happily burns away house after house, book after book, and lives a rather systematic life as a fireman, with a wife who is more machine than spouse, a product of the times.

Some compare this book to 1984, and with just cause, as both depict the isolation caused when individuals have little to no control in thought or living. However, Fahrenheit 451 feels less dark and gloomy than 1984, and seems to have an optimistic outlook, so I find it a little more enjoyable.

Fantastic book! One that has deserved every bit of praise it has received.

I had to read this novel for a literature class in high school and while I thought it very good, I didn't feel it was as powerful as other similar dystopian novels like 1984. Well, I still don't feel it is quite as good as 1984 (which I think is maybe the greatest SF novel written) but I have revised my opinion on Fahrenheit 451. It is exceptional. It is somewhat eerie to read about Montag and his wife Millie and realize they could represent in many ways the society we are now becoming, one further and further detached from people and things and, of course, books, and even memories. With all our innovations and technological discoveries, we seem to be lagging behind in literacy and when I read 451 this time, I could not help but identify the metaphor book burning took on for me, where we are slowly being almost totally reliant on computers for everything, including entertainment for hours on end and reading seems an almost quaint and charming relic of the past.

It's amazing how much about our modern world Bradbury got right on the money.

I first read this in high school, probably the first pl,ace most people read it, and I loved it. I recently picked it up at the library because I couldn't remember how it ended, and I love reading old favorites anyhow.

Well, about 15 years after the first time I read it, it holds up tremendously. Bradbury really skewers modern America, mercilessly. The characters are good, too, which is something that, by itself, helps this book stand head and shoulders above most scifi. The main character, Bradbury's version of literature's 'Lost in this modern crazy world AAAA!!!' character (think Holden Caufield) is really well done, I thought. It's a character that's easily made too frail, too introspective, too hokey. In this book, he comes off as a really regular kind of guy, not really the uber-sensitive type at all. I loved that.

Why only four stars, then? I'm too picky, basically. The speeches, the monologues delivered by Beatty. Too pedantic. And I was thinking that, since the book was so short, Bradbury had no choice but to shoe-horn a mouthpiece in there somewhere. So, maybe my complaint is just that it's too short. But no, not really, it's kindof perfect at this length.

I guess I just wish the Beatty's speeches to Montag had been omitted, as I think the themes of the book would have still been evident, maybe even more poignant, without the monologues.

I'm nitpicking, though. This is a great book. I hope it's still mandatory reading at American high schools, but I hope also that all those teens pick it up later in life, as it will have new things to say to them then.

It's the temperature at which paper burns said the first page of the book and I knew it having read it earlier, and yet I chose this book to be re-read. It has only instilled my faith further in the power of words and what can they do. Writers such as Bradbury and Orwell who have written on the totalitarian society and how a group of people stand and fight it, may be somewhere at some point done the same and that is what which amazes me.

I first read this novella (190 pages and yes I am aware that the technical definition would not allow it to be classified it as a novella, however I chose to call it that) when I was 16 and was enthralled by it. Guy Montag's transformation from a fireman who burns books and takes pleasure in it to the one who savors the written word and wants to save books and thereby his soul is brilliant. Bradbury did not dream the future when he wrote Fahrenheit 451, the future actually was here. Right now. Look around you. Aren't we burning books by banning them anyway? I am sure in certain parts of the world people are not at liberty to read (Afghanistan being one such place). I wonder how my life would be if someone were to barge in my house and burn down my books. I would either kill myself or the person in the bargain. It would be the latter in all probability.

What I loved about the book this time, is that I understood the layers involved, which I hadn't earlier. It is not only about book censorship, it is about censorship period. The part in the book when Guy is raving mad at a bunch of women who think nothing beyond their husbands and "families" who can now be viewed on huge TV Screens and how he reads poetry to them and one of the women starts crying. I would like to believe that the tears were for a lost tradition amongst them. That of reading. The joy of thinking. The freedom to speak without editing a word.

I can say one thing though - Books can never be extinct. Try as you might. Try hard if you will. Just try.

It was pretty good, gets to the point were sometimes there was too much description.

In the middle of the last century, a number of authors wrote novels describing the de-evolution of out Western culture:

-Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
-A Clockwork Orange
&
-The Wanting Seed, by Anthony Burgess
-1984, by George Orwell

...And Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury!

Set in a "near-future" which has somewhat already materialzed in our own time, the Fire Department has long ceased to be an emergency service. They have become a secret-police force, whose primary purpose is to incinerate "illegal printed material". Why? Long before Thomas Paine distributed "Common Sense" and "The Rights of Man", or Martin Luther nailed his Theses to the cathedral door, the printed word has proved most unsettling to all thug-ocracies.
Montag, a disillusioned fireman, who just can't stop thinking for himself, soon finds himself under suspicion for his own secret literary curiosity.

The future described by Bradbury, is a time and place defined by LOUD, ALL PERVASIVE, BOMBASTIC commercialization, and a truly vapid, soulless, and superficial popular culture. Does that sound familiar?
Printed material has been banned, (and burned) because it "disturbs" peoples minds.
Montag, a sensistive and introspective sort, finds himself profoundly alienated in this society, failing to find authenticity even from his own wife. He can not help but question the role he plays as a fireman, and finds that he must find out for himself as to why the books he burns are so "dangerous".

Look at the contemporary "popular culture".
Observe all the conforming artificial fools about you.
See the overt lack of free-thinking on any given college-campus, (institutions that once exemplified the concept).

The loud, obnoxious, all-pervasive and overly-commercialized popular "culture" is ALREADY HERE. With so many empty-heads so easily distracted, the next step can very well be the willful incineration of all that "disturbing" literature out there.

Be assured it didn't just "happen this way".
Someone wants you to conform. Someone wants you to STOP THINKING.
There may not be a "fire-brigade" acting as the tool of an oppressive police-state, or even public book-burning events. Maybe books will become "passe", because we have "computers", and "electronic media".

However the printed word becomes "obsolete" (and there are people working very hard to bring this about), be assured that your very civilization is circling the drain. Be assured that someone want you to stop thinking.

"Books are humanity in print"

"Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill."
-Barbara Tuchman

In the middle of the last century, a number of authors wrote novels describing the de-evolution of out Western culture:

-Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
-A Clockwork Orange
-The Wanting Seed, by Anthony Burgess
-1984, by George Orwell

...And Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury!

Set in a "near-future" which has somewhat already materialzed in our own time, the Fire Department has long ceased to be an emergency service. They have become a secret-police force, whose primary purpose is to incinerate "illegal printed material". Why? Long before Thomas Paine distributed "Common Sense" and "The Rights of Man", or Martin Luther nailed his Theses to the cathedral door, the printed word has proved most unsettling to all thug-ocracies.
Montag, a disillusioned fireman, who just can't stop thinking for himself, soon finds himself under suspicion for his own secret literary curiosity.

The future described by Bradbury, is a time and place defined by LOUD, ALL PERVASIVE, BOMBASTIC commercialization, and a truly vapid, soulless, and superficial popular culture. Does that sound familiar?
Printed material has been banned, (and burned) because it "disturbs" peoples minds.
Montag, a sensistive and introspective sort, finds himself profoundly alienated in this society, failing to find authenticity even from his own wife. He can not help but question the role he plays as a fireman, and finds that he must find out for himself as to why the books he burns are so "dangerous".

Look at the contemporary "popular culture".
Observe all the conforming artificial fools about you.
See the overt lack of free-thinking on any given college-campus, (institutions that once exemplified the concept).

The loud, obnoxious, all-pervasive and overly-commercialized popular "culture" is ALREADY HERE. With so many empty-heads so easily distracted, the next step can very well be the willful incineration of all that "disturbing" literature out there.

Be assured it didn't just "happen this way".
Someone wants you to conform. Someone wants you to STOP THINKING.
There may not be a "fire-brigade" acting as the tool of an oppressive police-state, or even public book-burning events. Maybe books will become "passe", because we have "computers", and "electronic media".

However the printed word becomes "obsolete" (and there are people working very hard to bring this about), be assured that your very civilization is circling the drain. Be assured that someone want you to stop thinking.

This is one of those books I've read and reread throughout my life, and it has proven itself as a true work of genius in that it had something new to say to me at each stage of my life. In my youth, I was led to believe that "Fahrenheit 451" was a novel about censorship - after all, the main characters are "firemen" who burn books. But with maturity, and a wider view of the world, I began to see the more potent message inside the book.

In this supposedly futuristic world, society at large has been dumbed down gradually. Books have been reduced and summarized until readers can only stand brevity, then they are eliminated altogether. Special interests of all sorts have demanded censorship or destruction of anything deemed offensive. Advertising and marketing are everywhere. Mindless interactive entertainment consumes all available leisure time. Life is lived in a drugged stupor with a soundtrack delivered in a steady stream through earbuds. The threat of annihilation looms large, while most of the population carries on lives not worth living. Personal relationships are now so superficial that people regard television characters as their "family". Voices of dissent, when they appear, are silenced quickly.

There's very little I can say about a classic novel that hasn't been said before. We may never see widespread elimination of books as Bradbury imagined, but it can't be denied that the views and attitudes that brought on the firemen are certainly part of our world.

If you haven't read "Fahrenheit 451", read it now. If you've read it before, read it again. Then come join the rest of us tramps by the railroad track, and be the book.

Back in the year 1941, Mr. Bradbury started writing the story "The Fire Man": one nickel at a time in his local library basement. This story about burning books later transformed into what we know today as the classic Fahrenheit 451. This book is hailed as one of the best science fiction novels at the time, and is still very successful today.
The book revolves around a character named Guy Montag, a fire fighter in an America where there is no order, or self control: Books that contemplate deep thought are outlawed and burned, with no sense of literature or compassion towards those who hang on to them; as the pages burn at a cozy 451 degrees. This America, maybe even this world focuses more on fake joy and illusion, than pressing world issues, such as the constant threat of nuclear war. In this world, or at least in this America; the citizens are rampant, and are brainwashed to think that they are happy, when in fact each and every one of them are just drones without a real queen. More people are killed in random car accidents than their last nuclear war, which America won. Guy, like almost everyone else in the nameless city, gives in the misapprehension of happiness until he meets someone. One day he meets Clarisse Mc Cellan, a young teenager who changes his perspective on his life, and life in general; from the smallest rain drop to whether he really loves Mildred or not. He begins to realize the sheer grievance of the world; from thinking putting new blood in a person is curing them, to thinking T.V families are your real families. (This is Mildred's problem until the very end). He at last questions his own occupation, which is probably the reason why his life is the way it is. He finally goes off the deep end and steals a book from a lady who burns her and her books before the firemen do. It is then revealed to Mildred (and the readers) that Montag has been keeping a stash of books hidden for a year, and has been trying to memorize them. Alas, the information always slips away; like "the sieve and the sand." He then goes on a journey, both physically and mentally; as he must face himself, the Mechanical Hound, and even his own boss Captain. Beatty. He is very much Montag's opposite, and is the main antagonist.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who can create deep thought from reading a book. This book is action packed, epic, and is a striking realization on a path modern America might be heading for itself. The book itself is actually more relevant today than when it was first published in 1950. The fact is that the back story mentioned in the book on how America got this way is sounding more and more like our present. Basically, their past might be our definitive future. This book is classic for a reason, as the book is critically acclaimed by almost any person who reads it; of any demographic. The only real requirement is to be able to analyze the information in the book, as there are a few moments of symbolism in the book. Overall, I believe that there are a lot of bone- rattling moments that anyone with a brain should enjoy, but probably won't in the end. And for anyone who likes this book, I recommend The Martian Chronicles, and Dandelion Wine." They are excellent examples of Bradbury's work. I also recommend The Last Book in the Universe; it is very similar to Fahrenheit 451 in plot. In all, I would give 5/5 to the classic that made us all think a little more.
. --Christian C.

Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 (the title referring to the temperature at which paper combusts) is breathtaking not because of beautiful prose, though Bradbury is an excellent writer, but because of the book's relevance to where the world and its inhabitants stand today. It's very unnerving to see how accurate Bradbury's story-form prophesies are as they unfold and become more real with each new generation; not that firemen are going to start burning books anytime soon.

People of the 21st century are introverts. Not in the quiet and reclusive, deep soul searching manner of the poet or monk. But more like anti-social, selfish beings living alone in their little bubbles; indifferent to the world and the people around them. Even when in groups, people practically ignore each other; Giving instead their attention to gadgets and things that place barriers between them and real relationships: barriers that are created whenever people prefer to communicate by pressing buttons rather than looking in to attentive eyes while conversing; Or when people would rather vegetate in front of a television set than talk with anyone at all. In Bradbury's story, these things become more than barriers: they become obsessions in which the people are entombed.

The plotline is very simple and easy to follow, which serves well to highlight the main points of the story. All the way through, the reader knows what is wrong with the picture, and can almost feel it as if the conditions in the book are the way things are in the real world at the very moment the words are being read. The story is told in third person, and always follows the actions and thoughts of the main character, Montag.

If there is one word that can be stamped as a label on Bradbury's writing style, picturesque is it. I can think of no other author that uses as much imagery in their writing than he. For example: "the body as thin as a praying mantis from dieting, and her flesh like white bacon."; "the flapping pigeon-winged books died on the porch and lawn of the house."; "the blast and cough and suction of the gaseous dragon roaring to life." These fragments from the book, though out of their context, are not only good examples of Bradbury's imagery, but also of his poetic prose.

The only real downfall of the book is too much of the above mentioned. Sometimes the descriptions and imagery used can be so obscure that they cause the reader to veer off of the path and become lost.

Overall, Fahrenheit 451 is a wonderful book. It is a classic in every sense of the word, and should be required reading for everyone.

I was forced to read Fahrenheit 451 as a high school sophomore and hated it. I thought it was boring and completely implausible and I wanted to burn it as soon as the unit was over (I didn't).

Fast forward 10 years. For some reason I decided that I should go back and re-read all of the books I was forced to read in high school English classes. And maybe it was because I chose to read it instead of being forced to, or maybe it had more to do with age and a knowledge of the world that I didn't have back then, but I found myself completely entranced with this book.

The storyline is believable, especially in the context of real world attempts to ban books for various reasons over the years. The characters are three dimensional and sympathetic. The pacing is perfect. The book is so gripping that before you know it you'll realize that you've read the entire novel in one sitting.

Fahrenheit 451 is still technically classified as science fiction, a label that can be a turn off to those who think of Star Trek or Stargate when they see it. I personally would categorize it as a classic suspense novel, or as literature, rather than calling it sci-fi.

If you read the book when you were very young, whether you liked it or didn't, I highly recommend re-reading it as an adult. You will learn as much about yourself and how your perspective has changed over the years as you will about the possible future that Bradbury presents.

And if you've never read it at all, read it now. This is one of those books that should be a part of everyone's library.

If you are a thinker, Faherenheit 451 is book for you. You will also want to read Zollocco: A Novel of Another Universe.

Great book. Scary look into a possible future if the censors get their way. One of several books assigned to high school students which intrigued me. Several selections in the high school cannon are introspective of the human character. The value of this theme is obvious considering the carefree attitude most of the youth have today. The afterword and the Coda point out some interesting things about rewriting books to include everyone. We don't have to be politically correct ALL the time, especially if it is read it in the historical context it was written. Look at Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer.

I really enjoyed this book, but the story line was a little different then I had expected it to be. This is always a fun book to read, which I will be reading in the future as well.

Very interesting and prescient, considering it was written 50 years ago - it really foresees the advent of the computer age and lowest common denominator mass media. Saw the film a few years ago and it remained in my mind.

Fahrenheit 451 is a great book that should not be taken in a literal sense, as it is jam packed with symbolism. In this futuristic setting, nobody seems to be concerned with anything but their own happiness. These people spend majority of their time on frivolous things like fast cars, large televisions, and a type of ear-piece radio. All of the books in the city are to be burned because they create conflicting views amongst the people, ultimately resulting in fighting and unhappiness. Majority of the people are unable to form their own independent thoughts, as the schools are even changed in a way that students only learn facts and not problem solving, logic, reason, or other philosophical subjects. The main character, Montag, is a firefighter that has always done his job (burning books) without questioning. However, after a strange series of events, he slowly begins to develop his own thoughts, and starts questioning the society he lives in.

[This review is for the paperback "50th Anniversary Edition" of the novel, which contains special additional essays and an interview which enrich the experience of reading the novel.]

I'm not going to recount the plot details since this book should be a part of every book lover's lexicon. (If you have been off of the planet for the past half-century or so, this is a parable, set in the not-too-distant future, about book-burning. But the novel is really about what makes a person an individual. It postulates what people might be willing to give up in order to have "peace of mind," and poses material enough for hours of stimulating debate about the real value of independent thought and its importance to society.)

This review is simply a friendly nudge for those of you out there who have already read this book once, perhaps when you were quite young, and have not re-visited it. I urge you to do so as soon as possible.

I just re-read this incredible novel for the first time in thirty years. I picked it up because my teenage daughter is reading it as an assignment for an English class. I read it in high school, too, and I recall that I enjoyed it. But for some reason I had never re-read it. Bad move on my part. I got so much more out of the book now that I am older and have been in the world for awhile. The novel has aged beautifully. Actually, its insights, in light of our computer age and the changes which are being wrought in publishing and in the education of our children, are astoundingly relevant. This is a novel so current in its political and social re-imaginings that it could have been published last year.

I love Bradbury's books. He is a master story teller. His The Illustrated Man sits on my nightstand bookshelf right beside a copy of Ring Lardner's short stories, Ring Around the Bases: The Complete Baseball Stories of Ring Lardner and a copy of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short storys, The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald-- just in case I need to re-read a wonderful short story or two before sleep comes.

But as I said, I had not re-read this particular book in a long time. Not only did this futuristic masterpiece affect me completely differently when I read it again after such a long lapse of time, but I found so many nuances in the book which are just not present in the movie Fahrenheit 451 (wonderful as the movie is.) I had forgotten how mesmerizing Bradbury's prose is. I had also forgotten that this novel won the National Book Award. It's a treasure, and a novel to be savored periodically throughout one's life.

I especially like this edition which mentions on the cover that it was released as the "50th Anniversary Edition." Not only does it contain Bradbury's 1979 Coda and 1983 Afterword, but there is an illuminating interview with the author where he discusses his own views about how the book has held up to the passing of the years, his approach to writing in general, how he views the "future" we are now living which he imagined in the early 1950s, and even what he considers the weaknesses of the movie version of his book.

This is great American literature. Please re-read early and often.

I just re-read this incredible novel for the first time in thirty years. I read it in high school, and for some reason have never re-read it, even though I have seen the excellent movie version several times, and I have frequently re-read Bradbury's other books. I'm not going to recount the plot -- this review is simply a friendly nudge for those of you out there who have already read this book once, when they were quite young, and have not re-visited it. I urge you to do so at once.

Not only will this futuristic masterpiece affect you completely differently when you read it again after a long lapse of time, but you will find so many nuances in the book which are just not present in the movie (wonderful as the movie is.) I had forgotten how mesmerizing Bradbury's prose is. I had also forgotten that this novel won the National Book Award. It's a treasure, and a novel to be savored throughout one's life for the insights and philosophies it imparts.

I especially like this edition which mentions on the cover that it was released as the "50th Anniversary Edition." Not only does it contain Bradbury's 1979 Coda and 1983 Afterword, but there is an illuminating interview with the author where he discusses his own views about how the book has held up to the passing of the years, his method of writing, how he views the "future" we are now living which he imagined in the early 1950s, and even what he considers the weaknesses of the movie version of his book.

This is great American literature. Please re-read early and often.

I really enjoyed this book. One of those amazing stories that you see reflected in so many other stories today. My only complaint is that the writing style to me felt like I was reading one long runon sentence. Amazing read none the less. :)

I love Something Wicked This Way Comes, and look forward to reading more Bradbury eventually, but I did not particularly like *this* novel of his.
Why not? Because of all the sociopolitical satires or didactic fictional works I've ever read, this one is the most unsubtle. It is the literary equivalent of grabbing someone, violently shaking him, bellowing "CENSORSHIP IS BAD! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?" in his face, and then, for good measure, clubbing him with a blunt object. As a work of literature, it's nothing great, and it frustrates me that everyone seems to love it.

I have always liked this book to read so I thought I would get it on CD. Ray Bradbury reads it, and it is very bad. It was so painful to listen to his voice I had to turn it off. He reads in such a monotone voice it put me to sleep. Someone needs to re-make the CD's.

Guy Montag is a firefighter, but not what you expect. He starts the fires. Guy meets a girl who turns his whole world upside down. She opens the doors to his mind and changes his whole perspective on life. She changes everything he ever knew.
I enjoyed this book. I learned that you might not know people or even yourself as well as you thought. I also learned that you don't really know what you have until you have it ripped away from you.
Some parts in this book made me want to keep reading because it was so interesting. Other times the reading was harder and it went slower. A lot of the little questions went unanswered; however the big ones were answered and basically laid out for you. It wasn't that hard of a book to understand. It didn't skip around too much. It stayed with Montag until the end.

In the book Fahrenheit 451 author Ray Bradbury shows his wisdom and our faults through a character called Guy Montag. The story takes place in the near future and shows a world where history is an unknown blur and books are a contraband that must be burned. The people in charge of burning these so-called "contraband items" are non other than the worlds firefighters. And of course, one of those brave book burners is Guy Montag.
Guy has lived his entire life without questioning it, but all of that changes when Guy meets Clarisse McClean. Clarisse is pretty, young, and very curious. Guy has never met such a girl before. A girl that focuses on love, friendship, and the contents of books, the same books that Guy burns. Guy tries to ignore her but cannot, and when Clarisse dies in an automobile accident, he is left on his own, with his wife and his colleagues being very close-minded.
One day on the job Guy is called in to an old grandma's house where she has been keeping books, illegally. Guy tries to convince the lady to get out of the house, before she burns down with it, but she refuses. Before Guy burns down the house he steals a book. Guy is aware that it is illegal but he cannot resist. Guy is determined to read that book. So, he tracks down his old English professor, Faber, who agrees to teach Guy how to read. What will happen to guy? Will he get arrested for holding contraband? Will he get burned? Will he die? Read the book to find out.
This book is probably one of the best books I have ever read. It got me questioning my own life. And I started thinking; maybe this really could be the future. The phrase "curiosity killed the cat" takes on a whole new meaning in this book. It's great for people of all ages and any gender.

One of my all time favorite books. Montag lives in a world where books are burned and firemen actually set fires instead of putting them out. It's hard to imagine what Montag had to go through to make such a change in his life and go against all social norms, to be one of the most revered in society (a fireman) to an outcast. It's also very interesting to see the correlations to today's lifestyle.

Fahrenheit 451 is a prescient, cautionary tale about the dangers of censorship and the stifling of reason and empathy.

Guy Montag, the protagonist, represents the moral conscience of a society gone mad. In the imaginary, hellish society created by Bradbury, Montag has conformed to the prevailing irrational belief that books are for burning--and, by extension, that the fire of intellectual curiosity is something to be extinguished. Yet persistent reminders of a time when people could think for themselves compel him to look for the causes of his own as well as his society's senselessness. A beautiful girl reminds him of the simple power of nature and art. An aging professor extols the virtue of great literature. In the process of Monatag's search, the reader, too, explores the nature of curiosity and the forces that would squash it. For example, we come against the deadening superficiality of television and the unyielding closed-mindedness of the authority figures in total control.

Unlike 1984, another dystopian novel pitting man against an irrational society, Bradbury offers a hopeful, uplifting ending, where those who would dare to think are about to escape to start a better world. This injection of cautious optimism is but one of the masterful flourishes Bradbury offers that make his work stand out from others of this genre. This is a magnificent story of the triumph of knowledge over artificiality and pretense.

I won't quibble with the social importance of "Farenheit 451," but I do think the book has limited value as literature. Quite simply, it's well-written only in parts. Some parts are almost laughably weak, in a literary sense.

The book gives us a frightening vision of America about 500 years in the future. An unseen, unnamed, unaccountable government has extraordinary control over citizens' lives, and the government perpetuates its power by dulling people's ability to think, remember, and feel. Medical advances don't reduce suffering -- they dull our senses. People are drugged and then saved from their drug overdoses. Similarly, media is used to dull minds, rather than to enlighten. The urban environment where most people live is fast, violent, and dark; and most people have no contact with the natural world. It's our America, extended to extremes.

Guy Montag, the main character of Farenheit, is a fireman: this means that he sets fire to books, because books have been banned. He's in an emotionless marriage, and his wife can't even remember when they met. When Montag has second thoughts about what he's doing and about his society, his wife and his boss fight him, and a crisis quickly emerges. Montag must flee in order to survive, and he joins other outcasts in the woods.

These are powerful ideas. The problem is with the execution, in some parts. The book starts slowly, and the language of the first 20-30 pages probably tempts many people to put down the book. By the second section, the imagery improves, and the repetition of some themes (books as butterflies, the screaming entertainment walls, black beetles) starts to be powerful. But then, the chase scene in the third section and the meeting with outcasts are both rendered in pretty stiff language. I guess the best that can be said is that the author exercises restraint in his language.

My other complaint arises from a few logical gaps. For example, if the government truly has the awesome technology it seems to possess, how could outcasts live in the woods that are just a few miles outside of town? Why would there be woods and farms a few miles outside of town in the first place? Also, what's the meaning of Beatty's ability to quote literature, apparently with gusto: Does he love literature and represent one way to fight against the oppressive society, or is he the fireman chief he seems to be on the surface?

In sum, "Farenheit 451" is an important book. More than 40 years ago, it put into concise form the fears that many people had about the way modern society was heading. It created memorable images of book burnings and mindless, mechanical violence. But the language itself is rarely as evocative as the ideas it relates.

This is Ray Bradbury's 55-year-old futuristic masterpiece about a time when firemen burn books instead of extinguishing fires. (451F is the temperature at which book pages burn.) His fireman protagonist, Guy Montag, has suddenly changed allegiances and become interested in preserving books rather than destroying them. The book is supposedly about censorship, but to me it seemed to be more about apathy. The book burning started after everyone had stopped reading anyway, and the liberal arts schools had mostly disappeared. Montag's professor friend Faber lists the three things that books provide: texture, leisure to absorb the information, and our response to what they teach us. The texture is the fabric of life that books describe, and the more densely woven the fabric, the better the quality of the book. Bradbury's writing style is not very fluid, but his take on the future is noteworthy at times. Not all of his predictions have come to pass, but the bug that Faber puts in Montag's ear made me think of people wearing their cell phones today. Also, the author mentions that the television is used as a babysitter, and he was spot-on about that. However, we don't have vicious mechanical hounds, at least not that I know of, nor do we all live in fireproof houses, unfortunately.

The unfamiliar circumstances in this story are analogous to the present in several aspects, conveying a relatable character in a strange world.