I think this book isn't worth the money you pay for it. Ray Bradbury does not describe the story very elaborate and and so e.g. it is very difficult to understand what the people are talking about.
Furthermore, the tension the fireman acts with doesn't get clear in the description by Bradbury. This is a very bad style of telling a story and makes me think the author himself didn't like the story.
The dialogues between the fireman, Montag, and the girl he meets on the street are forced and do not seem vivid. So it is a great effort reading it.
I have to read this book at school and I do not have any motivation to analyze it.

I never received the product in the mail. Needed it for summer reading for school and had to go to the bookstore to buy it.

This book is pretty good, except it is definitely very advanced. It was very confusing, especially the "TV family" which I did not understand at all. It is more of an adult book.

I bought this book on tape as read by the author. It is excruciating to listen to. Don't get this! I should have known that an actor would be a better reader than an author!!

...and seriously though-provoking. All generations should review this book from time to time. great new cover design

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is a futuristic tale where reading books is illegal. The main character is a man named Montag, a fireman whose job it is to burn books. In this story Montag is secretly reading, even though the punishment for reading is either life in jail or death. In this world there are many technologies that control people's lives.

I think that Ray Bradbury should have done made the plot more clear. At the beginning of this book I was confused about the world where the story took place, which meant I couldn't relate to Montag or the story. By the end of the book, I was still left wondering about what happened to certain characters or why certain things happened.

There are many ways he could have made this story better. He could have added more conflict in the plot or action in Montag's life. I did not enjoy the sci-fi aspect of the story because the complex technology interfered with the lives of the characters. Bradbury may be a good writer to many people, but because he did not explain the story clearly, he isn't someone I would choose to read again.

Our book club recently decided to make every other book choice a "classic" book which, for one reason or another, none of us has read. Fahrenheit 451 was this month's choice. After plowing through Bradbury's self-aggrandizing Foreward AND Introduction, I was ready to be enthralled. No such luck. This had to be one of the most abysmal books of all time. I suspect there's a bit of The Emperor's New Clothes (a much better read, by the way) going on here. In other words, if you dare to criticize Bradbury, then you must be one of the mindless rubes who hate books and philosophy and creativity and yadda yadda yadda. Fine, whatever. To put it delicately, this book stunk like yesterday's diapers. I have nothing but sympathy for the poor students who are forced to read this drivel for class--at least I had the option of putting it down. I am a college English major and a Senior Editor at a major publishing house, as well as an avid reader. Bradbury's over-the-top vision of intellectuals being rebellious outsiders who are hunted down is hilariously vain. His celebration of intellect above all else excludes other virtues such as love, compassion, humor, etc.. Interesting how these themes are given such short shrift. Bradbury is an overheated, macho, pseudo-intellectual with a chip on his shoulder. After reading this, all I wanted to do was flip on the TV and watch Three's Company reruns in order the cleanse the palate.

I had to read this book for school. I, personally, don't care for any type of science fiction, so that could play a part in my rating, but it was very confusing and not worth my time. The book is about Guy Montag who is a fireman from three or four hundred years in the future where firemen cause fires instead of putting them out. The book mentions people Montag meets and is friends with and about his failing relationship with his wife. There are many 'futuristic' objects in this book which keeps you thinking and confused. The book ends in a chase which was by far the best part. If you don't enjoy science fiction, I do not recommend this book for you. I only read it because it was required of me.

great short read with a subtext that is a warning for our future. If you like all those sci-fi movies with a horrorful future you will enjoy this book.

I'm no advocate of book burning, but burn this book! It was terribly disappointing--lots of hype over a cheesy science-fiction novel. There are two major problems with it. One is poor language usage--lousy descriptive word choices, lousy metaphors and similes that make inappropriate comparisons--and two, not enough attention paid to societal problems that give rise to things like book burning in the first place: the threat of the individual to the group; government control over the sheep-like masses; the modern epidemic of people's lack of interest in anything intellectual; the timeless epidemic of a fear of anything that goes against group mentality or upsets the status quo, and so on. Bradbury touches on some of these issues, but leaves them largely undeveloped.

I am frustrated by the sloppiness of this book. From what I understand, Bradbury sat in a library and wrote it in a few weeks, and it shows. Montag is introduced as a man happy in his job. The meeting with Clarisse blows his mind! But then Bradbury throws in numerous details indicating that his dissatisfaction has been mounting for some time. Although Montag is purportedly of a divided mind, the development of his character is very abrupt and unconvincing. But why develop what is essentially a mouthpiece for your own ranting? Blech. Bradbury's ideas have come to fruition in our time, but, ironically, his own work is not literature at all. I do not understand why this work is lauded as a classic.

What made me pick up this book in the first place was everyone's fixation on how "thought-provoking" and "different" it was. I read it, and found myself agreeing with some aspects, confused by others, and downright bored by some.

The general concept of this book is that humans are living in a world where books are burned, and people do not read. As a reader, this is a chilling concept. However, as a reader, the way the book is written did not draw me in at all. The book felt awkward and slow very often, and I found that I could not even follow the story. Only a few days later, I could barely remember what I had read.

Yes, I agree that this book certainly makes you think about how nowadays, people do indeed choose movies over books, or don't read those that aren't movies in the first place, and that parts of this book are scary because of how true they are becoming, but I did not enjoy the writing itself and everything around the general concept.

However, this does not mean that one shouldn't read it. On the contrary. It is a good book to read to open your mind. It's not a brilliant book, but the interesting parts are rather worth it.

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:
[...]

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

They say Bradbury's amazing, but he really didn't impress me at all. It seems that he tried to write in such a sophisticated way that the book became boring. The Fahrenheit 451 is slow going, and very hard to understand. We had to read this book as a class and almost everyone found it confusing. Even the ending hardly made any sense. The book is going on like normal, and suddenly it all ends abruptly. Bradbury has failed to make the writing interesting, and it is not easy to tell what's going on. For example, the whole plot is not appealing. There is a society where books are not allowed, and Montag (the man who burns alot of books) ends up liking books. He has to run away from others and hide for a long time. Some details were completely unnecessary, and had nothing to do with the book. As soon as the book starts getting even a little good, Bradbury drifts off to another topic and that slows down the whole flow of the book. When some things were going on in the book, it is like Bradbury didn't want to get off that same topic at all. If something happened, or there was a discussion, Bradbury made it as long as possible. The book failed to entertain me, and I do not reccommend it.

this is a film about how stupid george bush is as president. and it shows that dick cheney is a bad vice president too. he is a bad awful man. watch this movie and you will learn a lot. when the towers in new york got blown up, george bush just read the pet goat story to children. that's how stupid he is. i don't understand how people can be so stupid.

The title to this review may be lame but the sentiment is not. This book is still incredibly relevant.

The story of a futuristic society that controls its inhabitants by squelishing free thought is told through the eyes of the fireman (Montag), whose desire for truth is at odds with his pre-determined role to destroy those desires by burning books. .

It is surprising that a book written over 50 years ago still has such startling parallels today. From the entertainment consisting of reality shows (taken to the next level), to the misinformation of the government, to the use of fear to control behavior; it is almost creepy how some of Bradbury's commentary on how we can be controlled is sharply visible in our world today.

The story has a good element of suspense and the characters are fascinating. My favorite (of course) is Clarisse, the free spirit and non-conformist that is a risk to the government and the catalyst for Montag's awakening. Her behavior and attitude contrasts starkly against Montag's wife Mildred, who walks around in a daze of drugs and television. Between these two opposite women walks Montag, who connects us to these two differing existences, and must make his own choice about what footprint he wants to leave behind.

The book still plays very well today as an adventure story (I was reminded of the Running Man during Montag's escape), but it is also still a strong social commentary on what could be...or is?

This has been one of my favorate stories and thought it would be nice to have a audio version for travel. Mr. Bradbury's voice is gruff and adds to the theme of the story, but also distracts. that is the only reason I did not give it a full 5 stars.

The story was ok. For a short book it kept me mildly interested. The most interesting part was reading the 'Afterward' from the author about why he wrote this piece. If you get the satire about the book then you can appreciate the thought behind it.

This book is more of a classic read than actually looking for any kind of deep mystery or action.

Though i wasn't a big fan of the sci-fi stuff, this book is changed my outlook on such readings, and it made me go out and buy Orwell's "1984". It's definitely worth the read.

A wonderful read. A commentary borne from the risidual fears from WWII. Belongs in the same category of Orwell's 1984. I like to write short reviews that get to the point, and not ramble on. Read it! If for no other reason, than seeing the parallels between Guy Montag's world and the type of world George W is trying to create.

This book really ropes you in and, if you have an afternoon to spare, it makes a great yet unsettling one-sitting read. When you think about this story and all the characters in it and then examine your own life and social setting, I would think most people could come up with at least one person who shares a good deal of the same traits.

Now, I say this often, but I'll say it again: books like this one really need to become required reading for students. When I was in school, none such works were encouraged until my junior year of high school and even then they weren't required.

As for the rating of 5 stars, I think this is an all-around classic; the main character is well-described, emotions (or in the case of some characters, lack thereof) are evident and the ending leaves just enough questions to induce reflection and yet leave the reader satisfied. No complaints here at all.

I am a high school teacher, and Fahrenheit 451 is one of my favorite books to teach. First of all, the students enjoy the story, the images, and the writing style. With an opening sentence of "It was a pleasure to burn," even students who usually don't like reading "eat" up this novel. With Bradbury's eerie insight into today's society (the book was written in the 1950's) and the topics of censorship, the value of books, etc, I never run out of things to discuss with the students.
The novel makes people think, question today's society, remember great pieces of literature, and explore controversial topics. Despite instances of mild language, the images of the book stick with the reader; the mechanical hound, the hearth and the salamander, the venom spitting python hose are just some of those fantastic images that permeate the book.
I highly recommend the novel. It's worth a second read if you haven't picked it up in awhile, and if you've never read it, you are missing one fabulous novel.

"Knowledge is more than equivalent to force." -Dr. Johnson
Guy Montag lived in a world where firemen didn't put out fires; but rather started them. Guy was one of these firemen, and never questioned burning the one thing all firemen did: books, until he meets a young girl and an old man that make Montag see the importance of these magical manuscripts. This piece of realistic fiction is set in the near future, and is an extremely thought provoking novel.
Fahrenheit 451 definitely tops my list, and I would highly recommend it to anyone in their mid-teens with a love for literature- you will be shocked and heartbroken to discover the government's battle against books. It was unquestionably a page turner, the writing style was terrific, and contained a great plot.
The book was incredibly hard to put down. Every few pages, a new slew of questions would corrupt my mind; would Montag realize his wrongdoings? Would he discontinue his profession as a fireman? Would his new-found love for books be exposed? It was undoubtedly a page turner, and kept me on the edge of my seat.
Probably my favorite aspect of the story was Bradbury's writing style. It was wonderfully descriptive, and provoked a lot of sentiment. It painted vivid pictures in your mind, and made you feel real connections to the characters. For example, Clarisse was a teenage girl that allowed herself to think and appreciated nature; something rarely seen in anyone in the era the book was set in. When she died, it was almost painful for me as a reader to see how her death, a girl with such a uncommon love for life, barely affected the community.
The most disturbing thing about the novel was how believable the plot actually was. As America indulges in magazines, televisions, and radios, you can bluntly see that the desire to read a book just isn't as great as it used to be. At the same time, everyone wants to be the same nowadays, no one has much of a desire to be different, or stand up for what they believe in. Books bring about diverse ideas, and in a world where everyone strives to be alike, literature could be the entity that disturbs the peace of sameness.
An excellent book, Fahrenheit 451 gives you a glimpse of how lacking America's love of literacy could be in a few years. While alarming in its insinuations, this is a classic you wouldn't want to miss.

THIS BOOK IS ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE EVER READ!!!! i read it in 7th grade, read it in 8th grade and saw the play in 9th. I am a girl, and i LOVE it. This is my favorite book of all time!

This book is over 50 years old now. Somehow, it just keeps becoming more and more accurate a look at American society. Yes, Bradbury nailed the American apathy and isolationism of his complacent 1950s world. That's still there. He also scores a bullseye on the eternal button earplug, always there to drown the real world with its soothing, private murmur. His video walls look increasingly familiar, as home theater becomes more common and as the 60" screens give way to 80" and 100". And, of course, the book-bannings. We have those in plenty, based on every ism in the catalog. Sexism, satanism, racism, to name a few, along with the anti-evolution nuts. Bradbury also foretold the decay of personal relationships, giving examples that sound bitterly like today's front pages.

He got one wrong, though. Bradbury seemed to hope that nuclear war on US soil would cauterize the social wounds. We've seen a bit too vividly what a house of cards we live in, how sensitive the power, health, communication, and even emergency infrastructure are, how tiny outages cascade into national-level failures. The nuclear fallout would be bad enough, and Bradbury seemed to hold the `50s idea of a winnable nuclear war. I just don't think he appreciated the enormity of the general collapse that would follow even one major city falling - but he didn't have our examples to learn from.

Half a hundred years later, this book is painfully pertinent. And, in the blackest of ironies, Bradbury's warning against censorship and bowdlerism has itself been subject to censorship and bowdlerism. Read it to find out why. If you've read it, read it again.

Who knows, your memory may be the one that keeps this book alive.

//wiredweird

This is really the only science fiction I've read, other than Tolkein.(Is he considered a science fiction writer? Probably more fantasy...).
Anyway,Bradbury's story is intriguing and quite interesting. I enjoyed it more than I anticipated. A solid 4 stars!

Anthony F.Miller Place

This book is Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury. This is a realistic fiction book based on a futuristic world. This book is a mystery in some aspects and it could somewhat be an action book.
This book is about a man named Guy Mortag. He is a firefighter who doesn't put out fire, but starts them. If someone has books the firefighters go to there house and burn the books. Guy starts talking to a young girl named Clarisse. She has many different views on the world compared to other people in the time she is living in. Guy starts thinking about what she is talking about and that makes him start questioning every aspect of his life. Guy later reveals that he has a full library of books, to his wife that he has been hiding. Now he only has twenty-four hours to reads the books before he can get caught by the firefighters.
This book is suited for an older audience. The writing style and the vocabulary the author uses will be a little hard for the younger reader to understand.
In general I thought the book was okay. I enjoyed some parts of the book, but other parts just bored me and I couldn't wait until I finished what I was reading. If you are interested in futuristic and or realistic fictional stories then you should read this one.

This book is very strange, but at the same time it's thought-provoking. I liked that it represented a society at the extreme end of the don't-let-the-truth-offend-people philosophy. This made me more carefully consider my environment and the things people left unsaid just so nobody gets offended. I am certain that this book has been and will be the cause of much discussion.

With that said, I'm sure some will wonder why I only gave the book three stars. The answer to this is simple: I've never really been an enthusiast for books about strange futuristic societies. I probably wouldn't even have given the book a second look if it wasn't for a school assignment. Anyway, that's just my personal preference, not really a plot problem.

I already wrote a review of this one that Amazon dot com must have lost or something because it did not show up after even like 5 days.

That does not surprise me for reasons I will explain in a minute but first you came here to see a review of the book and so here you go and then I will get back to my earlier point.

This book is about a fireman in the future only in the future there is no longer any fire at all so instead of putting out fires he lights books on fire but he does not like to make fires so then he quits being a fireman. I swear thats what the book is about and I know it makes no sense I didnt understand it either. Why is he a fireman? I DONT KNOW! NOBODY KNOWS!

But the real problems started when I returned this book to my local library and now they say I did not return it at all even though I did and it was in a pile of other books which! I returned all at the same time together so I know. But now they say I owe the library $7 for a new book even though it was used. Whatever.

My advice: this book is cursed or something because everything about it gets lost even a review OF THE BOOK THAT I ALREADY WROTE. I am going to go back to the library next week and I bet its back on the shelf laughing at me with my $7 in its hand.

I hate this book but to be fair it rates TWO STARS because I guess it is okay if you like stories about firemen which I do.

Watch tv, sheeple.

In the future, books are banned, and drugs and the good old electronic screen are used to keep the population docile and uninformed. Firemen don't put out fires here, they burn books when they are found, in a big macho showy way. One such bloke begins to have doubts about his occupation and society, and breaks away.

Ray's Fahrenheit 451 is a great book in all aspects. Fahrenheit 451 is written in a frightening world in which the government exercises complete control over every aspect of its citizen's lives through means of propaganda and its enforcers. I will conclude Fahrenheit 451 by highly recommending this book to anyone who is looking for a great read.

And I highly enjoyed reading this book. The storyline may be a bit complicated but if you stick with it, you will eventually understand Guy Montag's world. I reccomend this book for High School kids and up.

I will first disclose that I am not a science fiction fan, however the guts of this story are far from science fiction. Very foretelling when you remember the time during which this book was written. So interesting that so many readers were horrified at the thought of a world like that and now they are living in that world in many ways!!

Timeless work on a futuristic society completely and utterly ignorant of any reality except their corporate jingles, giant TV's, and fake families. A look into a shallow desensitized self censored society where intellectuals are targeted as criminals, books are outlawed, and those who refuse to submit are tracked down by the mechanical hound.

Fahrenheit 451 is a frightening look inside of a corporate dystopian hell where there is no `We the People' just `we the market' and the State is omnipotent. Out on the fringes of the state's control remains a remnant of society, mostly hobos, who are dedicated to preserving the words that many will never read. A classic example when people stop thinking for themselves.

It's given way to many smug and hypocritical people who think that acceptance of morals is wrong.That if you don't submerge yourself in constant criticism within philosophy,politics,etc.,you are some ignorant person who doesn't see the forest for the trees.Which I don't think the book was set out to do.I see it more as a warning to taking your antidote to nihilism too seriously and not respecting personal freedom...to the extent of going out to war and forcing other people to swallow it.It's too bad that everyone I know that has read this thinks that they are some warrior for truth or some crap like that.

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.

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 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.

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.

Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451* over 50 years ago; it's theme of the 'Big Brother' autocratic society, has often had it compared to Orwell's 1984.

Before I read this book I knew absolutely nothing of the story or its draconian motif. So finding out the altered definition of 'fireman' that this book refers to was a revelation, to say the least.

The story: *SPOILER*

This is the tale of Guy Montag, a 'fireman' within this repressed society; a society in which 'happiness' is permitted and even encouraged, but free thinking is frowned upon in the strongest terms. And what is the most obvious example of free thinking...why books of course. Thus we discover that Montag is a 'fireman' and his job is to burn books; burn books, so that no one in the future will every get a sense of history or get any ideas about changing the present regieme into a free thinking society. Montag's problem is that he begins to wonder if what he's doing is right; thus his personal revolt begins, and not surprisingly he finds friends and enemies in unexpected places.

I liked the style in which Bradbury developed Montag; Everyone in this society is suppose to be happy, but Montag is increasingly unhappy. He is constantly talking to himself, always doubting himself and his new, 'radical' thoughts. It's not difficult to feel empathy towards Montag as he becomes increasingly uncomfortable with his position and he begins to question his thinking and his own sanity. His wife (and her friends), his job and his desire to read books all contribute in ways to reduce his ability to handle his increasingly difficult situation.

Subjectively, I liked the first 2/3s of the book better than the latter; not knowing anything about this tale added to the intrigue and mystery at the beginning, making it hard to put the book down. I didn't find the latter 1/3 quite as 'believable' and that compelling sense of urgency that defined the first part seemed to disappear, and for this I took off 1/2 Star.

Conclusion:
A great book, much different than I'd expected. Well written, with a wonderfully developed hero; giving us many glimpses of a distressed and complex personality who is in an ongoing battle with his own inner demons, and a waffling conscience that's unsure of it's moral obligations as it fights to maintain his sanity.

Interesting to see that some of Bradbury's thoughts of the future are not all that far off in certain parts of the world today; some maybe closer to home that we'd like to believe.

* 451 deg. Fahrenheit, is the temperature at which paper begins to scorch and crumple.

While a good read with strong themes, I struggle to grasp why this book is considered such a "classic" by so many. I'll admit - I am no one to judge what a "classic" is, but it would be nice if someone could explain it to me - as there are other books out there that drive at similar points but are considered far less noteworthy.

That being said, there were some strong themes running through this book that seem very prophetic - the book was written in the 1950s, and I caught myself more than once drawing on Bradbury's "exaggerations" (at the time) to current society. Such as the mass media (or propaganda) and mind control - crippling people's ability to think for themselves - and in fact doing the "thinking" for them. This is a central theme and one of the reasons behind the burning of books - as books make you think and loosen one's ability to control. And similarly, the (television) media's creation of short attention spans (immediately looking for the climax of a story - otherwise attention drifts) - creating a society that shallowly drifts from one climax to another, without every really grabbing a hold of anything. Senses have been dulled to the point where no one actually sees anything - to the point that it's suggested that society wouldn't know what grass or flowers were - only if you showed them a green blur would the recognize grass (as they are so busy driving fast to get to their next "climax" they don't see anything else). Both of these create a mindless society that lacks anything beneath the surface. Bradbury displays the deterioration this causes with the Mildred character - Montag's numb wife whose only satisfaction is her television "family", and who presents a shallow façade of happiness - but who in reality is miserable (poignantly displayed when she attempts to kill herself towards the beginning of the novel). I think she represents society in general - what Montag is "supposed" to be but is breaking free from.

Although interpreted to be exaggerations at the time - one can link these ideas to current society (in the 2000s). The ever shrinking attention span as technology develops new and newer media outlets (television, video games, Internet, iPods - all moving us further away from books). The mindless shows and distractions we watch to help us escape from our own lives (I don't mean to sound like I'm on a high horse here - I do the same thing); the mind control of masses by spin networks and political twisting. One reviewer mentioned the absurdity of intellectuals being banished to the far forest outside the city (in the book) - but what angle do you think "political strategists" are playing when they label President Obama an elitist, or rave about the liberal academia? The tension between knowledge and ignorance was one of the main reasons for the banishment of books in the book. I'm not suggesting that book burning is around the corner - only that the seeds that seem to have created Bradbury's fictional society are the same seeds that are present today.

Overall - as mentioned a good book - and one that continues to grow on me (perhaps it is a classic after all?).

This book blows my mind. It says so many things that I've been believing for years (and that's before I read it) about human nature: the tendency of the masses to follow and do what they're told; how easily humans waste their capacity for critical thinking; the difference between pleasure and true joy; the true meaning of freedom. Many people don't search for a deeper meaning to life than what tradition gives them, and that's okay; it's their choice. But when those people assume that everyone is that way, and they start restricting people's freedom because they think it will make everyone happy - well, that's when you get Fahrenheit 451. The character of Millie, especially, strikes me with her utter devotion to meaningless trivialities. We all know a Millie, or two or three. And this book is the story of how Montag discovers he really isn't like Millie at all, even though he thought he was, and how he fights the law and becomes a renegade, just to discover who he really is.

I remember seeing the movie based on this book with Oskar Werner and Julie Christie when I was a teenager and discussing it with my teachers. As you read the book many similarities can be seen today, such as large billboards, people not talking to each other, a society dependent on drugs and entertainment and reality TV shows and of course the rushing around in a rat race.
Whats amazing is that Ray Bradbury wrote this book in 1953 some 50 plus years ago and unlike the book 1984 written by George Orwell this book is ignored by the media and pessimists of todays society and our future.
For those you like science fiction with a large dose of reality please read this book before you die from drinking the Kool-Aid.

A must read for people of all ages, Fahrenheit 451 is an enthralling novel written by Ray Bradbury. It is set in a futuristic society where books are illegal and the totalitarian government controls almost every aspect of people's lives. The story centers around Guy Montag, a fireman who doesnt put fires out, but starts them. Guy enjoys his job but a seventeen-year-old girl's recanting of the past and Guy's conscience gets the better of him and send him on a perilious journey filled with tough decisions and challenges that will forever change his life, and his world. Fahrenheit 451 is a fascinating look at a society gone wrong. It is frightening how in many ways Bradbury's world parallel's our own. Fahrenheit 451 is definately an eye opening book that everyone should experience

Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" is one of his finest works. It was first published in October of 1953, and then serialized in the March - May issues of Playboy magazine. The novel originally began as a short story "Bright Phoenix", though that was not published until 1963, and from there it was lengthened into the novelette "The Fireman" which was published in February of 1951 in "Galaxy Magazine". It is a novel of a dystopian society, and stands along with George Orwell's "1984" and Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" as the best early examples of that type of work.

Though it is easy to find similarities between "Fahrenheit 451" and the other two books, there are some key differences between them. In the earlier two works, the State appears to be the controlling force. We see this in the education centers in "Brave New World" and every aspect of the society in "1984", but in this work the society seems to have evolved from this through a change in social norms. People are judged by the number of wall sized televisions they have; books and intellectuals are spurned and eventually considered harmful to society. One should be happy, so news of the war is all in the background, and even the attempted suicide, or someone's death are mentioned in only in passing quickly and then the focus is back on happier subjects. People spend more time being entertained by a program called "My Family" then they spend interacting with their actual family, and for some children are a nuisance, so they are either not had, or if one has them they are sent off and only seen for short periods.

One of the most effective parts of this short novel is the way he incorporates the feel of the society into his writing style. One of the key descriptions of the life which the hero, Fireman Guy Montag, is living is noise. He can't think, because of the noise of the televisions his wife has on, and it is apparent that he didn't even notice this until he met Clarisse McClellan, a free-spirited teenager who has moved in next door with her parents and her uncle. His conversations with her are different, they require thought, and there is time for him to think because they happen outside of the noise of life. This noise continues and gets worse when Clarisse disappears from his life, but she has helped bring forward his natural curiosity. The noise continues, and as Guy deals with his wife, her friends, his boss, the mechanical hound, the other firemen, the signs of war, an old professor acquaintance, etc. This noise is felt by the reader two, as Bradbury throws this mix together, though leaves it clear enough that the reader picks up on what is really going on.

This noise is there through the first two sections of the book, and into the third section where at last Guy is pushed over the edge and commits the most desperate of acts, and by doing so he frees his mind. From then on, Guy is able to focus on the situation at hand, his being hunted, his escape, and his desire to save the thoughts and words of the books he has been destroying for so many years. He is able to discuss and think about the war and about Clarisse, his wife Mildred, and his actions; even though those are mostly sad and disturbing thoughts. The reader also feels the noise pressure is lifted, though he is certainly in danger.

This is a tremendous book, though very short as far as novels go. It is not simply a rewrite of "Brave New World" or "1984". Those works were produced first, and those authors are often given more literary merit while Bradbury is too often thought of as a writer of speculative fiction. Those works teach us to be wary of the government becoming too powerful, while this work teaches us to be wary of our own laziness and the anti-intellectual movement of our society through entertainment such as television. This work also teaches us to be tolerant of those who are not like everyone else. This work was selected to receive the Retro Hugo in 2004 for novels written in the year 1953.

In Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag is a firefighter whose job it is to set fires. In this futuristic, dystopian universe houses are fireproof and firefighters burn books. Books have been banned because they make people think uncomfortable facts, however most people are too caught up with their wall-to-wall TVs and fast cars for the thought of reading to even cross their minds. Montag loves to burn and thinks he is happy with his life until he meets a girl who thinks about the world in her own way and a professor who remembers when books were treasured rather than banned. The story follows Montag as he slowly comes to realize how he really feels about the world he lives in.
Fahrenheit 451 explores deep ideas about human nature, censorship, and the balance between knowledge and comfort. The most disturbing thing about this book is how close Bradbury was to our life today. Almost 50 years ago, he imagined things similar to cell phone earpieces, big screen TVs, and super highways. Other things are exactly like today: constant advertising, mindless entertainment, an endless war that most people forget about, and political correctness restricting peoples' speech. In the world of Fahrenheit 451, books have been banned because they make people think uncomfortable thoughts.
This compelling book is a quick, but by no means light, read. Bold, artistic language and a fast-paced storyline makes Farhenheit 451 seem less like a vehicle for a sermon, and more like a window through which one can view a different but eerily similar world. His word choice and use of imagery creates a surreal feeling throughout the book, forcing the reader to
As good as Bradbury is at description and ideas, I felt that many of the characters were fairly one-sided and seemed to only exist to spew out speeches about differing points of view. I found it hard to relate to them, and didn't sympathize with them at all. However, part of Bradbury's point is that in this world human relationships aren't valued. Perhaps the character under-development was done on purpose to force the reader more into the mindset of the time.
Overall, this book was thought-provoking and beautifully written. Its overarching message of individuality vs. comfort is just applicable to today's world as it was 50 years ago when the book was written. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to think more critically about the world in which we live in.

This book tells an intriguing and dystopic anecdote about.....books. It is thought provoking, and evocative. Every person should read this book, and think not of the absurdity of premise, but of the unfortunate parallels one sees.