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

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.

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.

Fahrenheit 451 was first published in 1953. It is one of those books that for some reason I was never required to read in high school or college. For that reason, I am trying to read a few of these classics each year. I was not sure what to expect as I am really not into futuristic books, however this book blew me away with its accuracy of predictions some 55+ years after it was first published.

Fahrenheit 451 details the eternal war between censorship and freedom of thought and continues to be relevant today more than ever. In Bradbury's future, books are illegal and happily so--citizens are too busy watching their wall-sized televisions and listening to their in-ear "seashell" radios to care about the loss of good literature. Guy Montag begins the novel as a fireman who enforces the temperature of the title--that at which books burn--but then transforms and tries to show his society the mistake of censorship. It's a treat to hear Bradbury read his own work, almost as if a wise elder were sharing a cautionary tale. Sometimes the slower pace seems awkward for a novel of such action, but overall the reading does justice to the timeless classic.

A standard in the dystopian utopia that Brave New World and 1984 also capture, this is the third in a triad of phenomenal dystopian books written that everyone should read. While banned in some jurisdictions, the idea of book burning and reading being illegal is still a serious issue. We ban books in our library systems, and in our schools. While we do not burn books on a regular basis, the vision timeliness of this book still has not faded since it first came out in print.

The book centers on a "fireman" Guy Montage and how he has to adjust his beliefs in line with the people around him that he meets, especially the Professor and the teen-age girl that provide an interesting counterpoint to the vacant wife that he lives with. Books are dangerous, and in the society here, even more so as books are burned, and the newspaper is reduced to a comic strip without words. As he looks around the environment that he lives in and compares his needs to the way that the world is going, supervisors, wife, and friends all notice that he is pulling back from long held beliefs. This is the problem, and the reason that the book works so well. While the society is not constantly monitored like in other books, friends and family eventually have a major impact on where Guy goes, and what Guy does throughout the course of this book. It is almost like he has no control or purpose outside of what others think, say, watch, or do.

This is probably the best Bradbury book written, and should be on everyone's bookshelf. Five of Five stars, the more copies in the house the better.

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.

Fahrenheit 451 was the first novel to describe what would happen if people couldn't think. It is an interesting story that you don't find much. The world it draws up has no basis. This is because people can't think. In Fahrenheit 451, people are not allowed to have books because the government is afraid of an educated society. This book is very distressing because censorship could happen today. If there was censorship, the world would become dull and disturbing, as nothing would happen. There would be no great events, and this would cause no one to realize anything. This is the reason that it is still popular today. It is because of how controversial it is, in the fact of the world it portrays.

This a classic must-read. Deep, interesting and a parable. Dont't miss reading it.

Fahrenheit 451 is a masterful speculation of what the world would look like if events continued to unfold in its destructive progression. What happens to our cognitive abilities when we are glued to the "wall" every night, plug our ears with sound, and shut ourselves in our homes? Who are our families? Do we care about our neighbours, or even our own families? A great book, and a must read!

This is a book that really get writers hooked. A society that didn't care fore book... Oh my! What will happen to mankind if the wisdom of time pass weren't available anymore? and then what will happen to you, if you were to oppose the silence of the books? A great tale and a lot of wisdom.

Anna del C.
Author of "The Elf and the Princess"
and "Trouble in the Elf City"

I had to read this book over the summer (I'm going into 10th grade). At first it took me a while to get into it. Soon enough I couldn't put it down. It was a great book. I would recommend it to everyone.

I was very much looking forward to reading this book, a good friend has been recommending it for some time. I must say that it took me a little longer than I thought it would to read. The language for me was little hard to follow at times. Some of it was so chopped up that I would have to go back and reread the page over to try and understand the message of that page.

I thought that the themes themselves were very prevalent to our day. I am finding that more and more that children are unwilling to read and want to play video games or go on the internet. The idea of how books are slowing being eradicated is spot on in current events. I really liked the message of how knowledge will set you free, and the good, and bad that can come from it. (As the snake said to eve, you will be like a God.) I also liked his idea of the TV walls and how it clouds the mind with loud noises and bright colors. I found that to be very interesting, especially with the outburst of 42" TVs and all the crave for the latest gadgets. I find it very ironic that Amazon is out with their new product Kindle. No offense to them but I do not support that item.

One thing that I did notice was that as I was reading it reminded me a lot of "The Giver" by Louis Lowery. I know that The Giver was written afterword but I actually liked that book more that his. I also understand that it was more meant for children, but think that the ideas presented in her book, almost paralleling Bradbury's book, were very well written and thought out. I also thought that her book was simply just a little more easy to read.

Either way, this still was an excellent book, with a lot of different issues that I think have a love of prevalence in our current status. If you liked Bradbury's book, I would greatly recommend The Giver.

I purchased this book for my teenaged son to do an English class book report. He was impressed by the way the author was able to imagine the future considering this was written in 1953. I do not recommend for under the high school level.

I read Bradbury's book on two different levels. The first being the themes of communism and censorship. The other level being the tone in which he wrote which reflected the primal instinct that we as individuals have to function in society and to stay alive. Also, how he writes (he is a genius, literally), one can decipher how the thought process works in a fight or flight situation. The book is fantastic. I found nothing boring about it and there was always action going on to where you looked forward to turning the page. A must read.

Having not have read it in high school, this year I felt compelled to read it because of a sudden interest in Ray Bradbury.I regret having waited so long to read.Bradbury introduces themes that are more relevant today than ever before.My recommendation is to buy or borrow and read this book ASAP.

I am sad to say I had not read this book till age 27. What was wrong with my high school? No Bell Jar, no 451?

*Anyway* fascinating read and crazy to think that books may be obsolete in the future, quite sad, since I'm an avid reader. The premise of the story is about a fireman who knows nothing else but his job and what life is like now, until he meets a young "strange" girl who discusses actual real life with him. After that, Montag starts to wonder things outside the realm of what he always knew and starts to question his job and the purpose of burning books. He ends up rebelling and fighting for the cause.

If you liked 1984, this book is similar is some aspects (to me at least). The sad bleak future that these authors dreamed up with the loss of individualism and the control of telescreens/televisions everywhere with lack of intellect.

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.

Good read!

The most amazing part of "Fahrenheit 451" is that it was first written in 1950. Wow! That blows me away, a futuristic book written 58 years ago that in many ways is was right on.

The characters and story are excellent. Some of the writing in the book, I found to be difficult to grasp. Alot of intense dialogue between the main characters, several times, I wasn't quite sure who was talking to who.

Overall, a very good book, I look forward to reading some of Ray Bradbury's other classics!

Fahrenheit 451 is the story of Guy Montag in a future where most people live their lives in willful ignorance and the job of firemen is to find books and burn them. The story follows Guy, who is a firemen, as his new neighbor gets him to open his eyes to the world around him. The plot is enough to keep any reader chugging along, but the main hook to this book is Ray Bradbury's disturbing vision of the future. You can form your own opinions on if its an accurate vision, but whether you think it is going to happen or it is just a load of crap, it should defineatly get you to think about the world around you. This book certainly deserves the 5 stars I gave it and if you haven't read it then I seriously suggest you get a copy.

Fahrenheit 451. 451 is the temperature at which paper burns. How did we find this out? Learning, and with learning comes books, and according to this story with books comes burning. This story follows one man, one guy actually. Guy Montag is a fireman. However not the definition of fireman of which you think. This is a world where the past is burnt and all is forgotten and minorities are eliminated. Books are for burning and your family is all on a T.V. wall. People die and nobody cares. Nothing matters as long as people are happy. Houses are fireproof and books are the exact opposite. I really liked this book. Bradbury's book shows our own flaws as well as those to come. Montag's fire captain, Beatty, tells him how the firemen got started, "`Give the people contests they win by remembering the words to popular songs [1] or the name of state capitals [2] or how much corn Iowa grew last year [3].'" We have all of the game shows. 1. Don't forget the lyrics. 2. Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader. 3. Jeopardy. This book was written in the 50's. Over 50 years later (almost 60), this is beginning to form. I hope that this does not happen. For if it does, who knows what we will lose next. Will it be our real families? Our front porches? Our books? Our identity? This book is very controversial. It's ironic that every one in this book is anti controversial and don't ask questions and yet this book brings up so many questions. It also makes you question yourself and what you think. With all of this technology being brought into our world, we're not against it but we don't hate it. With all of the new innovations by the time we buy something it's already obsolete. When you buy a computer in a few weeks they all ready have an updated version. Sometime its just nice to stop and smell the roses. Thank you for your time.
-Marvin

An interesting story of book censorship and the consequences of mankind if we allow this to get out of had. This version of the book has an interview with the author at the ned which I really enjoyed reading.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R12LLQD8WBKTHT Fahrenheit 451Fahrenheit 451: A Novel

Mention "Farenheit 451" in casual conversation, and the casual response is (especially if you are highschool or lower): "Ooh. Did it freak you out?" And yet, is the "Farenheit 451" of our cultural stereotype all that accurate? Yes, Bradbury's world is a distressing one, but the story itself is, in the end, about perserverance, about the human love of knowledge, and about how a group of people lives to fight against a world that doesn't want to know. As Montag, or "Ecclesiastes," discovers, there are still things worth fighting for. And while we may cringe every time a Chesterton slides into the incinerator, the true meaning of the book lies in Montag's determination to save some knowledge from that incinerator.

Is it a distressing setting? Yes, of course. As some of the other reviewers have said, that often is because it's far closer to the truth than we would like. But, of course, that's the reason Bradbury wrote the book. But under all that is a story of hope; a story that, if we dig just deep enough, can empower us to face the danger and the distress and to let us prevent "Farenheit 451" from being a nonfiction book.

So the one thing you should know if you're not sure you want to read "451" is that it's not "A Clockwork Orange." Not by a long shot. In the end--and with Bradbury's writing, you will get there fast--it is a distressing world, but a heartwarming story.

Fahrenheit 451 depicts the book about Guy Montag who is shaken out of his complacency by a sixteen-year-old, Clarisse. She show Montag the wonders of nature and Montag begins to question his job of burning books because he sees them as a gateway to nature. Montag's rebellious spirit builds up until he finally explodes. An old Professor, Faber, leads Montag on the right path and Montag finally feels at home at the end of the book. This book depicts what could happen in the future if we are not careful because the time Montag lives in is a time of great censorship and the Government is issuing the order of destruction of books. Montag is feels this preasure and he does not feel at home with all these other people. This book reminds us that we should not loose ourselves in just having fun and to live a real life.

I chose to read Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" for a High School Book Report. I thought that fact so many of the ideas portrayed in the book by Bradbury are still very relevant today was fascinating. The book was published in the 1950's and Bradbury's ideas about the influence of other types of media and their effect on society are evident today. Society as a whole has had its general thought process effected (to some extent at least) by the media with ideas portrayed in ad campaigns or television shows which make decisions for you instead of developing some of these ideas on your own.

Another theme that the book does an excellent job of representing is the effect of censorship on society. The protagonist of the story, Guy Montag, begins the book oblivious of his own ignorance towards the world around him, not changing until a thoughtful teenage girl (Clarisse) causes him to question why everything is the way it is. These questions lead Montag down a path to enlightenment in which Montag discovers the reality of an unaware society. "Fahrenheit 451" does a superb job of displaying the harmful effects that censorship can cause. The effect of censorship displayed in the book is a society of robotic citizens that find ignorance more attractive than actually exploring life.

Another reason I enjoyed reading this book was the fact it was very thoughtful and left a lot of different ideas open for interpretation. The book did seem a little bit dry at times but it was not a bad transition because it allowed for time to interpret a few of the many ideas presented in the novel. I thought that "Fahrenheit 451" was an excellent read and I would happily recommend it to anybody who enjoys something more meaningful and thoughtful than an average novel.

This is one of the two most relevent works of sci-fi/speculative fiction ever made (the other being 1984, which represents hegemonic power very well). Farenheit 451 sounds kind of absurd in the beginning, but as you get into it more, it's an incisive critique of American culture, where trends in media saturation are taken to a horrifying extreme.

It'll only take a day or two to read if you have the time, so you might just want to rent it from your local lending library, but it is only $7.

The most important thing about this book is how much more relevant it seems today than when it was written. Today, newspapers and print media are going away (thanks, kindle), while Television is becoming more and more a mainstay of communication. Advertizements prevade all aspects of life these days, creating new and cheapened meaning to our culture, something that Bradbury predicts.

Buy it, borrow it, steal it -- whatever, so long as you read it, it's at least worth the discussion it provokes.

This is another author, like George Orwell who has the ability to see the a possible future and present it in a way that appears to be a time in the life of an individual character, as well as surrounding characters who are experiencing the same world. Whether this is a made up story or not remains to be seen, because as the author states in Coda, ""The point is obvious, there is more than one way to burn a book." But it is told in a manner that is all so more believeable in todays current world of technology than perhaps it could have been percieved when it was first concieved. Bradbury like Orwell are writers that having discovered them, I feel fortunate to know that there are many things they have still written I have not yet read, but I certainly intend to!

Something to truly look forward to!

Guy Montag respresents an individual who with help from a mysterious "Girl", awakens from the slumber he has found himself in. It seems to me that even now, this fantastic creation if truly appreciated for the message it delivers, can continue to awaken others who are not seeing the entire picture.

Told in a manner that is clearly intellectually sound, the implications are truly frightening.

Five stars isn't enough to rate this, nor would ten or any other amount if it existed here be.

I will certainly be absorbing more of his writes.

And if you haven't read this, although frightening I don't believe I could recommend that you do so more highly. Especially in light of the world we currently live in!

Your Chance to Hear The Last Panther Speak

It's always been a recurring theme: the end of the world brought on by our own doings. And obviously, when such an issue is handled by one of the last and greatest surviving writers of the past century, Mr. Bradbury strikes the note perfectly using his his wondrous ambiguity and delightful imagery and infinitely unique writing prose.

The first true step taken in a lifelong career of literature.

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.

'Farenheit 451' is rightly deserved to considered a classic much on the order of the works by George Orwell. Written almost sixty years ago, 'Farenheit 451' brilliantly and concisely captures the overall demise of society through the "dumbing down" of people by the media and socialist-leaning government. People become automatons, unwilling to think or feel pain. Books become the enemy because they speak of reality and pain. So in 'Farenheit 451' the government outlaws all books, and "firemen" become government backed literary arsonists. However the author brings us hope in the form of the lead character, a fireman himself, who begins to think for himself and crosses over to another world (figuratively speaking :-)). His life rapidly unravels and transforms.

I suppose my only quibble with 'Farenheit 451' is that it somewhat overloads the story with a sub-story of a world war about to begin. I'm not sure why the author introduces such a distraction other than to tell the reader "hey, none of the citizens care about the war because they are too brainwashed from the government and media". I think "Farenheit 451" could have been just a little better without such silliness.


Bottom line: a near perfect read. Strongly recommended.

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.

So much has been said about "Fahrenhiet 451" already. I don't really have much to add to it. Just do yourself a favor and read it. You may be shocked to find how much it mirrors the world we live in today.

Mark Twain defined a literary classic as "a book which people praise and don't read." This, however, is not the case with Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. This was a magnificent book that really makes you appreciate life from a different perspective.

While I didn't respect this book back when I was in high school, now that I am older I have reread and more fully understand this novel. Books like this are always terrible to write a report or critique on but are a fun read when there is no pressure. I ended up picking up a copy and reading it in less than a week. I will plan to read more Bradbury in the future.

I am a few years out of college and most people are shocked to find out that I have never read "Fahrenheit 451." Given how much of an avid reader I am, it is rather shocking that I had never read this. I was never assigned this in High School, though in retrospect I would have rather read this than the books I read in High School, such as John Steinbeck novels, my arch nemesis. I was also shocked to see that as I'm writing this 79 people gave this book a rating of one star. Clearly these people do not know what is out there; this book is not that bad. Granted I have some misgivings about the book, but it brings up some excellent concepts and I can't help but feel these people lack the education level to go beyond what the book is about. Maybe I am simply thinking on this level because I am older and can no longer truly identify with the High School mentality, but I don't think I ever did. There is this factor and the fact that their reviews were quite poorly written for the most part, so they clearly lacked literary prowess and their reviews do not hold much weight.

Either way you look at it this book is now considered quite the classic. It is usually lumped together with Orwell's "1984" and I do agree with others that "1984" was the better story. Orwell created a much more vibrant and tangible world, Bradbury on the other hand did not succeed nearly as well. I can't help but think that Bradbury likely had read "1984" and thought of a slightly different worldview and thus did not feel the need to flesh his ideas out nearly as much. Whatever was the motivation for this, it was not a great move. This book starts off fairly slowly and ends on a rather sour note making the reader want to know what happened after.

Essentially the reader is thrust into a futuristic world where it is illegal to read or own books. Thus most of the population is borderline mentally challenged and gets most of its information through news blips on their television screens or these radio earbud things. (Strangely we have earbud headphones now that are quite popular.) During this technological advancement they also made houses fireproof and thus no longer needed firemen, but they eventually developed a new job for them... burning books. Guy Montag, a fireman, is our protagonist throughout the story and after meeting a young girl that sends his mind reeling he ends up unconsciously working against this perverted society. He starts to slowly figure out that his wife is essentially a zombie to this society and she doesn't have any substance to her person. The book focuses more on his emotional responses to learning all of these things, and thus in heightened emotional states he doesn't make very great decisions. Although, his Fire Chief, Beatty, is the main antagonist and pursues Montag after he figures out what is really going on with his employee. Beatty was probably one of my favorite characters because he was so eloquently spoken. Unfortunately Montag was no real match for such a man's intellect and there was never a real battle of wits between them. Eventually Montag's disgust for society grows to paramount levels and he naturally becomes the outlaw of the land. Naturally, I couldn't help but see the parallel to 1984's characters. A great fugitive chase takes place and his chased by a robot dog, which is pretty much the only major weak part of this futuristic world, mostly due to the fact it's a goofy idea. Anyway, Montag covers his scent, though I can't help but think this is unrealistic even for this novel knowing what I do about genetics, pheromones and computer systems. Technically a robot dog primarily used for its olfactory sense should be able to detect him no matter what, because on a molecular level you still emit your scent.

I don't want to give too much away, but suffice to say the book eventually abruptly ends. I felt like it was rather lacking at this point because I wanted to know what happened afterwards. I can't really give away the ending of the book because there really wasn't an ending. Of which, I left a ton of stuff out here and never even explained what actually happened in full, so don't feel cheated out of the adventure of the book. Once you get into this book the middle section is great and moves along quite briskly, but it trails off eventually.

The book is important from a literary perspective because it really shows some of the major dangers in censorship. It even outlines things that are done now. How about the part of this book that points out that it all started off catering to the minorities... how often is that done today. We need to accommodate the small groups so that everyone is happy, it doesn't matter if it's wrong? This is happening more and more in the world today, like if a child has problems learning then it's not the parents fault, it's the schools fault, or it's some obscure genetic related fault, thus it is no the child's responsibility to learn anything anymore. How about making books abridged today to bolster a High Schoolers interest in getting to read a classic? Snip off a few words here, a few words there. Obviously they wouldn't find these books interesting so we have to dumb them down to their intellectual level. Naturally this will help progress society?

That's how it all starts, and then people start to wonder why they need the full text at all, why not a paragraph summary? Why not a single sentence? Bradbury spells it out plainly for us in this book that that is exactly what happened in his imagined future. How long before simplicity replaces completeness in our society? Now we learn today that blurbs mean everything and people get a major amount of information from quick blurbs to feed our fast paced society, so they just write clever headlines and people think they have the news. It's progressively happening more and more. People don't want to take the time to read, so they get Cliff Notes. They don't desire to comprehend on their own half the time, so they watch a movie about it where there is less internal struggle to see from the characters. People who think that the problems this novel portrays aren't happening today aren't living in the same world the rest of the intellectual community is living. Those people are living in Orwell's world, in Bradbury's world. And pretty soon they will be the ones making decisions for everyone else in this world when they are the ones who eventually come into power because they are the best at writing clever headlines for two bit readers.

A very elegantly written book with a strong message about technology, censorship, and control/freedom. Bradbury writes in a beautifully poetic way that is not only layered with meaning, but also gripping from beginning to end. I could not stop reading this book until finishing the last page. A great social commentary and story, and perhaps even more relevant today than when it was written. Highly, highly recommended!

Bradbury is without a doubt one of the strongest writers of our time and this book is arguably his best work. All the usual elements of vintage Bradbury are here--captivating prose, rich characters and a plot that never drags. Guy Montag, the main character, is a memorable figure and his adventures and personal development will stay with you. Bradbury weaves a wonderful, thought-provoking tale here that is sure to please. Highly recommended reading for anyone and a great place to begin reading Bradbury.

Farenheit 451 deals with the anti-intellectual society that is America. How everyone distracts themselved with materialistic values and doesn't take ahold of education as well as they should. This book was released ahead of it's time and is beautifully written. The way Bradbury describes each situation helps to place you right there with Montsg (the main character). It's a must have for any personal library.

Everything that needs to be said, already has been in other reviews. All I will say is this book is one of the best I have read in a while. The scary thing is, it isn't to far from the truth as well.

People who don't like reading SHOULD read this book. It will make you think, and it only takes a few hours to read. So why not read it?

This book, Fahrenheit 451, is about a fireman in the future, an age of mechanical hounds and virtual reality families that argue about nothing, who instead of putting out fires, starts them instead. He burns books and the houses in which they are found. He is very happy with his job even though all of the citizens are frightened of him, until he meets a girl who is "17 and crazy". His walks with her and her strange ideas and interesting views make him question his job. He starts to steal and read books, which change his life forever.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I absolutely love reading (anything) but especially love books about what our future could be like. This book, 1984, and Brave New World, among others, are books that imagine and predict an awful future (Imagine a world without books!) which is even more interesting because it kind of gives us a warning.
The author, Ray Bradbury, has a really interesting writing style. One characteristic writing device he utilizes is description. He shows the reader exactly what is going on by giving lots of detail, for example "climbed slowly back into bed, arranged the covers over his knees and across his chest, half sitting". I think he does this to both create tension and to prolong and emphasize a moment. At this point in the book, the reader is wondering if Montag, the main character, will be safe, but they have to wait. Another unique characteristic of Bradbury's writing is how he uses lots of metaphors and similes ("face as bright as snow") which add more detail, making the scene easier to imagine. A third characteristic is that he writes about really scary happenings in pretty, flowery, flowing language which makes it seem less frightening and more normal. This helps the reader really get into Montag's mind because they aren't so scared off.
I would recommend this book to anyone (over age 12) because it is a book you have to have read to live in today's world and understand what people are talking about and referencing. Also, this book is just a really good read that can be enjoyed on many levels, as a suspenseful story, or as a warning about our future. There are also themes of love and camaraderie. Everyone can find a character to identify with.

Guy Montag is a fireman in a future where they don't put out fires, but start them for the purpose of burning books. He likes his job well enough until he meets an odd 17-year-old girl named Clarisse who lives in his neighborhood. She talks about all sorts of things that Guy has never considered and he starts to think about his life and the world he lives in. Thinking is not encouraged in this future world and the entire culture seems to revolve around sensory bombardment, mindless entertainment, and a mindless apathy about anything in the real world.

This book is a classic largely due to the theme of censorship and free thought. The story is more powerful because it makes it clear that book burning and censorship from the government came well after most people had already turned away from books. It started with one group being offended by one thing, another group offended by something else, until no one wanted to bother with books or anything that challenged them. As many have pointed out, our culture has actually moved closer to the world that Bradbury portrayed and that is a bit scary.

The weakness of Fahrenheit 451 is the writing itself as much of the prose reads like bad poetry. It's obvious that the author was attempting to use language to evoke images and feelings, he just wasn't quite up to the challenge of doing it well. It's also quite preachy at times. I found myself skimming through whole pages after a while and even though this is a very short book, it felt like a long read.

Those who have never read this book should probably do so at least once. It does discuss important issues and is probably even more timely today than it was when it was written. Don't expect a sparkling read, but the story is strong and even suspenseful in the second half.

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!!

My sophomore English class assigned this book to kick start philosophy, and really, it was awful. The idea presented was interesting, but I think Bradbury could've delivered it better, in narrative and style. No matter how hard I tried to enjoy this much celebrated book, I could not bring myself to care for any of the characters except Clarise. And, SPOILER AHEAD, she dies after her brief appearance (which was necessary, but still!). That killed my mood, not that it wasn't already down after the first chapter. All other characters were boring and paper flat and it's difficult to sympathize with any one of them. Beatty, fire captain, irritated me with his long-winded, PAGE-FILLING, recitations of classics, quotes and whatnot. Montag, the "enlightened" fireman, goes from gleefully burning books to terrorist on the run. The writing style did not flow and felt choppy and confusing with all those packed up adjectives and redundant descriptions. Although there were hints throughout the book, the ending still felt too abrupt. I won't go as far as to say this is the book that should be burned, because I do not believe ANY book deserves to be handled that way, but it is nevertheless horrid. After writing my essay, I will not willingly pick up this book again. Ever.

A classic tale by a master of the craft of metaphor. Bradbury uses the fireman in a world where they MAKE fires instead of putting them out, to explore the phenomenon of censorship in a world obsessed with being "good". Scenes in his book were reminiscent of what the Nazis did in Opernplatz, Berlin. In fact, of this event Bradbury made this poignant statement: "It follows then that when Hitler burned a book I felt it as keenly, please forgive me, as his killing a human, for in the long sum of histroy they are onein the same flesh." I met Ray Bradbury and he is a gentle, humble soul.

An important statement against censorship and anti-intellectualism, Fahrenheit 451 presents a prophetic vision of a world where people are pre-occupied by 'popular entertainment' and distracted away from any serious thought and true learning (as represented by books). The disturbing similarity of this fictional world to the one we actually live in today, makes this a thought-provoking must-read.

I must say, however, that I am not a big fan of the writing style. Points are driven home without much subtlety. It even sounds a little preachy in places. This style actually takes away from the importance of the message for me, much the same way that an over-eager preacher can sometimes diminish the impact of an important sermon. Even the imagery of book-burning, though very provocative, ultimately makes the world of Fahrenheit 451 seem more un-real and distant from ours than it actually is.

The other problem is that the book never gets past the central premise to explore questions like why or how such a world might come to pass in any real detail. This is probably because it was originally written as a short novella. However, in this case, I would have liked to see a sequel!

In the end, this is the kind of book that every thinking person should read for themselves, so read it and make up your own mind! :)

Great book. Ok Cliffs. Terrible movie from the 60's. But the Cliff's were ok. Fast ship. Ok price.

When my youngest son read Bradbury's classic Fahrenheit 451 for his honors English class, he was amazed that I had never read it - so much so that he went out and purchased a copy for me. It's easy to see why this book has become standard reading in High Schools and Universities. Bradbury is obviously an accomplished writer, and he focuses on the timeless topics of freedom of information, government control and war. Written nearly 55 years ago, he could have never realized how close to the mark he was going to hit regarding the central role virtual relationships would play in our world today. A quick and worthy read that you need to squeeze into your schedule.

Guy Montag is a fireman. But he doesn't fight fires. He starts them. And he starts them to burn books. Already a bit disillusioned about his job, he meets an almost seventeen-year-old girl named Clarisse, whose nonconformist views on life are a breath of fresh air. He secrets away some books. He fights with his wife, whose overdose on pills can neither be categorized with certainty as intentional or accidental. He defies his boss, a walking book of quotes from famous novels. He makes some potentially deadly choices in turning away from the expected behavior of the masses: mindless, ad nauseam TV watching. Short, splendid sci-fi on the subject of censorship. Also good: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle.

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is a controversial book that takes place in the future. It revolves around a firefighter named Guy Montag, but is very unlike firefighters of our time. In Fahrenheit 451, the job of firefighters is to burn books and houses where they are kept, even if that means burning the people in the homes. The people of authority believe that books are bad for society because they cause conflict between groups of people. They also make people think more than necessary, which always causes trouble. Because of the censorship in society, the citizens have become no more than robots; the few people who refuse to conform are killed by the government. Montag finally sees the truth to the life that he has been blindly living for thirty years and decides that there is need for reform in society, and that he can help to change it.
The main characters of this book are Montag, Mildred, Clarrise and Fire Captain Beatty. Montag is a fireman from the third generation that burns books. He is not often aware of the actions that he takes. But when he meets Clarisse he opens his eyes and starts to realize the true meaning of books and life. Mildred is Montag's sick wife. She is suicidal and her only life is with her fake "family" within the walls of her parlor. Mildred doesn't care about Montag, nor does she understand him. Clarisse is an intelligent and adventurous seventeen year old girl who becomes friends with Montag. She introduces him to the meaning and beauty of life. Clarisse is very different from other because she "ask's `why' rather than `how'". Captain Beatty is perhaps one of the most interesting characters of the story because he is the enlightened man who has given up because it is simply easier to lose than to fight.
The main themes are censorship, ignorance, and redemption. Censorship is shown in destruction and fear because authoritative figures burn houses down that have books and other material that is harmful to the community; books, magazines, and anything that is educational that might cause someone to question the community that they live in. For example, the firefighters burned an elderly ladies' house because she questioned the community. The leadership is so corrupt that they end up burning the old lady as well because she wanted to stay with her books and they didn't feel like trying to get her to leave. Montag shows ignorance when Clarisse starts sharing her ideas with him and he thinks that she is crazy even though almost everything she says is completely true. Eventually he starts to question his own actions about burning houses. He redeems his ignorance by listening to her and finally by having a paradigm shift and fighting back against his own fellow firefighters and society's structure.
One of the strengths of the book was a strong use of imagery. One example being what Montag said about his wife Mildred: "If only someone else's flesh and brain and memory. If only they could have taken her mind along to the dry cleaner's and emptied the pockets and steamed and cleansed it and reblocked it and brought it back in the morning." In this small passage you could imagine the picture your head and live the scene. Ray Bradbury used strong imagery to enhance the story and make it seem more real. Another strength of the book is the use of symbols, such as Montag, which is the name of a paper manufacturer. Some of the weaknesses are that some of the characters, mainly Mildred and Clarrise, did not play a big enough role in the story. They made short appearances and then left or died, but they were two of the most interesting characters. One final weakness of this story was that the end came so suddenly and it felt as though we had been ripped off because the whole story led up to an unexciting end. In conclusion, the book was a good book it was very interesting and had some meaning in it.

Fahrenheit 451 is a futuristic fantasy set in an America in which reading is forbidden, firemen burn books and everyone rushes without taking time to "stop and smell the flowers." I believe that the people who compare this work to McCarthyism and Nazism are missing the point. It depicts a world in which reading has fallen out of favor, people watch television constantly, engage in shallow conversations and are in incessant rushes to get somewhere. Funerals are banned because they bring sadness and people have forgotten to appreciate nature, contemplate beauty and love one another.

The principal action of this book occurs when a seventeen year old neighbor introduces the protagonist, Montag, to the world of nature. The book progresses as Montag gradually changes into a person more to our ideal.

Although set in the future, this book contains much that is familiar. Portions remind the reader of Lost Horizon. More moving than that are factors which we see in our own world. Have we arrived in a world in which television has decreased reading and shortened attention spans? Is our literature and discourse made blander because minorities and special interest groups demand protection from anything which may hurt their feelings? Do we try to equalize the weak by weakening the strong? I am afraid that we see much of this future world in our own. Fahrenheit 451 provides, not only a pleasant read, but also a wake up call for all who are concerned about our culture.