Rating: 
Summary: What if it came to this?
Review: Fahrenheit 451 takes a look into a world that is overloaded with censorship, has a lack of knowledge, and is full of ignorance. I was quickly captivated to read the book after the first chapter when I learned the main character, Guy Montag, is a fireman who's job is to burn books. This makes the novel begin with a very unique twist since the world is accustomed to firefighters putting out fires instead of starting them.Bradbury takes us though Guy's experiences that change his opinion of book burning. Starting with his encounter with a young girl named Clarisse McClellan, Montag is intrigued with her love of people, nature, and her stories of people who were not afraid of books. She causes Guy to see how dissatisified he is with his life. I feel for Montag as he goes through several disturbing events (his wife attempts suicide, an old woman chooses to burn with her books in her house, and Clarisse was hit by a car) and I understand why his eyes are opened to the bland life he has because of how censored the world has become. I would feel the same too, if I lived in a superficial world were everything is based on fast cars, TV, and radio and didn't include time by yourself, time to enjoy nature, independent thinking, books, and meaningful conversations. Nothing would be left in the world. That's why this book almost frightens me because it shows where censorship can lead to. What if our society just decided to get rid of free thinking to stop conflicting opinions? This novel makes you respect freedom after you begin to wonder if world could one day become like Montag's. At least there was hope for Guy as made friends with a retired English professor (Faber) and decides that Faber can help him understand the books that he hid away from his own fires. The most emotional moment was late in the novel when the fire station gets a call. Montag realizes it's his own house and his wife turned him in. It's sickening how everyone turns against him because he wants to gain knowledge about the old world. This lead to an intense chase that makes you almost want to cheer outloud for Guy as he escapes the Mechanical Hound, Beatty, and other firemen. The final chapter left me somewhat satisfied. It's vagueness at the end makes me yearn for a sequel. That's about the only problem I had with the book. Overall, I recommend this to anyone who has an open mind and loves sci-fi.
Rating: 
Summary: 451 For a Different Reason
Review: Now, don't get me wrong: I thought 'Fahrenheit 451' was a pretty good book, but I was very unimpressed by the number of mistakes found in the 165 pages. The name Montag was spelled wrong on several occasions, there are words oftentimes missing from dialogue--or the wrong ones all together--and quotes either missing or in the wrong places, making it oftentimes confusing to read. Editing was either skipped altogether or done by a blind man...one of the two. Overall, though, 'Fahrenheit 451' is an average book. I did not feel connected with any of the characters, and could've cared less what happened to Montag. Clarisse disappeared too early without much reason as to why--I assumed her being hit by a car was false, but apparently not--and the future looks bland to me. Luckily, though, I won't be around to see it. (Also, the "war" seemed tacked on without any real reason as to its existence in the story, save for maybe wiping out the human race so we could start over.) Not a great book. I'm hoping Bradbury has written by stories than this apparent "classic".
Rating:
Summary: glimmery and grey
Review: this was the first bradbury that i have tackled, so i am not entirely sure if bradbury's style is always so grey
for this book however, the splashing about in the language was a good thing, and fit the material. rather scary how closely the world here resmebles our own, with the mass of the public simply too enveloped in their own ignorance, and happy about it. fairly quick read, and worthwhile.
Rating:
Summary: The one that made Ray famous.
Review: They say that this will be made into another movie by Mel Gibson. It has all ready been made into an indifferent film by Francois Truffaut. In the end, this is one novel that deserves to stay a novel. It will always remain because it tapped into powerful metaphors - firemen STARTING fires instead of putting them out, a society ruled by interactive TV (or is it really?), banned books, and books as human beings. If we ever do reach a state where books have to live in people's heads, this will be one of them.
Rating:
Summary: Burning Book
Review: This book is unique in its own way. What goes on in here is not what people usually want to hear. Burning of houses, burning of sacred classics, even burning people. What makes this book likeable is that it makes you step out of your comfort zone into reality. As if it was going to happen if we don't stop doing what we are now. I like this book because of the interesting technology and characters. Clarisse of course is my favorite character. She reminds me of the bright, young, smart, and clever people that live in this world.
The main character in this book is of course Guy Montag. He is a fireman, that burns books. Unlike other firemen, Guy Montag is more friendlier. Even Clarisse said so herself. She said he made her forget about him being a fireman at all. Which sets apart Montag from the rest of his group. Which makes him special.
What happens is that Montag is apart of the fireman group 451. Being tempted, Montag steals a book, and more and more with each job he does. His captain of course notices, since near the end he said every fireman does this one time in his career. But, soon enough Montag is caught. Therefore being caught, he is forced to be on the run constantly, in fear of the Mechanical Hound, the invention used to catch "criminals." Yet, there is a surprise ending, and to see what it is, you'll just have to read and find out.
Rating: 
Summary: Horrible execution of an addressable topic...
Review: This book is quite possibly the worst piece of science fiction I have read... It is dramatically boring and far too contrived to be interesting... The world Bradbury creates is thoroughly dry and I simply hated his look at the future... Nothing was at all interesting or thought-provoking, except for the books examination into the issues of censorship as a whole. I like fantastically created worlds and futures, but when they're dry and brittle like this, you simply long for the pages of the book itself to burn bitterly....
Rating:
Summary: farenhiet 451
Review: Farenhiet 451 is an excellent book. It's set in the future where people aren't allowed to read books. Guy Montag was a fireman whose job was to set books on fire. He meets a girl named Clarice who shows him how you should appreciate what you have in life. He also meets Faber, a professor, who tells him about a future where people can read books and think for themselves. Then, Guy Montag finnaly realizes what he has to do. It's a great book but it's not for people who like books where everything turns out happy and they live happily ever after.
Rating:
Summary: Not for the everyday reader
Review: The book is in its own way very ironic. It tells the story of a world where the written word is banned and firemen burn books. The story talks of censorship when the book itself is censored in many countries including in some parts of America. The story itself comes from the authors own point of view. He claimed that as he was growing up he saw Hitler burn books and thought it was one of the most criminal acts he had ever scene. I wouldn't recomend this book to any who do not like to read, but if you are an intellectual reader then this is the book for you. It brings to life real issues that affect the society today and can open your eyes to things you have never noticed.
Rating: 
Summary: A Warning we must heed before it really is too late.
Review: This tale is as important today as it was when I first read this book 17 years ago. Back then I was struck by the similarities of his "fictional" world and the one we live in today. The "seashell radios" that fit in your ears, the rampant commercialism, the "Parlours" that consist of television walls, technologically it reads like a prophecy. The similarities do not end there, unfortunately. In this world of Political Correctness we are shamed into rewriting books or getting rid of them outright because they are deemed "non-progressive" or "not fit for viewing by impressionable minds". When schools ban books like Huck Finn because of that lame reasoning they add fuel to the fire, so to speak. Nowadays it's considered wrong to disagree with the government because that would be "unamerican" and would "support the terrorists". Keep it up, Captain Beatty is waiting with the kerosene and a match. I still possess my original copy of the book, although if I was forced to give it up and travel the rails, then I would be Fahrenheit 451, waiting for the day to be re-transcribed for the future.
Rating:
Summary: Fahreheit 451, an eye opening novel!
Review: What if the Nazis had won WWII? Would the world change for the better, or worse? Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury deals with a society controlled to the point where firefighters and firemen are used to start fires in the middle of the night. Animals are no longer living, but programmed machines, and thinking out of the ordinary is considered blasphemous. This is the exact type of lifestyle the Nazis would have enforced. Guy Montag, a fireman, questions these ethics after a book burning at an old woman's house goes terribly wrong. This incident inspires Guy to question his type of life and the government's thinking. As society and the fire chief catch on to Guy's unorthodox behavior, Guy finds himself a target by society and the hunt for his life begins.
The setting of this book is very difficult to follow. Ray Bradbury does a poor job of showing or even telling where the story takes place, and what the date is. Because of this, you find yourself wondering throughout the piece about simple things like where Guy is and the city he lives in. However, this sketchy plot gives you the sense that the city could actually be anywhere, which seems to be the goal of Ray Bradbury. When he first reveals to you that the city in which Guy lives is called City, it makes you wonder where in fact this story takes place. You do get clues about the type of lifestyle people live, like TV's in every household that are the size of whole walls, and the mechanical pets that are in each household. When reading this book I found myself picturing where I thought Guy was. So this was an effective way of writing to me. When Ray Bradbury describes Guy's wife driving on an isolated road in a forest, running over small mechanical animals at will, you know that the area must be in an area that has a temperate climate like Europe.
I believe that a major fault in the book would be the main character Guy Montag. Guy pretty much has two personalities: the one where he doesn't think for himself and the one where he does. His ideas and attitudes change quickly in the beginning and then they stay the same again for the majority of the book. However, the supporting characters were developed quite well and I especially like the fire chief. As Guy's main antagonist, the fire chief played a pivotal part in the transformation of Guy.
The plot on the other hand is done quite well. The first half of the book slowly sets the tone, and introduces and develops the characters. As soon as you switch over to the second half of the book, you are just blown away. The second half deals with Guy's struggles in his quest to find the truth and flee from the hell in which he lives.
It is very simple to tell when the book is in each of the action stages and when the conflicts change. The books builds up so well to the climax that you can't wait to turn the page to see what happens next. The climax keeps you glued to the book and never gives you a chance to take a break.
The theme and topic are very unique and are what keep you interested. I couldn't put down the book because I just wanted to see how a society so influenced by specific rules would turn out in the end. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy science fiction books and suspense novels. This is one of Ray Bradbury's best pieces and I think everyone will enjoy it.
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