Rating: 
Summary: An overrated Book
Review: I thought that Fahrenheit 451 was an ok book at best. I did think that the plot was very creative, but very far-fetched at the same time. While the fact that I am not a big fan of fiction books that stretch the truth may have some say in my decision, I was still disappointed with other things. I thought that the author did a poor job of mixing up his vocabulary as well as using very little detail to describe things. If the author wants to write a book about the future, he needs to do a good job of telling us what he wants or thinks it will be like. I had heard a lot of good things about this book and that is the reason I decided to read it. In the end I was very disappointed with the book and wouldn't recommend it to most people. There were some things in the book that I enjoyed though such as certain quotes. Here is one quote that I enjoyed: "Only the 'family' is people."(Page 84). I believe that this means that only people are real, books are not.
So in conclusion, I believe that those people who get into crazy future books may enjoy it, but I personally was disappointed. My expectations may have been too high, but either way its only my opinion.
Rating: 
Summary: Holy Macaroni!
Review: Fahrenheit 451 is quite simply an amazing book. Ray Bradbury draws a picture of a futuristic society in which books are banned-all books. Then he uses creative, real-like characters to present it to you. Each and every character has his or her own uniqueness. The opening line-"It was a pleasure to burn" is a perfect way to start off a book about burning books. I especially enjoyed the character Clarisse McClellan. It was she who introduced Montag to a different kind of world; one in which he could look at everything with more then just his eyes. The part of the book in which Clarisse was letting raindrops fall into her mouth was quite amusing. When Clarisse and Montag part, Montag tilted his head backward and let the raindrops fall in his mouth. I really think the character Clarisse was a great addition to the novel. It helps the readers feel the words of the book all the way up to the surprising ending. The overall quality of this book is great. I would recommend this book to almost anyone. I do, however, think if you are not at all into futuristic, fictional books then this is not the one for you. I would give this novel four out of five stars.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbingly familiar society...
Review: Yes, I *do* read classics once in a while... :-) Our local library was sponsoring a program called "Everyone Reads" where a number of people all read the same book and have discussions about it. Fahrenheit 451 was the featured book, and I've been meaning to reread it anyway. You probably already know the storyline... Reading books is a banned activity, and firemen are not used to put out fires, but to burn down houses where books are being covertly hidden. Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which paper burns, hence the title. The main character, Montag, starts to wonder why people would still risk having books, and ends up becoming a book hoarder himself. His house is burned down, and he flees before he can be arrested. He meets up with other readers in the countryside and decides to remember and preserve books rather than return to the city, which, by the way, just got anniliated by atomic warfare...This isn't so much a novel as a longer short story critiquing society's ever-decreasing attention span and lack of time spent actually thinking. Everything is based on entertainment, and ideas and concepts are spoonfed to the public in short, repeated soundbites. Sound disturbingly familiar? I found it amazing that, 50 years after having written the book, Bradbury's view of the future isn't that far removed from reality. We don't burn down houses with books, but we try to censor ideas and make everything "politically correct" so that no one is offended. This particular paperback edition is the 50th anniversary edition of the book, and features an interview with the writer at the end. He also expounds on what the characters in the book would say and do now if the book were to be expanded. Well worth reading (or reading again if you haven't done so lately).
Rating:
Summary: close, with a cigar
Review: Great book, it really is, just one problem, passive writting style, commonly using the words "was" and "had been" makes it harder to concentrate, plot wise, its the best, I recommend it, not that you would care
Rating: 
Summary: Bradbury weaves another classic
Review: A book to sit side by side with '1984' and 'Brave New World,' Bradbury's classic on censorship is less bleak in execution than 1984 and more focused than 'Brave New World,' resulting in a thoroughly readable tome that remains as relevant today as it was years ago. Not as good as '1984,' nor as overrated as 'Brave New World,' F451 is a pleasing mix of warning, cynicism, and pure future paranoia. Very nice. As always with Bradbury, expect a steady pacing to his prose with an almost melodic rhythm. Bradbury reads well, especially aloud, and rewards readers who allow themselves to sink into the pace of the book. You'll note, 9 out of 10 bad reviews of this book on Amazon come from disgruntled high school students who found Bradbury's phrasings too unwieldy or the story to be too "slow." (i.e., not action-packed enough). Not unexpected, and rather ironic, when looked at from a certain point of view, as these narrow-minded children would live quite well in Bradbury's fictional future. Bradbury's warnings ring true. Bradbury readers should pick this up without pause. Those who enjoy bleak stories of potential futures, too, should explore this important work.
Rating:
Summary: Fahrenheit 451
Review: I was truely amazed when I read this book, though it was intially published in 1950, an incrediable amount of topics are germane now in 2004. Censorship, political correctness, the sugar coating and commercilization of Jesus to fit the masses, and the role of media. The world Guy lives in is one in which he is bombarded with ads every day, conflicting ideas are dangerous, you must not be different and you can not offend anyone, the TV like "family" is on every day and is simply noise and it causes to divide and dumb intelligence, unlike TV where there is atleast some kind of plot to follow and stress your attention span it is simply there to absorb time. Jesus is reduced to a product salesman, pushing things that every faithful worshipper absolutely needs, does any of this sound whatsoever familiar? Though he does smack you over the head numerous times with symbolism (the hearth/salamander..) it all serves its purpose and the book is poignant in its relavancy today. Overall, this is a wonderful book and everyone should read it.
Rating:
Summary: Ultimate Fahrenheit 451 Review (nothing remains to be said)
Review: Well, it's not a bad book. Actually it should not be considered a book though, it is, rather, a short story. The ideas expressed are all very valable but there isn't much of a story and the science behind it laughable. Bradbury makes good points and argues well, it's just that if you're reading this book (or any book for that matter) it probably implies that you already like reading and value books pretty high. So Bradbury is preaching to the converted. This book makes a great reading list though, many names are dropped and books are quoted from. Instead of reading this book you should read any of the books mentioned in it. Or just as a reminder of why you love to read so much.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic.
Review: Ray Bradbury's 'Fahreneheit 451' is a classic that almost everyone should read before they get out of high school or college. It is not just for science fiction fans, but for lovers of good storytelling.
Rating:
Summary: Still 5 Stars in 2004...? Really? Yes!
Review: I first read F451 in high school... and was moved by it. This was a book that at once fueled my teenage-born desire to fight "the man" and inspired me to become a science fiction author myself. So why am I writing this review now, more that a decade (sadly, much more than a decade) after high school? Well, I just read F451 again. It is now April, 2004. I am amazed at just how accurate Bradbury's future is. If the "slaves to our TV's" accusation doesn't strike close enough to the bulls-eye, just look at the role of war in F451 and then turn on CNN and watch for 5 minutes. Bradbury has hit the nail on its proverbial head; in his verbose-yet-eloquent style he has painted a horrible and terrifying future where man fears and scorns knowledge and wisdom. It has gotten to the point where firemen no longer put out fires, but start them--to burn the books which embody everything that is dangerous to a society that fears free will. Reading this again, now, I couldn't help resurrecting a memory. I was at work in the high-tech field (before the crash)... I make a habit of either reading or writing during my lunch hour, and a coworker had made a comment along the lines of "why on Earth would you read a book when you can get all the entertainment you'd ever want online?". Reading F451, I remember this person, and imagine them in a "parlor" with their fabricated online "Tv walls" that cater to their egos and their banal desire for raw and stupid entertainment. My advice to those who don't typically read, those who have siblings or offspring who do not read, and those who think anything that isn't digital is unworthy of their attention: Read this book. The main story (sans afterword, etc.) is only about 160 pages long. There's no excuse. read it. Those who do read (and especially those who write): this is a classic for a reason, and Bradbury's poetic quality is very enjoyable. He creates only a few characters in this book, but from the start you have such depth in the lead man (montag) that you feel pity for him as his wife's stomach is pumped, and you understand why he is drawn to the spirit that is Clarisse. Because you will have the privilege of reading this far beyond the time in which it was written, you will both fear the "hound" and relate to it. You will also relate to the TV walls and (unless you live underground in isolation) you will begin to fear what the modern media has become.
Rating:
Summary: An Alternate Society
Review: 1950: A year in which one of the greatest novels of our time was written. Fahrenheit 451 was originally written as a short story and was titled "The Fireman." This was Ray Bradbury's first novel but definitely not the last. Taking place in a society where reading books is outlawed, firemen are paid not to put out fires, but to start them...on books.
Guy Montag, the main character of the book and one of the most dedicated firemen, had his routine life turned upside down after meeting a young teenage girl named Clarisse. Meeting Clarisse was the first turning point in the book. Clarissa asked Montag the very personal question of "Are you happy?" (10). This struck Montag as a huge shock considering he did not know how to answer it. Evaluating this question took up most of Montag's time. After being called to set ablaze to an elderly woman's home, and burning her to death in the process, he knew the answer to Clarisse's question. Living in a society where knowledge is turned down, where his wife is too wrapped up in her "soap operas", and where people want to kill each other for fun, wasn't how he wanted to live. Unhappiness was the basis of Montag's life. He realized that there must be something in books that fulfill people like Clarisse and the woman who burned herself, he had to find out what was in them.
Montag's boss, Captain Beatty, caught on that Montag might be exploring books, or even housing them and tried to discourage Montag. After finding an old friend to help him interpret the books, Mildred his wife, became frightened and eventually turned him in which was the major turning point or climax in the book. After that point, an adventure begins. Bradbury uses his unique literary devices and other writing techniques to truly bring the reader into the story.
Many allusions were used and referred to in this novel. The most vivid was the allusion of the Phoenix. A Phoenix is a mythical bird that over time dies and catches on fire, burning to ashes, and then is reborn through the ashes. This bird can be related to the mechanical society in which the characters of the novel live in. The knowledge and the conditions of the world in which they used to live in, eventually died and burned as does the Phoenix. However, the symbolism of the rebirth could perhaps also be foreshadowing the ending of the novel.
Bradbury's similes, metaphors, and other literary devices combine to allow the reader to better visualize the imagery and place themselves into the scene. The organization of his words alone, contribute to the understanding of the sentence structure. "They had one machine. They had two machines, really. One of them slid down into your stomach like a black cobra down an echoing well looking for all old water and the old time gathered there... It had an Eye." These words are connected with a simile and a metaphor, making a better visualization for what was taking place. Symbols were also widely used throughout Fahrenheit 451.
The titles of the first two parts alone, serve as very important symbols in the book. "The Hearth and the Salamander" symbolizes both the fireplace and the creature who is believed to be unaffected by fire. The hearth, where the fire is housed, symbolizes the heating of a home and the salamander which is the official symbol for the firemen. "The Sieve and the Sand" is also very symbolic. Depicting that if placed on the sieve, the sand would fall straight through, not accumulating any of it. This is comparable to Montag trying to read the books. The words were going in, but also going straight back out. He did not know how to keep the knowledge he had just gained.
Overall, I think this book was a wonderful interpretation of a man who knew things were wrong and who built up enough courage to go after what he believed in. Possibly a prediction of the future, Bradbury influentially shows the readers of Fahrenheit 451 that knowledge is a very sacred thing and its sacred components, the books, should not be taken for granted.
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