Rating: Summary: Individuality strikes fiery literature Review: At first I was roped into the idea of a book about book burning by fellow classmates that said it was a "cool" thing to read about. Then, later on I became enamored by this compelling story of the way others can affect the minds of the ignorant. The book begins with a section Bradbury entitles, "The Hearth and the Salamander." The hearth being a symbol of the home and where the fire is kept/made in the home, the salamander being a symbol of fire immortality. The animal is believed by ancient cultures to be fire resistant. It can be burned and walk out without a mark made. This makes sense for Bradbury to use considering his whole book is shaped on the idea that the new futuristic firemen are unscarred by flames and find a great pleasure in creating them. So in turn the firemen of the story sport salamander logos on the arm of their uniforms. I loved this sort of symbolizing and the way Bradbury ties these facts into the rest of his story makes it a worthwhile reading. Throughout the rest of the book he takes the main character Guy Montag through a whirlwind of emotion and self exploration. After meeting a young girl by the name of Clarisse McClellan who is a self proclaimed individual Guy begins to view his life as he knows it in a different light. Clarisse is even seeing a psychologist for her "tendencies" as prescribed by society's fear of her lack of uniformity. She is a strong willed character that can open the eyes of any reader. I fell in love with her for her uniqueness as she reminded me somewhat of myself. The new future is a scary place as described by Bradbury. It makes the present and our issues with race and diversity a walk in the park as compared to society in the future. Close-mindedness sets in and people begin to close down and build walls around the passions of simple life. He shows here a real look into a frightening possibility of the way technology could affect every one of us. The idea of burning-books to me symbolizes the way media latched onto the artist and freethinker in all of us. It takes away from the beauty of really capturing a scene in a book that in some cases someone might never see in real life and it injects the fear that you might be blamed for this "instant gratification" that the book gives to you. I really loved the book and the way it took Montag on a journey to overpower his dedication to the claws of society and see past it's chains. He overcomes his enslavement to his boss and coworkers and begins to follow the path of the McClellans. With a little extra help from a friend he met beforehand Guy attacks the futuristic views and creates a full on war for freedom. Through fighting, and murders Montag ends his journies with the people he belongs with. He stumbles a bit along the way but ultimately ends with happiness in his heart. Anyone looking for a real eye-opener would enjoy this awesome fiction piece. It'll make you feel really lucky for the freedoms you have today, and look at the book you're holding in your hand in a whole new light. Aspects of family, and how cold family can be will shock you. Pick up Fahrenheit 451 you won't be disappointed.
Rating: Summary: Great Book, could have been longer Review: Before I decided to read this novel, I knew one thing and one thing only about this book, and that was that it was about burning books for some reason. Now that I have read it, I am blown away by how this was written and how thought out it was.The novel starts out set in the future, the main character and the protagonist in this case is a man by the name of Guy Montag. Montag takes great pleasure in his profession, which is a fireman. I like how his job is not to put the fires out but to start them. The fires they start are the burning of contraband, which in this case are books. You aren't allowed to read in the future because reading causes people to think by making them curious and the government jams what they want you to think down your throat. Which isn't too different with today's society, with the video games and television, the reading of books is decreasing, causing people to become less educated. Now a day's television programs force feed you their biased opinions which I think isn't too different from what Bradbury describes. The reality they live in isn't a pretty one. Drivers instead of having a maximum speed limit, have a minimum one. This forces them to drive at blazing speeds and they actually run people over for fun and wars come and go numerously which is absolutely insane. Montag soon becomes bored with his job and his life in general. He steals a book from the collection he was supposed to burn as a means to lower his increasing uneasiness. This leads up to my absolute favorite part in the book. The owner of the books he stole which is an older woman refuses to leave her home, which is to be burned to the ground. Instead, the woman sets fire to her house herself, and stays there as her books and she are destroyed. It makes him realize that the written word is a very valuable thing and only the very enlightened know that. The next thing I liked was that, after hiding the books he had stolen, he was forced to burn his own house and all of his possessions which is a great turn of events. He then gets into a scuffle with his boss and he is warned that he will be dealt with severely. Montag then kills him and is soon perused by a Mechanical hound, which can track anyone down. He then kills that with a flamethrower and retrieves his books. This leads me to the part I disliked, the ending. Montag essentially meets up with a group of intellectuals and hides out until it is once again safe to print books. When bombs destroy the city, they sift through the rubble and begin a new society where man is free to learn and prosper. The reason I disliked this is because it really didn't describe what the new society would have been like. I really wish Bradbury went more in depth on what the new society would have been like. Lastly, although I loved this novel, it could have been way longer, perhaps by not ending the novel where he did and maybe going more into the future and explaining how everything ended up. All in all I am very happy I read this book, and I would recommend this to everyone. Not just the guys.
Rating: Summary: Burning the Fire Review: This story of shattering the oppression of American literature has raised many questions among readers of all walks of life. Guy Montag's expedition was one of self-realization and immense resolve. The inspirational journey involved self-discovery and social hardships. Fahrenheit 451, lets the reader into Guy Montag, a fireman who is slowly but surely seeing his warped world for what it is. The author, Ray Bradbury's clear and descript way of writing shows the reader what type of man Montag is. Bradbury also opens up a new world in describing the city and its citizen's beliefs. Being one of the most unique books of its kind, it's no surprise Fahrenheit 451 has been read and analyzed over and over. The story begins with Guy Montag happily burning books, but by the end of the story, his entire perspective of fire itself had changed completely. All in all, Guy Montag learned that burning the fire is the only way to cure his war-torn world.
Rating: Summary: Brilliant dissertation on censorship Review: Guy Montag is a fireman; he starts fires to burn the houses of people who keep books illegally. He enjoys his job and doesn't ask any questions, until a series of events open his eyes to the emptiness around him, forcing him to question everything about himself and the society in which he lives. The story that Bradbury wrote over fifty years ago is every bit as effective as the day it was published. The censorship he describes isn't simply the result of an overbearing government, it begins as a function of the masses, whose desire for political correctness and 'happiness' lead to the destruction of things that offend and stir emotions. The solution, along with burning the offending books, is to bombard the senses so as to eliminate the thought process entirely. In this age of political correctness and mass media, Bradbury's words ring more true than ever. His vision of a society where all men are not created equal, but made equal, is a stern warning against the elimination of individual thought and the idea that true happiness comes from being constantly entertained. I can't begin to do this book justice; nearly every page contains a thought-provoking passage. Bradbury wrote a classic whose truth is timeless and that everyone should read at least once.
Rating: Summary: Ray Bradbury's Best Book Review: Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is a great book to read. Just imagine living in a society where reading books is illegal. The way that Ray Bradbury wrote this book is magnificent. The reader can easily visualize the flames when he describes the burning books. Guy Montag is a fireman who never questioned his job. In this world, a fireman was not hired to put out fires but hired to burn books. When Guy Montag met a seventeen-year-old girl who tells him of a past where people read books to learn and to read for pleasure instead of burning them, he begins to doubt his chosen profession. What's wrong with owning books and wanting to read and learn about the past and read for pleasure? Why can't society be the way it used to be. Why do we live in a world in which the government feels that it must control every aspect of our lives? These are just a few of the questions Guy asks. Imagine Guy Montag's horror when his wife discovers a stash of his illegal books in her own home! He now must explain to her why he has done this. Just because it is illegal he doesn't feel it to be such a terrible thing. Mrs. Montag is not only saddened by her husband's deception, but totally frieghtened of the consequences. Fahrenheit 451 is a must read! It is a very imaginative and fascinating book. It grabs the reader's attention from the very first page to the last!
Rating: Summary: Fahrenheit 451 is hot! Review: Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is a fast-paced science fiction novel about a futuristic society that has outlawed the reading of books. The main character is Guy Montag, a fireman whose job it is to burn the books and the houses they are found in. Montag thinks nothing of his job and is perfectly happy living an ignorant life, along with the rest of his brainwashed culture. That is, unitl he meets Clarisse. A 17 year old who doesn't fit into society, Clarisse begins to open Montag's eyes to the reality of the world he lives in. This book is interesting, powerful, and a bit scary. The writing contains many similies, metaphors, and other forms of descriptive writing. Although sometimes confusing, 451 makes you think a lot about society today and how it could be in the future.
Rating: Summary: A hot book that always keeps you guessing Review: Farenheit 451 is the epidomy of Ray Bradbury books. This sci-fi book is a great description of a futuristic society. Guy Montag is your average guy, with an common job, he's a fireman. Though, in his society, books are banned and the fireman's job is to burn them. He lived a normal life, or so it was called, until a young lady opened his eyes to the past. In a desperate attempt to know more, he finds a professor. He finds then who he truly is and follows his destiny. Ray Bradbury is one of the best sci-fi authors, in my opinion. In this book he created a futuristic society down to its individual laws and customs. His descriptions of the flames are as if they are alive like you and I. In my own mind I could see the flames burning as if they were right in front of me. His descriptions of society are a great way to show how naïve humans can be. Though I had some trouble understanding this book, it's plot was very drawn out and not always clear. Overall, I enjoyed this book over "The Martian Chronicles", because at least this one had a single plot line and easily understandable themes. It is a must-read book for those of you who like sci-fi books that can change course in the blink of an eye.
Rating: Summary: Good book if you can Understand it Review: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is an amazing story about a man named Guy Montag, living in a dystopia. In this crazy world, books are not allowed, and instead of having firemen stop fires, they make them. Guy is a fireman who loves to burn books. But one day he meets a young 17 year old who seems insane. But after many long conversations, he realizes the horror of burning someone else's work of art, and his/her ideas. He then sets out on a mission to get the books back to the people. But all the while, Bradbury is able to weave amazing, but confusing, passages into his story. His crazy use of metaphors and his symbolism makes it hard to understand, but after reading it again, it creates images in your mind. This is the kind of book that you discuss with your friends. The complex theme and plot makes it a great read. Although this book may not be suitable for young children, this is a great story for people from 8th grade up. Fahrenheit 451 is an unique book, and is defiantly one of Ray Bradbury's finest works.
Rating: Summary: Great message, but confusingly presented. Review: Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is a meaningful tale of the consequences of removing opinion, choice, and conflict from our world. The message is a powerful one that will provoke and frighten the reader. The "fantasy" world created by Bradbury bears a striking resemblance to our own. However, I was confused by the loaded metaphors and symbolism. Some created vivid pictures, but others did not make any sense. It was often difficult to distinguish between the metaphors and actual events happening in the story. I appreciate Bradbury's message, but I feel that I may have missed some important comparisons and clarificatons. I hope that you do not.
Rating: Summary: Red Hot Storyline Makes the Reader Sweat in the Coldest Spot Review: Ray Bradbury has written a book that made me feel as if I were Guy Montag. He uses situations of panic that seem unfair and confusing. This is a very useful writting trick that made the book better and slightly frightening for me. If there were 900 stars to award this book, I would still give it a five if the scale were the same. Ummm... I can't think of anything else to write. I was hoping Clarisse would come back towards the end of the book. She didn't. That's okay. I guess. She sounded hot. My lungs are failing, so I need a ham sandwich. Bye. Oh yeah, and the book is good.
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