Rating: 
Summary: I had high hopes
Review: First off, I have to say that the idea isn't that far fetched. It's hard to imagine that someone in 1953 could depict our life so close to what it is like today. Television seems to run our lives and less people settle themselves in books. I say this because I'm one of them, although I do enjoy a good sci-fi novel (ie. 1984, Dune, Brave New World). That said, I have to conclude that Bradbury did in fact write a flop! It is true what they say about how you can't buy a book by it's cover. I, just as many others, was encouraged to read from the title. The concept is excellent and to a point, realistic. What seems "wrong" with the book however is the lack of depth the other characters have. Clarise, the girl who turned Guy Montag's head in the other direction, who had great potential, dies in the begining of the book. Her death seems meaningless as a result of lack of depth... Mildred, Guy's wife, who turns in her own husband, also lacks depth. The second reason which makes this book a flop is the lack of a conclusion. Not to spoil the ending of these great literary pieces, but the main characters in 1984, Brave New World, and Dune either die, are defeated, or emerge victorious (not in that order). But in F451, Guy ends up roaming the lands with a bunch of Harvard and Yale hobos. The government, Big Brother, or whatever you want to call it, which was so obviously against him, couldn't care less if he existed. And Guy's cause failed to alter anything, other than relocating him to the woods. There seemed to be no major conflict. Sure, people will argue that the chase was a conflict, but it was not solved. Now, if this book was part of a trilogy, then maybe there is some reason to leaving the question unanswered to what was the purpose of Guy's puiny uproar. But the fact is that the book is cut short. It deserved a better ending or even a better beginning. Whatever the case I felt thirsty for more at the end of the book, I had many questions unanswered, like what really happened to Clarisse, was she killed by a racing car or was she hiding from the government too? Does Faber get in touch with those printing guys or is he caught by Big Brother? There needn't be a happy ending, but to deprive the audience of an ending of any type spells out B A D S T Y L E.
Rating: 
Summary: "frightening in its implications"
Review: It truly is. Ray Bradbury's masturfully told story of censorship in the future show us what we may become: A civilization of mindless people who are so bent on being PC and "happy" that they end up burning all books. While that is a rough description, I don't wish to give too much away. Bradbury's characters all act realistically (something im a stickler for) and I love the way he writes, using metaphors constantly he achieves an amazing level of description while still leaving some things for the reader to figure out. People have told me that the beginning is confusing; while I don't feel that is true, if you do kepp reading because the last 100 pages (out of only around 200) will rivet your eyes to the pages. Personally, I love Ray Bradbury and feel that this is his greatest work, or one of them. But you don't have to like Bradbury to like this novel; if you want a great book that will truly make you think, and just a great read, by all means pick this one up. Highly Recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Thank God this didn't get torched!!
Review: This is an excellent book dealing with the ever prominent debate of censorship. Fahrenheit 451 is extremely well-written and organized and in an age where outrage is frowned upon very, very timely. I found myself not being able to put this book down on more than one occasion especially when I considered our world as it is today. Thumbs up to Mr. Bradbury!!!
Rating:
Summary: This book is magnificent!
Review: Did anyone see the Washington Post article a few days ago about more and more people choosing not to read books anymore for pleasure? It's frightening: in Bradbury's novel, this situation was the precursor to the banning of books!I was so moved at the end of the book that I was overwhelmed with tears. What an astounding book! I'm so embarrassed that I never read this important book before now. To all of the reviewers out there decrying it as too hard to read: Yes, the language is a little difficult to get through and interpret at times, but isn't that what reading is all about? Part of the joy and challenge of reading is figuring out what the author is trying to say. It's not supposed to be easy! This is not an episode of "Friends" or an issue of People magazine.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent and Insightful Book!
Review: This is one of the finest books I have ever read, and certainly high in my ranking of Bradbury's novels. Bradbury paints a picture, in his very colorful way, of a completely governmentally-controlled society in which books are outlawed and television reigns over all. Guy Montag, a fireman (whose job description now involves burning illegal books), finds himself stuck in this mixed-up world, and eventually make a decision between what he knows and what he believes in, illustrating Bradbury's almost universal theme of conflict versus change. This novel is very applicable in today's society, even though it was written nearly fifty years ago, dealing with topics that are still active in the present. Bradbury provides a moral of sorts within this novel which conveys many of his deep-set beliefs, such disdain for television, hatred for censorship, and Bradbury's undeterrable love for books and the printed word. Very enlightening, reading this book will definitely cause one to think twice about many of today's common practices. A very thought-provoking and well-written novel; this book should be read by any fan of science fiction, if not everyone!
Rating:
Summary: you can't go wrong with Bradbury
Review: O K so I admit, I'm more than a touch biased, but hey!! Ray's my man!! I mean the guy is GOOD!! He's got the smarts, he's got the talent and he proves it with every single novel he has published. But I'm not the only one holding such an opinion, after all Disney studios could have had any of ther scripting staff do a screenplay of "Something Wicked This Way Comes" but nooo. They had the smarts (a very rare and scarce thing in Hollywood) to ask Mr.Bradbury himself to write a screenplay of his own work. According to my memory Mr.Bradbury in a TV plug said that "about 80% of what went onscreen" was his work. Now there's writing that commands respect, and rightly so, when such little cinematic licence as only 20% is taken in filming a given screenplay. Makes a person curious as to how much of Stephen King's own efforts went into, say, "Creepshow" or "Silver Bullet". I tell ya people Mr.Bradbury has got what it takes!! Go out, read his stuff for yourselves and see if I'm wrong! I mean hey, you all got minds of your own, whatta ya need me telling you what's worth reading for? Read the book(s) see for yourselves and decide, go ahead! Put me and all the other critics and reviewers on unemployment!
Rating:
Summary: Messenger, not prophet...
Review: Only Bradbury's prose, terrifying and lovely, could bring this story to its rightful place as a literary masterpiece. His narrative of Dystopian society, distressing in its reality, reflects not only the lunatic consumerism of Western nations but the fallacy of freedom in a democracy. The hero, Guy Montag, wanders from uneasy fireman to eventual pariah; the discovery of something larger than himself, the wisdom of centuries contained within the very books he doused with flame, ignites his drive to discover that the world has far more to offer than bread and circuses. Moving like a ghost through his own home, ignored by a self-focused wife addicted to narcotics and electronic stimulus, Montag is painfully aware of the void between himself and the masses. This loss of intimacy, both within one's personal life and again in that most intimate of contact -- reading another's thoughts from an open book -- is the harbinger of man's fall from enlightenment. The world of Guy Montag does not begin upon opening this dark wonder, and there is no prophecy in its pages. The story is alive, here, now, and has been since the onslaught of corporate propaganda and our apathetic acceptance of plastic culture. Bradbury's subject is not that we are advancing into intellectual oblivion; it is, instead, that mankind is complacent enough to let it happen.
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking and very scary!!!
Review: Could we end up like this in our future? What would the world be like without books?? This story gives us some insight into what it might be like... and it's pretty scary. It is definitely food for thought regarding censorship. The book paints a dim and scary picture of a future society where all books have been banned. Firemen no longer fight fires, the set them to destroy houses found to have books. With the removal of books, people have turned their attentions to TV and as a result the general population is unable to think for themselves and their minds have turned to mush. The main character begins to challenge these concepts of censorship after meeting a young teen-ager who stirs his curiousity. The more he thinks about and challenges the 'norms' of society his world is turned upside down. This book really makes you think about censorship and where it can lead. The book is very relevant to the debate going on about censoring today's music (as well as books, tv and movies). You can't put limits on creativity and self expression without limiting the society as a whole.
Rating:
Summary: Fiction?
Review: Although the author of this book, Ray Bradbury, is mainly known as a science fiction author, this book has become popular and infulential enough that it has had the fortune (or misfortune, depending on your politics) a standard book on English-lit courses. Thus, it is a widely read novel. That fact taken in stride, it's sad that it's message hasn't been more widely transmitted. Fahrenheit 451 depicts a future (definitely a not-too-distant one) in which books are illegal and society is forced to take everything as it is, without questioning "why?" The ironic thing about this is that in subsequent printings, this book has been edited, changed around-.... Parts were taken out of it frequently, and it frequently shows up on banned book lists. What does this say about our society? Nothing too great, I'm afraid. Pull yourself away from the meaningless masses, read this book, take it's message to heart, and try to prevent the future depicted in this book from ever coming into fruitition, and maybe we can take a detour from this headlong-forward trainwreck our society is currently apathetically riding on. As Bradbury himself has said, "I'm not interested in predicting the future, I'm interested in PREVENTING it." Let's help him.
Rating:
Summary: An irony in itself.
Review: The amazing thing about this book, is that it was written so long ago, yet it predicted many technological things that have happened recently. What makes it ironic is, is that the plot is basically about book burning, and banning and the absurdity of it all. YET it is a banned book itself. Could it have predicted this? Maybe. But, basically, this book has a great story and plot, on whatever level you read it.
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