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Summary: In this reality the video games play YOU!!!
Review: Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" describes a society where knowledge is controlled by book-burning 'firemen'. This government-implemented censorship starts as 'political correctness' -- upset people deface controversial books. Then government decides to pacify society by simplifying education and eliminating books. Noncontroversial interactive televised plays replace books as entertainment, neighbors inform on neighbors possessing books, and firemen incinerate houses containing books.Guy Montag, a fireman, meets a young woman who chides him for living but not experiencing life. Guy examines his life. His relationship with his wife Mildred is remote and cold -- they have nothing in common. (Mildred spends *all* of her time in the 'living room', a room with an interactive television screen covering each of three walls. Mildred sleeps in a separate bed with 'seashell' radio earpieces in her ears.) During one firecall Guy observes a homeowner herself light the firemen's kerosene and then perish in the flames -- Guy cannot understand the woman's protest. And upon reflection Guy cannot understand why books must be burnt. His attitude alienates his fellow firemen, who threaten and then arrest him. Guy escapes and seeks refuge in the countryside. "Fahrenheit 451" somewhat resembles Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" and George Orwell's "1984". "Brave New World" uses eugenic control and the drug 'soma' to pacify society. "1984" uses ever-present surveillance, propaganda and torture to pacify society. "Fahrenheit 451" simplifies education and bans books (i.e., eliminates controversial thinking and discussion), substitutes interactive television (e.g., video games and the Internet), and portrays neighbors as informants to be avoided -- everyone is isolated in their home. The "Fahrenheit 451" societal portrayal seems less sinister, but it is easier to implement and therefore more dangerous. There *are* many similarities between "Fahrenheit 451" society and today's United States urban society. And "Fahrenheit 451" is a beautifully-written book suitable to read aloud. I highly recommend this book.
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Summary: How else would you like to WASTE MY TIME?
Review: To put it simply: this book sucked. Although this is a very juvenile way of putting it, it fits perfectly. This book was so boring, that all the description Bradbury puts in couldn't possibly describe how slowly it moves. If Bradbury wanted us to realize the importance of books, the LEAST he could do was make this book SEMI-interesting! Essentially: Don't waste your time.
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Summary: Thesis Statement For Fahrenheit 451
Review: Ray Bradbury in his classical novel Fahrenheit 451 uses symbolism, imagery, and literary devises to create an abhorrent world filled with censorship. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury gives a frightening vision of the future where firemen don't put out fires--they start them in order to burn books. Bradbury paints society as holding happiness as there highest goal, where trivial, useless information is good and ideas and knowledge is bad. One of the most reoccurring literary devises in this novel is symbolism. We often see symbolism in the character's names. For example, one of the main characters, Guy Montag can have two translations. Guy signifies Guy Faux a famous man we associate with effigy, and Mischief Day (Nov.4), and Montag is the trademark of the Need American Paper Company, also a brand of furnaces. More symbolism is shown when we meet Faber. Faber is America's leading pencil company and it is going to be the pencil that writes on Montag's paper.
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Summary: smart idea but...
Review: Personally, I found the background idea of this book very smart and "appetizing":a world where books were forbidden and the fire-eaters were actually fire-blowers fighting in the name of mind-globalization against the dangers of reading and building your own way to think and to face life. Unfortunately I reckon that the style is weak, words are just thrown without explanesions in the pages, sentences are chopped in a way that often made me feel totally extraneous to the plot. A heavy atmosphere floats in this book and I had to fight hard to keep on reading. In simple words, I'd mark it 4 out of 5 for the subjects but only 2 out of 5 for the style.
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Summary: Why the bad reviews?
Review: As I looked up this book after reading it, I saw it had an average rating of only four stars. What was wrong with it? People claim they don't understand it, but it's very simple and clear. And what is wrong with it? This book is classic, and is one of the most perfect foretellings of the future ever. Read it and ignore the two star reviewers.
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Summary: Fahrenheit 451
Review: This novel is a great way to explore what might happen in the near future if the public decides to allow technology do everything for them. It shows the power of popular thought, and also shows its distructiveness. I would not say this novel is science fiction, even though it has some qualities of that. I would call this book a classic, and wonderful. Bradbury really grabs the reader with the way he discribes everything. It is almost like reading a collection of poems that are in sequence. I highly recommend this wonderful master piece.
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Summary: ATTENTION TEACHERS!
Review: I had to read this book in my sophomore Honors English class. Basically, it is about book-burning and the importance of books. BUT IF YOU WANT TO IMPART TO YOUR STUDENTS THE IMPORTANCE OF READING, LET THEM READ SOMETHING THAT IS AT LEAST INTERESTING! Instead of having your students read Fahrenheit 451, let them read DUNE (and don't say it's bad because the movies were!), or HARLAN ELLISON, or PHILIP K. DICK. NOT this pocket-protector, suit and tie business writer, Bradbury. I've tried reading some of his other stuff. He's not that good. This book was okay, but nothing great and certainly nothing I would spend money on or read again. Have you ever heard of "show, don't tell"? This book only TELLS why books are important. But let the student read a good book and that will SHOW them why books are important. This is one of many rotten books that I have read in High School. It's no wonder, with book selections like these, that students don't read and are illiterate.
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Summary: Censorship has never felt so real...
Review: This book blew me away, but to appreciate it, you must understand how technology has affected us and how we already act. Plus, you must understand, that this book was written in the 50s where they thought we would be even further in the future. In the time of Guy Montag, no book-readers were free. they were behind bars, or running from the law; and he was one of the people who put them there. this book is so moving and compelling i could only grasp the rhythm of Bradbury and his magnificent language that lets you know the fear and hatred of Montag. Before you start, you need to know that this book will be weird and confusing. You must appreciate philosophy and know how strange this world is.
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Summary: I DON'T UNDERSTAND...
Review: I AM A FRESHMEN AND I WAS REQUIRED TO READ THIS BOOK.I AM ON PAGE 29. I DON'T GET A WORD I HAVE READ. I FEEL LIKE I'M READING IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE. MABY IT'S BECAUSE I'M YOUNG.OR BECAUSE I'M ONLY ON PAGE 29.ALL I KNOW IS THAT I'M LOST.I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO REVIEWED THIS BOOK. YOU HAVE HELPED ALOT.
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Summary: A Favorite
Review: I recently read a series of letters-to-the-editor in my local newspaper from a group of middle schoolers who had just read Fahrenheit 451. 8 out of 10 didn't like the book because it "encouraged burning books." Ahem, did they ACTUALLY read the book or just the back cover? Also many of them were pro-cencorship....I don't know what it is about that class, but I also read this in 8th grade (I am a senior in h.s. now) and I loved it. No one that age should have trouble grasping that the book is ANTI-censorship. Bradbury's style is a little hard to follow at first, but I quickly got used to it and found it fascinating. It is still one of my favorite books, and it gets better every time that I read it (probably because I get older). This is definitely five stars!
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