Questions About Fahrenheit 451

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Answered Questions (113)

Did anyone else think this book was INCREDIBLY weird? It's not bad, but it's too strange to be a book I like.

Brian McGoldrick This is one of the greatest scifi novels ever written. I never found Fahrenheit 451 to be weird. Disturbing yes, but never weird. Today more than ever…moreThis is one of the greatest scifi novels ever written. I never found Fahrenheit 451 to be weird. Disturbing yes, but never weird. Today more than ever I wonder if it is more prophetic than anything. The works of older authors are being censored to remove "objectionable" and "politically incorrect" content, before they can be read in schools and universities. Little babies who are theoretically supposed to university students are screaming and crying because books and ideas offend them and hurt their feelings. They want "safe zones" and "trigger warnings" to protect their fragile little egos. How long before the cry goes up to start burning the objectionable books? Oh, never mind, that cry is already going up from some of those precious snowflakes. With the way we are going, a society like Fahrenheit 451 may be entirely too possible.(less)

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Is this book considered in the horror category? Thx for your concern..

Julie Yes if your biggest fear is someone coming to your home and burning all your books. lol

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Did anyone else found quite revealing that Captain Beatty would know so many different book quotes off the top of his head? It seams to me he was an avid reader. What are your thoughts on this?

Cara Oh goodness. If only I could put all my thoughts down in this one little box. Beatty is such a complex character, how could I resist exploring a bunch…moreOh goodness. If only I could put all my thoughts down in this one little box. Beatty is such a complex character, how could I resist exploring a bunch of different ideas on him? I for one, believe that Captain Beatty owns and has read his fair share of books. And by "fair share," I mean hundreds. That's the only way I know of to keep these quotes on the top of his mind. But you of course, have probably already come to this conclusion.
It's obvious Beatty is quite a vain man. The way he talks to Montag, his firemen, and the victims of his fire, it shows just how large of an ego he has. I believe he has a warped sense about the book he read. A sort of "I can handle reading, but you certainly can't" kind of attitude.
However, another completely different take on it could link into his past, which we know so dear little about.
I was actually just recently in a teen production of "Fahrenheit 451," which was a little different than the book and provided more of a backstory to Beatty, who I was cast as. Of course, being a teenage girl, we switched up the gender of the Fire Captain. (Surprisingly enough, the transition was almost too good to be true.) He graces vaguely over the people he lost, and states to Montag that he did once read book after book
The way I interpreted the role, it seemed as if he blamed the books for being the reason he lost his family and friends. Basically, the books he once loved are now the fuel for his hate. Maybe he remembers the words from so long ago that used to be the reason he stayed up late at night, thinking and dreaming, but now only bring a reminder of what he lost. Maybe, a long time ago, he might have been just the same as Clarisse. Maybe he sees himself in Montag, and shows him what he knows, hoping that maybe things can turn out differently for him.
Sorry if this is too lengthy, or doesn't answer your question, but I really do enjoy sharing my thoughts about Beatty!(less)

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Did anyone find this book a bit confusing? I mean its a good book, but all the imagery made it a bit hard to follow at times

Jenny Levine I don't blame you. The book was written in a way that I don't really agree with. The language used equates to a bunch of flowery metaphors and synonym…moreI don't blame you. The book was written in a way that I don't really agree with. The language used equates to a bunch of flowery metaphors and synonyms which turn what should be 50-page short story into a 200-page novel. Also, if you don't like it because of the way it was written, it's not a good book, just because it's a classic doesn't mean that everyone should glorify something that (in my opinion) really isn't that good. And don't blame it on your literary comprehension. This book is nearly incomprehensible for most people, and unless you're a poet, you have plenty of reason to be confused.(less)

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I thought this book was dreadfully boring and extremely painful to read. The world building also sucks. I couldn't tell whether something was a metaphor or a description of some part of this alternate future. I also found it to be pretty pretentious? It's like listening to your Baby Boomer grandpa saying "These kids these days with their J-Lo's and their hashtags! They keep on getting dumber and dumber!".

Maria Eduarda Oliveira I had this feeling too... I think that the debates and thoughts this book brings are valid, but has something about intelligence superiority that it's…moreI had this feeling too... I think that the debates and thoughts this book brings are valid, but has something about intelligence superiority that it's hard to swallow. Like, "oh, this guy is from University x and he read 10 books, so he's smart and this another dude is dumb because he hasn't read a single thing". I mean, this is questionable. There are a lot of kinds of intelligence and people that aren't producing their own books, but sharing their thoughts and culture through conversations. Anyways. (less)

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