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Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury

Start date: August 1, 2024

Finish date: August 15, 2024

Discussion: Archived-A Year of Banned Books

Discussion leader: Erica

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Archived-A Year of Banned Books

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* Reading List
By Erica , Quality Control Supervisor · 1 post · 97 views

last updated Dec 12, 2023 04:05PM

* A Year of Banned Books Info
By Erica , Quality Control Supervisor · 1 post · 122 views

last updated Dec 12, 2023 03:53PM

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What Members Thought

Feb 27, 2016 Connie N. rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fire-on-cover, classic, dystopia

I really wanted to like this book because I think it's important and has an interesting message, but I just found it pointlessly depressing. There was no gray area with this book, just good and bad. Bradbury looks ahead to a future when books are considered bad because they make people think, and thinking can make you unhappy. With fire retardant materials in abundance, firemen have changed their job to create fires rather than put them out. Now they get alarms that books have been found, and th ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jun 09, 2016 Erin L rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Review of the audiobook

I'm probably one of the few people over 30 (or is it 40?) who has never read Fahrenheit 451. As such, there's probably little I can add to the discussion that hasn't already been said. So I find myself wondering if I actually enjoyed the book.

I did.

I thought it had many parallels to life today, without being aware of what technology today would look like. But so much of it seemed only a step or two away from reality. Impressive for sci-fi written more than a couple decades ...more

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Mar 03, 2019 Tania rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Fahrenheit 451 is one of those classics, like 1984, that remains eerily, and disturbingly, relevant. Throughout history, and yes even today, there are aggressive attempts to silence the dissenters, to censor what is available to the masses, to stop progress and distract people from restarting it. It's more obvious in some places than in others, but it is a continual battle that we fight. Ray Bradbury's novel is an important dissection of the topic. He dives into the effects censorship can have o Fahrenheit 451 is one of those classics, like 1984, that remains eerily, and disturbingly, relevant. Throughout history, and yes even today, there are aggressive attempts to silence the dissenters, to censor what is available to the masses, to stop progress and distract people from restarting it. It's more obvious in some places than in others, but it is a continual battle that we fight. Ray Bradbury's novel is an important dissection of the topic. He dives into the effects censorship can have on an entire society headfirst. His protagonist, Montag, is an avid supporter of the status quo until he realizes the damage that he's doing to himself and those around him. Once his eyes are opened, he can't shut them again. With one chance meeting, his life is turned upside down, in a way that he's not sure can be righted again.

Fahrenheit 451 is broken into 3 parts. To be honest, part 1 really dragged for me. I knew the gist of the story because I've seen the movie; I think that was more a hindrance than a help. The storyline has some drastic departures from this original presentation. By the time I hit part 2, however, Bradbury had me hooked. Things get much more intense, the stream of consciousness style of conversation settled into a rhythm, and I was really invested in Montag's character.

This book was written in the 1950's, but the technology referenced is very much in existence today - Bluetooth headsets that sit inside your ears, robot dogs, big screen television sets that take up an entire wall (I don't yet know anyone who has put a 360 circle vision in their living rooms, but there's still time)... there's very little to date this novel, other than the subservient role of the wives (and some would argue not even that). The conversation that it starts, regarding censorship and the importance of preserving literature and history, remains an important one for us to keep having, generation after generation. We can only hope that at least parts of the population heed them and care enough to act. ...more

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Nov 06, 2016 Marie (UK) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-reading-challenge

this is more than just a tale of a post apocalyptic book burning fire service. It is a book that reminds us to really Look and listen to the world around us to take in ideas, to read and develop. It is masterful writing at its best.

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Sep 01, 2014 Jenn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: literature, 2014

Jul 29, 2015 Mary! rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: more-interesting, well-read-in-100-books-jeff-oneal, must-read-novella, 1000-books-to-read-james-mustich

Aug 28, 2015 Rachel Bea added it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, books-of-2015

Dec 18, 2015 Katharine marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jul 05, 2016 Molly marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian

Jul 09, 2016 Rebecca rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Dec 07, 2016 Blakely added it · review of another edition

Shelves: google-drive

Dec 23, 2016 Amanda M added it · review of another edition

Jun 04, 2017 Cindy III marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, dystopia, number-in-the-title, book-to-movie, hugo-award-wins, red-cover, 100-manga, 200-p, ca-bk-award-silver-medal, discovery-bookshelf