Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - 2 stars

[annapi]

I read this long ago either in my teens or twenties and was very disappointed by it, expecting some great work of literature. The biggest impression I came away with that has stuck with me all those years was that it was a very simplistic story.

Now I'm in my 50's, and I re-read this because my son was assigned it for reading over the winter break, and I find my opinion has not changed. I think everyone knows the premise of this - in a dystopian future, firemen don't put out fires, they burn books. Our protagonist, Guy Montag, is a fireman who starts to question this reality.

It still bored me. It still felt overly simplistic, and the future that the world comes to is terribly contrived. I found it full of self-importance, with a lot of Metaphor, Simile, Personification, Alliteration, Assonance, Angst, Drama and Imagery, all screaming to the reader that this is LITERATURE! I can understand why so many people consider it a classic, but Bradbury has not written anything yet that impressed me, except for the last paragraph of The Martian Chronicles (which overall bored me too). So sue me if you want, but I am just not a fan.

On the bright side, at least it gets me another social issues book for the month!

[Jason]

I agree with you 100% 451 was boring and Bradbury's fame still blows my mind. I just don't get him I guess. You are not alone.

[LibraryCin]

I was also bored by it.

[KateNZ]

Such mixed reactions to this one from the group! I haven't read it at all but had it on the TBR. It can wait a while, perhaps ...

[Jenni Elyse]

Oh yay!!! Someone else who only gave it two stars! I'm glad I'm not the only who thinks this book was boring!