Fahrenheit 451

Warning Contains Minor Spoilers

Fahrenheit 451 is a must read book. This book is about a society that has banned all books, and as you can imagine it's a mess. Firefighters start fires, plumbers respond to emergencies instead of medics, but who can blame them? They don't have any instructions, as every book they find they burn.

This book OPENED my eyes to the dangers of censorship. The reason books were banned in the first place is because people found them offensive. And society in this dystopia has decided it necessary to ban ALL BOOKS as there are critics/haters for every book that exists. By doing this humans regressed back to the cavemen ages, yet had today's technology causing chaos. This leads me to my point.

No book should ever be banned. Every book contains information, the information could be good, or it could be bad, but who decides. I think no-one should decide, I believe that all books can be interpreted differently, and it’s impossible to judge. This is why my stance on censorship of books is that censoring books should be illegal.

This book was challenged in 2017 on the premise that it encouraged criminal behavior, as the main character in the book was technically a criminal as he opposed society and broke the anti book law. This is ironic as the book warns against exactly what is happening here. The people that challenged the book interpreted it as a crime book, while others including me saw the book as a warning to banning books.

For these reasons I believe it is a must read book, as it informs you on the dangers of censorship.

Reader reviewed by Jess

i bought this book because a coworker said that it was about a different kind of future, one were reading was actually against the law and carried huge punishments. now to me, owning over 500 books, this just seemed barbaric!! i didnt actually read the book for a couple months though, because the first chapter starts out with the firemen getting a tip and going to burn the books...cuz thats what they do. the firemen no longer save us from fires, they create them, frm books!! they are supposed to be illegal and immoral, and the government is saving us from ourselves...kind of well, more political than i like to get. but just this side of too far fetched. i could actually see this scenerio happening and that really scares me. the significance of the title is that books burn at 451 degrees F. something i really never cared to know :( but, its a short book and an eye opening one, if you can get passed them burning books.

Reader reviewed by Ashley

Montag burns books. Every fireman burns books. Books are not allowed. Thinking for yourself is not allowed. Having time to think is not allowed!

Montag meets Clarisse, a girl that is different from everyone else. She's even considered a danger to society, all because she stops to look and admire the beauty of the world, and has time to think. Clarisse gets Montag thinking, and before he knows it, he's one of the dangers to society.

This book was really good. It's so different and crazy! I definitely recommend reading it.

Reader reviewed by Sarima89

Reader reviewed by BooksObsession

I almost never read these types of books, they just don't usually hold my interest. However, my English teacher forced us all to read this horrible book. From the very beginning, I despised it. Sorry, Bradbury, but I have no idea why this novel was even published. I couldn't understand what was happening almost the entire time, and the characters were so bland and transparent. They had no personality, and no relationship with each other. I will never read this book again, because I did not enjoy it at all. Not recommended.

Reader reviewed by Shelby

This is a pretty good book. It's about a fireman who realizes the world he lives in is pretty messed up. This book is set in the future where fireman don't stop fires, they start them. Oh yeah and books are also illegal and if they catch someone with a book they burn the books and that persons house down. The reason why they don't allow books because some books are  racist, so they decide to ban all books. This book is okay, it's not my favorite. I like that the main character ended up being the hero of the story, even though at first you wouldn't think he would ever be the hero.

Reader reviewed by Sami

Imagine a world where firemen start fires. They burn books, all knowledge of the past for the peoples own "good". This is the crazy society in Fahrenheit 451. Guy Montag, the main character, also a fireman questions this society when he reads a book one day. A good book to read.

Reader reviewed by Cassidy

Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" is one of the most influential books of our time. Ray Bradbury predicts a controlled society, where everyone simply just wants to be happy. In this society, books are illegal, and fireman are hired to burn these banned books. The main character, Guy Montag, is one of these firemen. He starts with books being the culprit, but as the book goes on he realizes that there is a need for reform in the society. His point of view changes when he meets a 17 year-old girl, Clarrise. Clarrise helps Montag open his eyes and realize the meaning of books. He realizes that it is time for a change, and that is just what he will do.

The book has great suspense and is very engrossing. The book shows us the fate of censorship. That we must start thinking and talking about things that matter, so that we can remember them for generations to come. That we must constantly battle with what is right and what is wrong. The book is great because it is realistic of something that could happen in the future. It is a book the everyone should read and discuss. I recommend this book to anyone up for an enlightening read that will impact the way they think about books forever. Someone that likes a little bit of suspense and mystery. If you like a book that keeps you turning the pages and that will draw you in, I recommend you read this book. You will not regret it!

Reader reviewed by April Kung

Freedom is participation in power," said the Roman orator Cicero. Through his words, he declares that people should not yield to majority if their rights and moral principles must be compromised to do so. This idea of freedom and power is discussed in Ray Bradburys futuristic book Fahrenheit 451, as he anticipates a corrupt society without literary wisdom.
Freedom becomes twisted when people deny their rights while the others use their power to manipulate the society. The people in the Fahrenheit 451 fear the thought of knowing, which leads them to depend of others to decide for them. One of the storys influential characters, Beatty, the captain of the firemen, is a man that uses his knowledge to control the lives of other people. He believes that books are meaningless and harmful to people, therefore, he becomes a fireman that burn books. Although in a biased way, he carries out what he believes by the act of participating in his society. His words Forget them&burn all&Fire is bright and fire is clean, shows his philosophy of resolving his problems by destroying them.
People should participate in power, instead of lowering their expectations and wait for the government to fix their problems. When the society is unhealthy and has various problems, people should not ignore them and seek for a resolution. Bradbury explains this idea in his book through the two main characters Beatty and Montag. Beatty is the earliest character to realize the problems in the story, however, instead of fighting against them, he chooses to be one of them. He defines freedom as holding the strongest power, overlooking his inner desire for books. On the other hand, unlike Beatty, Montag handles the crisis by actually finding the reason. Somethings missing shows Montags awareness of the society he is in. By direct participation in helping the people, Montag eventually gain their long lost freedom.
Freedom can only be fully obtained if people involve in the affairs of the society. Instead of merely depending on the government, people should always work together to prevent troubles from occuring. By doing so, people can secure their unalienable rights and avoid the society described by Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451.

Reader reviewed by K.T.

Fahrenheit451 is an excellent sci-fi book.It revives the spirit to fight for your rights.I find it extremely accurate on modern society even though it's a fiction story.For instance,in the book the future society has huge flat televisions screens on the walls that the characters call "The Family".Today people have the plasma screen and t.v. has become the center of family recreation,eliminating the art of conversation and actual socializing.This lack of conversation is also another aspect of future life in the book.Another reason I like Fahrenheit451 besides for the keen insight of life today,I like how it supports drawing out of the lines and not living in fear of being an individual.