Farenheit 451: A Must Read (Edited 7/10/01)

*****Edited July 10, 2001*****

I have read and re-read this book numerous times. It is one of Mr. Bradbury's best novels ever. You can sympathize with the main character throughout. It tells a fantastic story about what can happen with restricting people from reading. A theme Mr. Bradbury also tackles in a chapter entitled Usher II, in The Martian Chronicles.

Brief Summary
The novel tells the story of a futuristic Fireman, Guy Montag. A fireman's job is no longer to put out fires, as a traditional fireman, but to start them. Firemen in this futuristic novel burn not only the books found, but also the homes of people who have committed the ultimate crime of owning books. He does not understand what these people see in these moldy old tomes that makes them so willing to risk their lives and homes just to own them.

Well, curiosity, and a whimsical, young girl, sneaks in and instead of burning all the books at the next fire, he saves one so that he can see what it is that drives these people. His boss is aware of this and offers to let Guy come back to his job, of course, this requires disposing of the precious book that he has saved. And of course, as the saying goes, the plot thickens. If you want to know more you will just have to read the book.

Why I liked the Book
Ray Bradbury plays upon the universal theme of those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Censorship runs rampant in this futuristic society. Some of the few people who believe in personal freedoms, (the readers) cache books for personal and societal motives. The idea that this is possible in our own world is truly scary. Could censorship bring us to this point? I won’t go into the politics of censorship, just point out that this book will give you food for thought on the matter.

I really liked that I was able to sympathize with Guy. How many of us go through our jobs day in and day out without questioning anything we are doing. Guy finally opened his eyes to more than just his job and delved into what he was actually doing. At that point of course, he could no longer do what he had been doing. What self respecting reader could burn books indiscremently? I think if I had to make a choice between giving up my books or living life on the lam, I think I would make the same decision that Guy Montag made and learn the way of the hobo!

You also get to learn a little from this book. If you are a casual reader, you note that the engine company that our intrepid, young fireman is in is 451. For those paying slightly closer attention, you get to learn that this is the temperature at which paper catches fire. Another page in the You Learn Something New Everyday volume!

Additional Details
I first read this book in paperback form as a freshman in high school. It is still available in paperback in one of its many reprintings. It is also available in hardback but I believe it will run you quite a bit more. Depending on the version you get, the book is approximately 230 pages.


My review would not be complete without letting you know that there is a movie based on this book. Yes, the book is far better. (How often is the movie better than the book?) The movie is from the Sixties and looks like it was an experiment in color. For those of you who love Sci-Fi of that era, you will love the movie. If you are a reader, I would definitely recommend reading the book first (is there any other way?) The book itself is one of Ray Bradbury’s best!