Fahrenheit 451 in The Challenge Factory

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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 · 96 views

last updated Dec 12, 2023 04:05PM

* A Year of Banned Books Info
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What Members Thought

Nov 03, 2008 Book Concierge rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club, books-about-books, classic, concierge, dystopia, library, 1001-books-you-must-read-before-you

In his forward, Bradbury comments that we won't need "firemen" to burn books if society persists in "wide-screen basketball gaming or MTVing itself into a stupor." If people stop reading, why bother burning books?

What would happen if reading were prohibited? If you had to memorize a work of literature in order to "save" it ... which work would you choose?

The date read is when our book group discussed this work, but I first read this work in the early 1970s (I think). ...more

12 likes · Like · see review

Sep 22, 2010 Trisha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Nov 18, Hillsboro 10 am

6 likes · Like · see review

Feb 01, 2008 Carrie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, 4-and-a-half-to-5-stars, favorites, classics, dystopia, mini-tbr-1

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The main character is Guy Montag a fireman. But not in the way that we know it. In this time in the future houses are
safeguarded against fires, these fireman set fires, they are known as "book burners". Because books where for burning they
corrupted the mind. But thanks to the interesting free thinking characters that we meet Montag realizes what he has to do. He realizes that books are something to be saved and read. It wasn't a crime to take joy in what lies between the pages. Do to his actio ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jan 02, 2011 Cindy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2024

previously read Jan 2, 2011

2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 27, 2009 Charlotte (Buried in Books) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Imagine a world lived in fast forward - where everyone drives too fast, no-one walks anywhere and your family is something projected onto the walls of your "viewing parlour". The thing you dream about is being able to afford the "fourth wall" for that parlour, so you can be completely surrounded by that family.

A world where no-one really feels anything, where suicide is commonplace, where your stomach can be pumped at home and your blood can be completely replaced - to take away the darkness. Wh ...more

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Sep 30, 2009 Kate rated it liked it · review of another edition

Upon starting the review of this book, I should give a couple disclaimers. The first disclaimer is that I listened to this book via audio book. The second disclaimer is that when I listen to audio books, I sometimes find my mind drifting. Now on to the actual review.

This audio version was read by author, Ray Bradbury. While he might be a good author, his voice is rather monotone. I wish that I had had an actual paper copy of this book so that I could sort of follow along from time to time when I Upon starting the review of this book, I should give a couple disclaimers. The first disclaimer is that I listened to this book via audio book. The second disclaimer is that when I listen to audio books, I sometimes find my mind drifting. Now on to the actual review.

This audio version was read by author, Ray Bradbury. While he might be a good author, his voice is rather monotone. I wish that I had had an actual paper copy of this book so that I could sort of follow along from time to time when I let my mind drift. Sometimes I had to go and look at the sparknotes summary so that I could follow along better.

Now to the actual review of the story... As an avid reader, I cannot imagine what it would be like to have all books be illegal. I mean, I do love watching my tv shows, but to never be able to pick up a book and read? To never have known the joys of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. To have never met Katniss, Rue, or Peeta. To have never read Harry Potter, the Private series, or Lord help us, Twilight. The very thought of it is horrible. I love books. I love reading. I cannot imagine a world with none of it and with firemen who actually burn books.

And yet, when Bradbury discribed why books ceased to be, it made sense. Many times I find that our world is becoming entirely too P.C. to be safe. I could see how the world ended up where books ceased to be because minorities and special groups couldn't allow books without equal representation of their group, or a good representation of their group. There are so many opposing groups that it is impossible to please everyone. I mean, imagine if we lived in a world without the Bible. Whether you are religious or not, you are talking about a book that has been around for around 2000 years. No Bible, Koran, Book of Mormon, or any other book ever. That is crazy. I can't even really wrap my head around that idea.

Now, I love to read dystopian novels. I find reading about other peoples views of what the world would be like in a Utopia gone wrong is fascinating. And I thought that this one held so much potential. However, it was the main characters actions that led me to not like this book that much. I understand about wanting to read books, but I don't think their is ever an excuse for murder, whether it is freedom or anger or whatever, the taking of another's life is inexcusable.

My second feeling about this novel is that the ending sort of felt incomplete. I thought that there was more and I was missing a disk or two, but alas, it really was over.

Overall, I felt that the characters were a little two-dimensional and I could not be persuaded to care for them or their outcome. The ending felt incomplete and lacking. The concept was interesting, but it did not pan out as properly as it could have. I am glad to have read it, and I will probably re-read it some day (in paper form) but it is not high on my priority list.

Rating 3/5 ...more

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Jul 12, 2011 Becca rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: challenge-11, classics

I have no idea how I managed to go so far as a classics gal, an English Major, and an obsessive reader without having read this novel. It is one of the foremost classics in English Literature, and only now have I read it. I'm relieved to have finally read it.

Fahrenheit 451 is one of those novels that takes the reader into a vaguely familiar world, where the differences are life changing, and the characters distant and lost from ourselves. Similar to 1984 or The Giver, we encounter characters use I have no idea how I managed to go so far as a classics gal, an English Major, and an obsessive reader without having read this novel. It is one of the foremost classics in English Literature, and only now have I read it. I'm relieved to have finally read it.

Fahrenheit 451 is one of those novels that takes the reader into a vaguely familiar world, where the differences are life changing, and the characters distant and lost from ourselves. Similar to 1984 or The Giver, we encounter characters used to a certain life-style, but then suddenly pushing against the current of their society.

The premise is simple. Guy Montag, the main character, is a fire man. He doesn't put fires out, he starts them. When he gets a call, he leaves to burn down houses that contain books and arrest the people who had said books. Books are illegal, and nobody is allowed to read them.

Guy is moving so fast he can't see the error in this. When a mysterious girl convinces him to stop and see, he then changes his ways, and he begins to read books. From there he becomes a criminal, sees the world around him, the people around him as complete strangers, and sees the crimes of others as well as of himself.

I loved this novel for it's truth. Even today books are banned, or we read them on e-readers like a bunch of gadget whores. We are completely lost, just like the population of this book. Lost and unromantic. What did it take Guy Montag to realize that his society was broken? What forced him to see the value in books? Personal change, personal acknowledgement. The book follows his struggle as he tries to retain what is left of himself and convince others to believe in books, to read them, to convert back to readers and to unplug themselves from the mindless entertainment the book's setting consists of.

This book is wonderful. It shows the death of thinking and literature, but a final glow of hope. It's the classic novel that proves exactly why it is a classic, because it's lesson is still as meaningful as it was when the book was written. Ray Bradbury has given us a masterpiece, a book about books, and something we should all be getting our hands onto.

This is a must read for lovers of classics and... well, books!

...more

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May 16, 2010 Marla rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, audiobook, bad-books, classics, adult, science-fiction, book-about-books, award-winner, overrated, zz-2014

Wow, I can't believe I picked back-to-back read by authors. Alice Sebold reading The Lovely Bones grew on me, Ray Bradbury is difficult to understand, he doesn't enunciate and this will be a struggle. Changed to audiobook read by Stephen Hoye and liking it better.

Likes:
* Firefighter Guy Montag with Helmet number 451
* Girl with questions and observations
(view spoiler) ...more

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