Reviews with content warning for Fire/Fire injury - Fahrenheit 451

It’s a classic for a reason. I just read it a second time (the first time wasn’t by choice), and I’ll never get over how good the world-building and descriptions were. Definitely a book everyone should read.

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books_because_why_not's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.75

The characters in this book were pretty good in my opinion. Mildred and Faber were probably the most interesting for me. Overall, I felt like I understood the motivations behind each character and each character were fascinating to read about in the context of the story. My only gripe is that the implied relationship between Montag and Clarrisse feels icky (Montag’s descriptions of Clarisse feel weird sometimes just because he is an adult and she is a minor).

The world in Fahrenheit 451 is so fascinating. Even though it is a relatively short novel, Bradbury excels at describing the terribleness of the media and a far-away war. The limiting of literature and other societal problems shown in this world are undeniably relevant in today’s world.

When I first heard of this book, I thought its story would be much longer than it actually is. Despite being under 200 pages, there is a lot to this book. You may need to look up a few metaphors and references, but I generally found this book really well written and not too difficult to understand.

The plot of this book is so great. I thought it was plausible that Montag could go from being ignorant to rebel. In my opinion, I thought the action moments in this book were great and they kept me entertained throughout the book.

Like I said early this book is intriguing throughout. When you read the book, nothing seems especially slow, but not rushing past. However, from a logical stance, I feel like its a bit hard to say that this whole plot could occur in just 3 weeks. I think it would be more logical to stretch that time just a bit more. This would not have too much effect on readers and their enjoyment, but would make the story seem more realistic.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I hope, if you decide to read it, that you do too. It was thrilling, but also had some still applicable commentary on society’s relationship to technology. I am glad to have this book as my first 5 star for the year!

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astrono9's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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night3aven's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Fahrenheit 451 - review

"Fahrenheit 451" is undoubtedly an excellent novel, and it is easy to see why it is considered one of the great classics of modern literature. However, while the work has a fascinating premise to say the least, it still has some flaws in its execution.

Bradbury's style is engaging and capable of capturing the reader's attention, thanks in part to his frequent use of rhetorical figures or narrative techniques such as stream-of-consciousness (which can be a bit over the top at times, though).
The author is able to make interesting reflections on various themes, such as the importance of reading and free expression, as well as education and teaching, while also highlighting the possible dangers of excessive dependence on technology and frivolous and unsubstantial means of entertainment, and also managing - implicitly - to highlight some of the problems present in the society of the time (focusing especially on the issue of marital problems and marriages established solely out of necessity).
The characterization of the characters is not well developed (also due to the eximious length of the work) but this nonetheless enhances the point Bradbury wants to make, a.k.a. the loss of identity and reason in a society where one is constantly addicted to entertainment and has no time for reflection. Some potentially interesting story-lines or characters, however, are dropped too quickly or unexpectedly (

Clarisse or her family members come to mind: intriguing characters but removed from the narrative already shortly after their first appearance

), and this can certainly create confusion in the narrative rhythm.
The rather heavy presence of unrealistic elements (even though this is in fact a science fiction tale) may not always be appreciated by the reader: creative ideas such as the four-walled television set or the Mechanical Hound may even be interesting, however the final solution proposed to solve the problem of book burnings is certainly not the best one (

memorizing every book in existence in order to keep remembering is not a realistic solution, and given the subject matter of the work, the problem presented should be given at least a plausible solution

).

Overall, Ray Bradbury acts as a spokeperson for a rather profound theme that is open to many insights, approaching it in an original and compelling way but perhaps not always with the right approach; Fahrenheit 451 still asserts itself as a manifesto in honor of reading and literature, even if the goal and premise may sometimes seem better than the substance and content of the literary work itself.

Don't ask for guarantees. And don't look to be saved in any one thing, person, machine, or library. Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were heading for shore.

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spncr's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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