Reviews

Fahrenheit 451 by SparkNotes, Ray Bradbury

tiaramarie579's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

thepercenator's review against another edition

dark inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I anticipated I would. I borrowed the audiobook from the library and the narration by Tim Robbins was very engaging, though I was less a fan of his voice for Mildred. Way too whiny and strange. This is the kind of book that left me thinking about it afterwards. You can tell the time period it was written in the aftermath of WWII, but it still rings true with censorship fears, people favoring the “ignorance is bliss” mentality, and just the general decline of a society that doesn’t seek knowledge. It was an interesting view into a dystopian future that actually deems accurate in a lot of ways. This is definitely a classic for a reason! The prose is complex but also simple - it’s hard to describe, but Bradbury has such skill as a writer.

Also, the ending? Devastating yet hopeful of this rebuild of society.

 

marblemadness21's review against another edition

1.0

I couldn't even finish this it was so boring and unreadable. I have no idea why it has such critical acclaim. Don't waste your time on this 'classic'. It hasn't aged well.

chrisrohlev1234's review against another edition

3.0

To begin, spoiler warning for not just this book but 1984 as well. From all of the recommendations, I was prepared to give this book five stars and until the last ten pages, that's what I would've done. I'll start this review with the good news and then move to the bad. The book was obviously a thought provoking book. It is easy to see why it is so commonly read in high-school curriculum. The themes of censorship. technology and ignorance are easily digestible by the young reader. The book introduced new concepts and ideas into literature and cinema. I drew tons of parallels from this book to other movies and books that I believed were heavily influenced. An episode of Black Mirror, Metalhead, about a terror inducing robot dog that's sole purpose is to kill what's left of humanity must have been based loosely on this book. Book of Eli, minus all of the religious aspects, is hugely related to Fahrenheit 451. I think what is most profound about this book is how true it's predictions have come. Now, censorship of books is at the same level I believe it was in the soviet union maybe worse. In the USSR books were banned on the basis of anti-communist and anti-Stalin. Books today that are deemed racist, homophobic and bigoted are not banned by the government but by the publisher. People have come to believe that if there is an idea that is wildly unpopular then it should be banned in a sense. Fahrenheit did a great job of predicting this. Also, I couldn't help but think of that video where the general dynamics dog gets kicked over and then gets back up on it's feet. I think technology has definitely come to something where it can begin to hurt us. The main reason I gave this book four not five stars was because of the ending. I truly believe that the ending was the worst part of the book. Establishing a new society of thinkers and starting a revolution from the ground up is such a common/feel good ending. Reading this book for the first time I would've given it five stars but after reading 1984, We, The Giver, I came to realize that all of these books have the same character development. A young man/woman who is integrated into a broken/authoritarian society learns of its evils, begins to think differently and revolts against the system. Now, there's absolutely no way I could come up with a plot like Fahrenheit 451 but I feel that it follows the same narrative of all the other famous dystopian novels. Maybe that is the way they have to be formatted, I can't think of anything else. Regardless, I liked this book and would recommend to anyone really.

spottedrhino's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Didn’t read this in school like everyone else but definitely enjoyed it! Would have actually not minded writing an essay on this book! Guy’s spiral into realizing the world he’s in is absolutely fascinating. 

crescendoll's review against another edition

3.0

3.5

"Si no quieres que un hombre se sienta políticamente desgraciado, no le enseñes dos aspectos de una misma cuestión, para preocuparle; enséñale sólo uno o mejor ninguno. Haz que olvide que existe una cosa llamada Guerra. Si el gobierno es poco eficiente, excesivamente intelectual o aficionado a aumentar los impuestos, mejor es que la gente no se preocupe por ello."

En ocasiones el libro se torna confuso y da la impresión de que el autor no supo organizar sus ideas.

El personaje principal es algo vacío y "huevo sin sal", aunque es entendible debido a la realidad a la que se enfrenta y que lo somete, supongo que de cierto modo me gusto y a la vez me molesto que fuera, de alguna forma, un personaje débil y poco determinado, (inclusive cerca del final de la historia sus motivaciones no eran claras). Me hubiese gustado leer un poco más sobre Clarisse, aún así me gusto el giro que dio su desaparición y las implicaciones de estas para reflejar un mundo tan vacío y fugaz.

hazrit209's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

Read it for school and I really did enjoy it! 

ashfrxns's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

1.25

noel_rene_cisneros's review against another edition

4.0

La distopía en la que los libros están proscritos y los bomberos se dedican a quemarlos. La persecución, la paranoia que un mundo así produce, que Bradbury muy bien atinó a prever en la sociedad consumista en la que vivió. La posibilidad de las historias, de la poesía como libertadoras están ahí, contra la enajenación, contra el sistema todo.

La novela sobre uno de esos bomberos, Montag, que queman libros que un día decide tomar uno y llevarlo consigo. Que descubre una grieta en el mundo de felicidad que la televisión le dice que es en el que vive.

Montag como personaje es hijo de su tiempo -en el que se escribió la novela, la década de los 1950s-, un hombre que ve por encima del hombre a las mujeres (a la única que no es a la adolescente con la que se encuentra en un principio), las considera débiles e inferiores; aunque su proceder es torpe es el motor de la novela.

reading_since_10's review against another edition

4.0

A book that makes you think about stuff...just the though that someone would come into my house and burn all the books along with the house....it's a madhouse world.