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Summary: With the utmost respect to Mr. Bradbury ...
Review: I could not 'get into' this book at all, and was eager for it to simply be finished by the time I got halfway through. Which is saying something- this is only 120 pages or so. I most certainly respect Bradbury and see what he is capable of in his short stories, but this novel is perhaps just a tad- what's the word- obvious for my liking.
This book was no doubt a pioneer in its time, especially in the context of Mcarthyism in which it was written; daring and controversial in its own way. That was probably where the book packed its punch ... the world has changed and audiences take more to shock them, me especially, so this tasteful story didn't hit me in the controversial spot inside.
As far as comparisons to 1984 go, I cannot honestly say 451 is in the same ballpark, or even anywhere close. It's far too simple to be seriously compared, although some have compared it. Bradbury got carried away a little too, I think, in scenes such as the chase sequence. He went overboard with repetition for some kind of emotive echo effect, I suppose intended to come across as passionate and surreal, but for me it just didn't work- it made me cringe. I felt no desire to root for the Montag, the protagonist, nor felt any emotion when he was steering himself towards danger. Bradbury was new at the gig when he wrote it, which should be born in mind; he's probably a classier act than this book might indicate.
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Summary: "I'm seventeen and crazy"... but I loved this book
Review: Bradbury has created a shockingly realistic future for us, where the desire to be happy overrules the need to be informed. The most frightening part, perhaps, is that this style of censorship is practiced in high schools across the country. As a high school senior, I have witnessed several instances of attempted "book bannings" from school libraries, mostly led by misinformed parents who could not see through the 4-letter words or "disturbing" situations to the true worth of the novel. Unlike 1984 or Brave New World before him, Bradbury's world is closer to ours, and much more attainable.The theme of Fahrenheit 451 is seeing through the clutter and propaganda to what is truly important. Not necessarily books in particular, but the essence of life which they capture and present in sometimes startling ways. Guy Montag, Clarisse McClellan, Faber, and few others can see that butterfly in a landfill essence of truth, and their contrast against the rest of the world shocks the most disillusioned reader into realizing that, in literature, there is truth. In a world where science and technology are increasingly more important, Fahrenheit 451 is a far-sighted message from the past telling us, indeed, the arts are what puts us above the primates.
Rating: 
Summary: fahrenheit 451
Review: Bradbury has twisted imagination, fears, thoughts and a quick lesson together to capture our senses and keep us turning the pages!
There is a certain depth to this book that is unreachable to anyone unless they are willing to dive beneath the surface to get it. Not only do the characters have feelings and thoughts; but all around the words are the feelings and sceneries that only the imagination can take in. What is actually shocking to realize is that our [country] is turning into exactly what this book says! No...were not burning books, but our entertainment and media has started controling our minds to thinking anything hard is not worth doing.
Bradbury has taken all our thoughts and fears on the future and taken to writing them down into a book. Fascinating as it is, its only our fear that our society could actually turn into this nightmare.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the quickest classic reads around
Review: Bradbury makes it look effortless. The story reads so fast it is as if the author wrote it in one sitting with no revisions. This book is the perfect quick read for those on-the-go folks who have little time for leisure reading. And when you are finished, you will uncover another reason the book is so short.
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Summary: A book about book burning.
Review: I am not such a fan of Ray Bradbury but his book Fahrenheit 451 is excellent and is now among modern classics in the same line as 1984 and Brave New World. Most new versions of this book carry with it a great introduction from Bradbury about how he typed his manuscript on a typewriter that cost 10 cents to use every half hour. The story was first published by Playboy magazine. Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which books burn. Inspired by Hitler and Stalin book burning, 451 tells the futuristic tale of a fireman, Guy Montag, who works for the government as an emergency book burner that sets fires to books which have been banned. They storm houses, dig up floor boards, find books, destroy them and then arrest the owners. Montag begins to question the controlling society that he lives in. Why is he burning books? Inevitably this leads him to seek out books for himself and with it the paranoia of being found out while working for such an oppressive regime. There is some very good plot twists and the story is full of tension, suspicion and mistrust. You will read 451 in a day or two. It is less than 200 pages long and easy to get through. A modern classic that you should not miss.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: I love books like this more than I can express. Utopian society type books are probably my favorite things to read. So, naturally, I picked up Fahrenheit 451. I had heard great things about it from everyone except a good friend of mine who said simply that although he didn't by any means despise it, he thought it was a tad corny. I began reading the book and immediately fell in love with the style of writing. But, as I read on, I found that the book just felt a little... off. I think that it may have been a little unbelievable really, especially the Mechanical Hounds and such. I was also disappointed about Clarisse, although I won't go into detail about that. The thing that I really liked though, was that Bradbury hit the nail on the head when it comes to the development of political correctness. Overall, the book was alright. It was a quick read and I am still certainly glad that I read it.
Rating:
Summary: Ok, but it's no 1984
Review: I read this book after 1984 and it was just not as powerful as the author intended it to be. Yes, the censorship warnings are valid and interesting (especially in these times of The Patriot Act) but for me, nothing will rival the sheer overpowering feeling of doom of 1984.Good book though, hard to read for some as it is slow, but worth it.
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Summary: The Book That Is On Fire
Review: I think the author wrote this book to tell people, who read this book, that it is necessary to bend or break rules once in a while. I agree because if you live your life always following the rules, and not making mistakes, you kind of get used to being perfect. You have to make mistakes and do something wrong once in a while. Break out of the shell and live your life curiously.
I think Ray Bradbury handled setting the best because if you read this book correctly, you would figure out that the setting explains everything that happens. I love the way he uses bunches and bunches of personification, similes, metaphors, imagery and many other figurative languages.
This book is science fiction. It's good because he uses so much imagery that you can literally see what the setting looked like and see what they were talking about. Some details in his book are for sure ficton but the way he described the government and the fire department is really, really unique. Ray Bradbury is an excellent author with a good imagination.
I don't think the book is less than perfect because he makes the book reals and you wouldn't want to change something so realistic. I'm not saying that the setting is real, like today, but he tells you. No. He shows you how real the city is. Once you read it, you wouldn't want to change anything. I recommend this book if you love science fiction or fantasy books, you will fall in love with this book and the author.
Rating:
Summary: Definition of a classic...
Review: I've heard so many people say they've been influenced by Bradbury (writers and others) and I can see why--this is simply a great novel. Bradbury is really a national treasure. If you ever get the chance to hear him speak, don't miss him. His stories are priceless. (Especially the one about his anger at people telling him for years that he was crazy to believe man would set foot on the moon in his lifetime. He said he called up every person who laughed in his face the night Neil Armstrong did--and pretty much laughed in their faces!) There is a fantastic one-on-one interview with him in the Walt Disney Tomorrowland-Disney in Space and Beyond DVD (interviewer is Leonard Maltin). His friendship with Disney (a fellow futurist) was fascinating. But it's the sense of wonder and child-like curiosity and optimism (not childish or blind optimism as he clearly understands what can create a dystopia) that make you realize why he is a national treasure. He's inspired me to look to the future, to look up, to look forward, to always be wary and alert to what can go wrong, (and the dangers of closed or lazy minds) BUT not to let any of that stop you--that anything is possible in a world willing to believe, in a free world with open and curious minds.
Rating:
Summary: Fahrenheit 451
Review: Ray Bradbury is the living master of the science fiction genre. This stuff is good, written in 1953, even if you are like me and don't like science fiction. Pass on those Bush-bashing movies by disingenuous poorly dressed film-makers and go to the real thing.
This Fahrenheit is called 451 because that is the temperature at which books burn, more or less, and that is what this is about. Reminiscent of Hitlerian Germany, book burning is back in vogue in the eastern US in the late 20th century. The first ironic twist is that the firemen start the fires to burn the books, generally engulfing the book owner's home, and sometimes the book owner as well.
Guy Montag is a third generation fireman who starts to question the purpose and meaning in burning books. All homes have been somehow fireproofed, so no real fires occur, only those started by the fire department. Montag's wife sits home all day, watching mindless broadcasts on large screens, and complaining that Guy needs to earn more money in order to purchase even larger screens. Her ultimate objective is to cover all four walls of the living room with monitors.
Guy starts to sneak home some of the books and of course, he ultimately becomes the target of his own department. He learns that he should not trust his wife or his colleagues, all of whom long ago drank the kool-aid. He does make the acquaintance of an elderly professor, an intellectual and scholar from the old days, who ultimately puts him in touch with others of a similar ilk.
Perhaps most interesting is the reason givien for burning the books. Non-fiction is bad, since it is all contradictory and impossible to prove, and fiction is even worse since it is not even true, just made-up people, places, and dialogue. And dont get me started on poetry or philosophy, that will only cause confusion, sorrow, and feelings of being lost. Society has made a clear selection in its entertainment, with an absolute preference for high speed sports, action, and adventure.
More irony follows as Montag on several occasions becomes both the observer and the target as he is pursued by the authorities. Then we learn from reading a book that books are not a suitable way for humanity to store knowledge, that requires dedicated but powerless and marginalized scholars involved in constant peer review and analysis. The last irony is that Bradbury has written a very short book here, actually a novella, because he knows that we prefer action and adventure to reading.
As of this 2005 writing, I understand that Bradbury is in his 80's and still working. In various interviews, he expressed anger that Michael Moore would adapt his title for a completely unrelated and unfunny diatribe. But then, Bradbury lifted "Something Wicked This Way Comes" right out of Shakespeare. What comes around, goes around.
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