Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

   My head hurts after reading this one, but part of that is I forgot to wear my glasses.
   I enjoyed this book right up to the last two chapters where I became slightly confused. The last two chapters are more like short stories and the first made me think of The Veldt. If you haven't read The Veldt, you should; it's the creepiest thing ever but it's good.
   The two writings of Bradbury's I have now read have been very obviously hinting at the same thing The Giver hints at. People in the future are going to go way to far in their attempts to make everyone equal.The book burning makes me think of Equilibrium.  Bradbury also reminded me of Harrison Bergeron.  Honestly, I'm having some flashbacks to high school English. Also, MW is playing depressing music from Lost. None of these things are advisable if you want to feel happy.
   Fahrenheit 451 is about a fireman. You probably know this already, but in the future (as in 1977) fireman set fires. More specifically they burn books. Why do they burn books? Because books offend people and have dangerous ideas and people just want to be comfortable. Faber says, "We are living in a time when flowers are trying to live on flowers, instead of growing on good rain and black loam" (83). But honestly, I think my favorite part of the book was when someone came up and said, "You guys are reading? Who reads anymore? I don't." Go figure.
   Again, I did like this book.  It wasn't very emotional in a cry or laugh sense, but it made me think and I did get frustrated along with the protagonists. Bradbury seemed to be writing what he thought would happen and did not mess around with contrived endings; I appreciated that. I can see how Cold War/Red Scare feelings may have influenced Bradbury's writings but I don't think you have to be a history major to read this. I just find it interesting that to think about.  This is one of those classic books I avoided as a rule when I was growing up, but I actually think people should read this one for it's own sake. Fahrenheit 451 is well written and intriguing.
   Criticism: I wasn't going to have this section but I did think of one more thing. This books was written around 1960 so he focuses on the affects of television. As one of many people fighting against the epidemic addiction to the internet, I find it interesting to think of what Bradbury would say about our society today. Do you think he would consider his prediction was inaccurate? Or would he say it came true???
 
   (Ruining the 'dramatic' end, but I don't really think it has come true. I'm wondering what he would think.)

   Rating: Good to great.
   Read again? Eventually, probably.
   You read? Yes.
   Age? Older teens to young adult.