Burning Review on Fahrenheit 451

January 2, 2010
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Books, Featured A&E

Fahrenheit 451 is a window into a futuristic dystopia in which censorship reins supreme.  The protagonist of Ray Bradbury’s sensational novel is a fireman named Guy Montag. However, instead of putting out fires, his job title entails him to start them.  As an extreme form of censorship, books have been banned and it is Montag’s job to see to it that their words and messages are extinguished. “It was a pleasure to burn” Guy Montag begins his story. However, when Montag befriends his odd neighbor, his perception of society soon becomes unraveled as he struggles for truth in his apathetic life.

Though the storyline seems unbelievable at some points, it’s message of the limitations of the written word and promotion for readers to question their surroundings earn it four and a half stars.  Fahrenheit 451 is a book that can be enjoyed by readers ranging between early teens to late adulthood and can take with them revelations of unspoken truths, the importance of freedom, and the meaning behind “appropriate” social behavior.