Fahrenheit 451

I recently finished the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. This book takes place in a modern day country that isn't explicitly stated, but we can assume its the USA because there are references to Chicago and San Francisco. It is centered around the ideas of censorship and that books are illegal. Ironically, firemen in this novel set fires that will burn books instead of putting them out. The society is basically brainwashed by the government by devices that they call "parlor walls", which are essentially walls that are TVs. There are also devices that they call "seashells" which are basically headphones that the citizens always wear. They are hooked up directly to the government and the broadcast major events that happen as well as music.

This book focuses in on one particular citizen who is named Guy Montag. He is a fireman, and he burns books. He is a very dynamic character who at the beginning believes everything that the government tells him. He is married to a woman named Mildred and has no children. This book details his journey as he realizes that TV and burning books aren't the only thing that the world has to offer. He meets a few people who will change him, as well as one main protagonist who is constantly against him. The protagonist is the fire captain at his job, who is named Captain Beatty. He makes Montag rethink some of the most important decisions he will make as a dynamic character. Montag transforms from a destructive, brainwashed citizen, to someone who could very will change the course of history in this book.

I rate this book a 7/10. I love the idea behind it, the plot and the characters. However, the language that Ray Bradbury uses is sometimes hard to understand and you really have to be actively reading if you want to understand this book. Bradbury masterfully crafts the pace of this book, so that once you get about halfway through, you can't put it down. I would recommend this book to any mature reader who is looking for a science fiction book that you really want need to think about.

Ray Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451.