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Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.” But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.
So I finally read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury—well, listened to it—and I have mixed feelings. It’s a classic for a reason, and I really like what it’s trying to say about the power of books and the importance of thinking for yourself. But honestly? I had a hard time following it at times.
I started with the audiobook narrated by Tim Robbins, but I couldn’t get into it. His voice just didn’t work for me, so I switched to a different version, which helped a lot. Even then, the story felt a little all over the place in some parts. Still, I stuck with it, and I’m glad I did.
The main character, Montag, is a fireman—but in this world, firemen burn books instead of saving people from fires. He goes through this big transformation and starts to question everything, and I felt really bad for him. His journey actually reminded me a bit of The Book of Eli with Denzel Washington—another story where books are rare and powerful, and one man is trying to protect them.
What stood out most to me is how scary this future feels, especially with how distracted and disconnected people are. It made me think about how easy it is to zone out with TV or scroll endlessly and not really engage with the world around us. That part definitely hit home.
And funny enough, while I was reading this, I was also working on a quilt for my library branch’s 25th Annual Quilt Show. The theme this year was “literary,” so I contributed a quilt inspired by Fahrenheit 451. It felt like a fitting tribute, especially given how strongly the book speaks to the value of books and stories.
Final Thoughts:
Even though I struggled with parts of it, Fahrenheit 451 gave me a lot to think about. If you’re into dystopian stories or books that make you reflect, it’s definitely worth a try—just maybe skip the Tim Robbins audiobook.
The Book Review Template is perfect for taking quick notes on how you feel about the characters, theme, plot, or whatever seems important to you. Additionally, there are helpful phrases and descriptors to help write your review.
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