BR#1: Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

“It was a pleasure to burn.”  Guy Montag, the main character, is a burning fanatic that loves seeing items “eaten, blackened, and changed.”  Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 disappointed me due to my opinion on the poorly written book.

    
What can I say about this book?  The author’s style affects my reading of the novel because I did not enjoy it, never thought any part of the book was funny, and it barely gave me a sense of where the place is set.  “Books were for burning along with the houses in which they were hidden.”  I did not like reading a novel full of sin; writing a novel on book burning did not please me.  “Do you ever read any of the books you burn?”  Guy laughed, but I found that statement stupid.  “He walked out of the fire station and along the midnight street toward the subway…”  Throughout the book, it did not specify a location (like the U.S. or Europe).  The book only states the house and fire station as the setting.

I probably could not compare this book to any other book because of Mr. Bradbury’s unusual topic.  “Forget them.  Burn all, burn everything.”  Currently, the novel does not compare to recent events or issues, but it does connect to the KKK burning the cross as an illegal act of crime.

I do in fact understand the theme of the book.  I understand not to burn books, get pure-pressured, and not to take people’s concerns into consideration.  “…He laughed.  That’s against the law!”  “Oh.  Of course.”  Book burning is STRICTLY illegal!  “He never questioned anything until he met a seventeen-year-old who told him of a past when people were not afraid.”  Clarrisa, the seventeen-year-old, pure-pressured Guy, the ten-year firefighter, into burning books because of her controlling attitude.  “He met a professor who told him of a future in which people could think… and Guy Montag realized what he had to do!”  The professor was concerned about the future.  He told Mr. Montag and Mr. Montag took his idea into consideration; the future was not bright after what Guy did.

Truly, I recommend the novel to the “late teens” because they might have a better understanding about book burning.  The novel is ranked number eight on The Top 10 Teen Read, but I did not understand how well the book was written.  I am sure the novel is a well written novel; however, I must do more growing and studying to understand Fahrenheit 451 to the fullest.