Customer Reviews

Fahrenheit 451 (Spanish) (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Spanish Edition)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bradbury is without a doubt one of the strongest writers of our time and this book is arguably his best work. All the usual elements of vintage Bradbury are here--captivating prose, rich characters and a plot that never drags. Guy Montag, the main character, is a memorable figure and his adventures and personal development will stay with you. Bradbury weaves a wonderful, thought-provoking tale here that is sure to please. Highly recommended reading for anyone and a great place to begin reading Bradbury.

A classic tale by a master of the craft of metaphor. Bradbury uses the fireman in a world where they MAKE fires instead of putting them out, to explore the phenomenon of censorship in a world obsessed with being "good". Scenes in his book were reminiscent of what the Nazis did in Opernplatz, Berlin. In fact, of this event Bradbury made this poignant statement: "It follows then that when Hitler burned a book I felt it as keenly, please forgive me, as his killing a human, for in the long sum of histroy they are onein the same flesh." I met Ray Bradbury and he is a gentle, humble soul.

A very elegantly written book with a strong message about technology, censorship, and control/freedom. Bradbury writes in a beautifully poetic way that is not only layered with meaning, but also gripping from beginning to end. I could not stop reading this book until finishing the last page. A great social commentary and story, and perhaps even more relevant today than when it was written. Highly, highly recommended!

This book, Fahrenheit 451, is about a fireman in the future, an age of mechanical hounds and virtual reality families that argue about nothing, who instead of putting out fires, starts them instead. He burns books and the houses in which they are found. He is very happy with his job even though all of the citizens are frightened of him, until he meets a girl who is "17 and crazy". His walks with her and her strange ideas and interesting views make him question his job. He starts to steal and read books, which change his life forever.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I absolutely love reading (anything) but especially love books about what our future could be like. This book, 1984, and Brave New World, among others, are books that imagine and predict an awful future (Imagine a world without books!) which is even more interesting because it kind of gives us a warning.

The author, Ray Bradbury, has a really interesting writing style. One characteristic writing device he utilizes is description. He shows the reader exactly what is going on by giving lots of detail, for example "climbed slowly back into bed, arranged the covers over his knees and across his chest, half sitting". I think he does this to both create tension and to prolong and emphasize a moment. At this point in the book, the reader is wondering if Montag, the main character, will be safe, but they have to wait. Another unique characteristic of Bradbury's writing is how he uses lots of metaphors and similes ("face as bright as snow") which add more detail, making the scene easier to imagine. A third characteristic is that he writes about really scary happenings in pretty, flowery, flowing language which makes it seem less frightening and more normal. This helps the reader really get into Montag's mind because they aren't so scared off.

I would recommend this book to anyone (over age 12) because it is a book you have to have read to live in today's world and understand what people are talking about and referencing. Also, this book is just a really good read that can be enjoyed on many levels, as a suspenseful story, or as a warning about our future. There are also themes of love and camaraderie. Everyone can find a character to identify with.

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is a science-fiction novel set in a futuristic United States where books are illegal and firemen set fires, rather than put them out. The story follows fireman, Guy Montag, as he battles himself, the people he to whom he thought he was closest, and society in a race against time, and a race to preserve the knowledge shared in books. Written in a serious tone, with inklings of sarcasm, Bradbury creates a short novel that has a straight forward message.

What makes the book five stars is the message that it shares with the reader, especially since it was originally written in 1953. There are many parallels to today's society that have the potential to make a reader change his/her lifestyle. It warns readers of the consequences of censorship, of life under a government that controls all of the information, and warns of how shallow we may become in a self-centered, media-focused, reality-show-based society. After reading the book it is easy to see how one might feel guilty about turning on the television for an evening of brainless entertainment, for this is what the book is preaching against!

Some people are turned off on this novel because so many of the characters appear so shallow and flat. That is, I believe, Bradbury's intent. He intentionally created characters that are superficial and fake to reinforce his ideas of what it would be like to live in a society such as this one. He illustrates the metamorphoses of one of these flat characters in Montag, who changes dramatically from the beginning to the end of the book.

Other than short stories, I haven't read any other Bradbury novels, nor have I ever been a big science-fiction fan. However, the style of writing is very similar to other pieces I've read with long sentences that are full of imagery, but still simple in their meaning. He makes it easy for the reader to escape into the distorted reality of his settings. In the case of this novel, it is not clearly stated where it takes place, but I imagine a city on the east coast of the United States, like New York or Boston.

Although Fahrenheit 451 is a fairly quick read, I would recommend it to readers who are mature enough to handle the underlying messages of this book. When I've spoken with people who read it quickly, just because they heard it was a good book, they were often disappointed. If you like to be pushed in your thinking and perception of reality, you will like this book because it will challenge you to look at how you are living your life.

This is a book everyone should read. It's not a long book, or a complicated one, but the ideas expressed are worthy of great philosophical discussion. It seems an almost surreal world that these people live in, and yet it could so easily be something into which our world could turn. In this book the brainless wife is obsessed with her "parlour family" - a very television-like scenario. In this I see the preponderance of "reality shows" peppering the airwaves and entrancing viewers in mindless activity. Before you start screaming at me, there is nothing wrong with a little mindless activity - it's a good diversion from the stresses of daily life (I, myself, cannot stand reality TV, but watch a lot of sporting events as my "mindless drivel"). But when that mindless drivel becomes your life, it's time to step back and reassess how you are living. When people stand around all day chattering about the latest developments on a reality TV show but are unable to even relate one current event, conflict, or idea - then we have a problem. And so many people find "Survivor" more fascinating that the fact that our country is at war (regardless of what side you are on, you'd think you'd have an opinion!) that I think we are starting to have a problem. So today, take a moment, read a book, express a though, or have a meaningful discussion (about anything) and cherish your ability to do so.

By brother-in-law had me read this book way back when. He's the kind of guy that sees flying saucers in the sky at least three times a day. Well, maybe he had something there.

This book was thought provoking, intriguing and disturbing in its time. Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" seems to have foreseen and foreshadowed what is occurring in our current society. We live in a push button society, a world where a constant onslaught of audio and video information has engulfed our senses. Children graduate school and are not even able to read. And nobody really seems to care. Nobody cares because we live in a world full of the mundane and emptiness where we just want instant gratification of whatever will fill our empty lives. We are without substance. We are empty souls without higher aspirations for the ability to explore the capabilities of our minds. We seek not to nurture our appreciation for nature or the mind's ability to create visual associations to stimulate thought through the written word. We are doomed, each of us, to see the same vision on a tube and not think beyond the surface. We are doomed to conformity trapped in a visual nightmare where the mind's eye will evolve into oblivion.

This book was in Spanish. I think it should have been more clearly marked. It was delivered quickly and was in good shape though.

Hi! (...). I love this book so far. It's so cool and so futuristic, I was very surprised to find out that this was written in 1952 instead of 2005. So cool.

I love science fiction, and I must say that Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" is a masterpiece.
One example is the lifestyle of the people. TV's that cover four walls to make it 3D; fireproof homes; `news radios' which fit in your ear for convenience; etc. There is just on thing missing - books! It is against the law to read/own a book. So, they are burned. And who does that burning? Why, the firemen.
It turns out that once houses got their fireproof `shells,' the firemen ran out of a job. Therefore, they were given the job of burning books, which the public had rejected. The people had forgotten what it used to be like. When Montag, a fireman, was asked: "Is it true that long ago firemen put fires out instead of going to start them?" he assures her that houses have always been fireproof.
In the end, Montag, the main character, meets people who are books. They have memorized books of the Bible, or chapters of a novel, thus saving literature. Their plan - to pass on the books by word of mouth until they can legally print and spread them once more.
This book intrigued me so much. I really appreciate Ray Bradbury's sense of fantasy vs. reality so we can avoid such mistakes in the future.