Guy Montag is a fireman. He, like every other fireman, spends his working life tracking down owners of books and burning their collections and occasionally the owners themselves. He likes his job, it is exhilarating. The world is without strife and everyone is happy. At least that is what he thinks, until he meets Clarisse McClellan. She opens his eyes to the world as it is and he finally understands that maybe everything is not as it seems, maybe he is not happy after all. The world around him is filled with drones who go through their days unconsciously. Montag realizes that something must be changed but he has to be careful. It is dangerous to think. He must find a way to make a difference in a world that is hostile toward individual thought.

Ray Bradbury’s dystopian society in Fahrenheit 451 bears a number of striking similarities to our own. The idea that books could be disowned and free will revoked may seem convoluted and farfetched but it isn’t out of the question. The story is frightening in its realism and implications. It calls to attention the complacency of society and our willingness to accept happily what is fed to us. The story is enthralling and alarming. It reminds us of the importance of freedom and knowledge and hopes that those ideals will never be lost on us. Fahrenheit 451 is hard to put down and Ray Bradbury’s masterpiece about censorship is just that. At this point it seems a little redundant. Ray Bradbury is a phenomenal writer. Fahrenheit 451 makes it easy to feel the emotions that Montag is going through. It’s an easy read and it is powerful. It’s an important book with a strong message and an interesting plot that is executed perfectly.
Classics are generally considered to be books that everyone should read in their life. I honestly have trouble with a lot of classic literature but Fahrenheit 451 is anything but average. Fans of sci-fi and dystopian novels (so looking at the sales of The Hunger Games and Divergent basically everyone) would enjoy this book. It reminds me of 1984 by George Orwell and Anthem by Ayn Rand.