Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451 seems to be one of those novels that is regularly assigned in classrooms in the United States. I was never assigned the novel, so it was interesting to approach it without forced analyses coloring my reading experience. I can see why it's such a popular novel to assign though: it's loaded with symbolism and the messages are graspable concepts to dissect.

That being said, like many dystopian novels written by white authors, I found myself a bit dissatisfied with the world Bradbury presented. Put simply, Bradbury presents a dystopian world that has always been a reality for those who have been colonized and, relatedly, in the context of the United States, people of color. Considering this, I don't think it's entirely correct to say that Bradbury predicted the future (other than wireless earphones and flatscreen televisions), which I'm sure people have stated since the exponential rise of book banning in the United States. Knowledge suppression and censorship have always been present. It's just that it wasn't impacting the demographic Bradbury feared would be targeted.

I also found other things disappointing about this novel. I felt the worldbuilding and character development lacked, which could have been addressed pretty easily if the novel was longer. (That being said, I imagine not many people would be thrilled by that idea, considering the polarizing opinions on Bradbury's prose, ahaha.) I had too many questions that went unanswered. I wanted to know more about Clarisse (who I thought was one of the most one-dimensional characters I've come across in a while). Captain Beatty fascinated me because he was clearly well-read, yet stood on the side of burning books. I wanted a better understanding of why. I wanted to learn more about these wars that were happening, the rise of other forms of media and their last impact, among other things. I suppose I could always look at what's happening in the world to get some idea, but I wanted to learn more about the world Bradbury constructed.

I think I'm glad to have read this novel, just for the sake of knowing why it's part of the Western (specifically US) literary canon. I clearly got something out of it, but I don't think it's a novel I'd revisit.

Content Warnings

jdnsnfjcns's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This is one of the worst books I’ve ever read. It’s a slow paced book written as a short story. There’s virtually no character development and the characters are unlikable. There is so little explanation about the world in the book that at times the reader may become confused. The author tries to be poetic and metaphorical but it comes off a nonsensical, boring, and confusing. The plot idea is fantastic which is why it’s such a well known book. However it is poorly executed and therefore disappointing. I love dystopian books but every time I read one as short as this I thoroughly disappointed. If you are like me and want to read this because of its cultural significance, I would still encourage you to do so, it’s actually why I read it. Read it. Form your own opinion on it. It’s okay if you’re opinion is that it sucks and it’s okay if it’s that it’s awesome.

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itsataaay's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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lizziaha's review against another edition

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3.75

Bradbury clearly has a beautiful writing style. The beginning of this book is breathtaking—I wish Clarisse had appeared more often throughout the rest of the book. Despite the book being obviously dated, I do think some aspects of his dystopian world were surprisingly parallel to our present. For some people to see that, of course, they’d need to think about it critically, something that can be lacking in our insular world (Bradbury definitely got that one right).

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emcasmith's review against another edition

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informative reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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fluture's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

When I read this book, I couldn't help but wondering when it will be finished. The premise is unique—how books were seen as sins and how people just start burning books—but the words that are used in this book aren't enjoyable enough for me to read and keep a long span of attention. I keep realizing how I zoned out in the middle of reading each paragraph, wondering what is the real meaning behind each word.

This book is probably more suitable or enjoyable for you who like philosophical talks. If you're patient enough, the story gets a bit better at the end.

Content Warnings

winterwriter_9's review against another edition

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challenging slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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johannarose's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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