What is Fahrenheit 451 about?
Q: What is Fahrenheit 451 about?
A: Fahrenheit 451 is an American dystopian fiction novel written by Ray Bradbury. It is set in a future society where people live only for pleasure and reading books is against the law. The main character, Guy Montag, has a job as a "fireman" (which means book burner) and the number "451" refers to the temperature at which books burn when they are burned. The novel critiques what Bradbury saw as an increasingly dysfunctional American society.
Q: When was Fahrenheit 451 first published?
A: Fahrenheit 451 was first published in 1953.
Q: Where did Ray Bradbury write the novel?
A: Ray Bradbury wrote the entire novel on a pay typewriter in the basement of UCLA's Powell library.
Q: What inspired Bradbury to write this book?
A: The idea for Fahrenheit 451 began with Bradbury's short story "Bright Phoenix," written in 1947 but first published in 1963. He wanted to show his great love for books and libraries, and he often referred to Montag as an allusion to himself.
Q: How has Fahrenheit 451 been interpreted over time?
A: Over the years, interpretations of Fahrenheit 451 have primarily focused on the historical role of book burning in suppressing dissenting ideas; however, Bradbury has said that it is not actually about censorship but rather how television destroys interest in literature and leads people to think knowledge consists of factoids without context or understanding.
Q: Has there been any other adaptations of this novel besides film?
A: Yes, at least two BBC Radio 4 dramatizations have also been aired which follow very closely with the original book version of Fahrenheit 451.
Q: Who starred in the 1966 movie adaptation of this novel?
A: Oskar Werner starred as Guy Montag and Julie Christie played Clarisse McClellan in the 1966 movie adaptation of Fahrenheit 451.
