Fahrenheit 451

Interesting Facts

• The title of the book refers to the temperature at which paper is said to ignite and burn.
• The book was written in the 1950s, a period when fear of censorship and totalitarianism was particularly acute.
• The main character, Guy Montag, works as a fireman, but in the world of the book, firemen do not extinguish fires, they burn books.
• The plot of the book unfolds in a dystopian future where books are banned and information is controlled by the state.
• One of the key characters is Clarisse McClellan, a young girl who makes Montag question his life and society.
• The book raises important themes such as censorship, the role of technology in society, and the significance of literature and knowledge.
• The novel has been adapted into several films and theatrical productions, including the well-known 1966 adaptation by François Truffaut.
• Ray Bradbury wrote the book in nine days on a rented typewriter in the basement of the University of California, Los Angeles library.
• The book describes a device called the 'Mechanical Hound,' used to hunt down lawbreakers.
• The novel ends on an optimistic note, suggesting the possibility of societal rebirth through the preservation and transmission of knowledge.