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Fahrenheit 451

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Fahrenheit 451

By: Ray Bradbury
Narrated by: Tim Robbins
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About this listen

Ray Bradbury's internationally acclaimed novel Fahrenheit 451 is a masterwork of twentieth-century literature set in a bleak, dystopian future, narrated here by Academy Award-winning actor Tim Robbins.

Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television "family." But then he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television. When Mildred attempts suicide and Clarisse suddenly disappears, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known. He starts hiding books in his home, and when his pilfering is discovered, the fireman has to run for his life.

©1951 Ray Bradbury (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Classics Fiction Literary Fiction Movie, TV & Video Game Tie-Ins Science Fiction Suspense Tie-in American Literature

Editorial reviews

Editors Select, October 2014 - I credit Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 as one of the books that sparked my love of reading, and now that I'm an avid listener, I'm excited to be able to experience the story anew with Academy Award-winner Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption) narrating. Robbins' tone expertly mirrors the story's narrative – shifting effortlessly from somber and contemplative to suspenseful and terrifying. Each character, from the rebellious protagonist Guy Montag, to the enigmatic Clarisse McClellan, to the gruff Captain Beatty is distinct and realistic, making this frightening future seem all the more possible. Whether you enjoyed the book in a high school English class or never quite got around to it, every book lover should experience this poignant version of a dystopian classic.

—Sam, Audible Editor

Critic Reviews

"Bradbury's iconic novel about the dangers of complacency and the value of curiosity gains a solid new voice with this audio performance. Tim Robbins puts his acting prowess to use here, creating superb dialogue and striding confidently through powerful speeches that celebrate books and warn against the lure of technology. Protagonist Montag burns with all the earnestness of a man eager for change; Faber's aged scholar simmers with cautious hope; Mildred's vacuous presence echoes emptily. Robbins provides the theatrical with the expected confidence, but he also makes good use of quiet in this production. He makes Bradbury's words even more powerful by remembering to pause at opportune moments to let them sink in." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about Fahrenheit 451

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A wonderful satire. Or a glimpse of the future...

This is a great book. Satirical but not comedic. It is a dark tale of personal redemption and a societal correction after society has taken some very wrong turns. Robbins is great as a narrator.

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3 people found this helpful

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Breathtaking

This book is a stark reminder of a reality we may face in the future

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3 people found this helpful

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acting?

I get it mate, you're an Oscar nominee and all that.
this is the most over-acted audiobook I have ever listened too. Too many needless heavy accents, too many whispers that made it hard to hear, often followed by shouting, too fast and too slow in too many sections. Audiobooks require a sort of subtlety that still allows the reader to imagine for themselves but also doesnt make me turn up the audio or turn down the audio or fasten/slow it. I felt like an audio technician getting through this.

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a Dystopia to add to the list

just getting through the dystopian reading list hoping to avoid a real one
And testing out the review system

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Great Narration and Story

The story interestingly applies to the world we live in now, as there are similarities between Bradbury's dystopia and the current 21st century. Narrator was very good too, story had my full attention for the entire duration

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excellent

Tim Robbins is a fantastic and animated narrator who brings the characters to life. The story is timeless.

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Listen over and over again

A prescient story. A moving narration. This is a book to remember and revisit again and again.

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Hot Stuff

On a first read/hearing there are parts that are hard to understand but there are also satirical gems.

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good book, poorly narrated

would have been good experience of narrated properly. sometimes the tone and pitch don't even match the content.

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A chilling cautionary tale.

Had never read this book before but had heard of it so thought I'd give it a go and was not dissapointed. Given people's addiction to technology today I found the story very compelling.

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