Fahrenheit 451Fahrenheit 451
Score Classic
What it's about
Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which are forbidden as the source of all discord and unhappiness. But Montag is unhappy, his marriage is empty, and he's beginning to wonder what's in the books he burns. When he starts hiding them, the Mechanical Hound is ready to hunt him down.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Hugo Award. It's one of the great dystopian novels, a timeless warning about censorship and a culture that stops thinking.
You'll love it if you liked
1984
Brave New World
The Handmaid’s TaleGood to know
It's short and widely taught. Its predictions about screens and media feel eerily modern.
By the numbers
- Readers48 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics56 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller40 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #105 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #336 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1096 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Dark, Adventurous
More by Ray Bradbury
If you like this, read next
Ender's Game
Dune
The Lord of the Rings
Hyperion
The Dispossessed
FoundationExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Fahrenheit 451 worth reading?
Yes. It won the Hugo Award. It ranks #1,096 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Fahrenheit 451 about?
Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which are forbidden as the source of all discord and unhappiness. But Montag is unhappy, his marriage is empty, and he's beginning to wonder what's in the books he burns. When he starts hiding them, the Mechanical Hound is ready to hunt him down.
How long does it take to read Fahrenheit 451?
About 6 hours (227 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Fahrenheit 451 won?
Hugo Award winner (1954).
What should I read after Fahrenheit 451?
If you liked it, try 1984 by George Orwell, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley or The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.