Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 - ESSENTIAL

Hamilton, Tim Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation, 149 pages, Hill and Wang, 2009, $16.95. Language-G, Mature Content-G, Violence-PG

In the near-future, firemen burn books in an effort to ease societal discontent and appease the masses. One fireman, Montag, begins to question his own happiness and the constricts of his totalitarian society after a brief encounter with his young neighbor, Clarisse, and a book-burning run that goes awry. Looking for answers, Montag turns to the one thing he knows is missing from his life: books. This decision and its consequences are the story line for this beautiful graphic adaptation of the classic novel. Vividly realized in an equally dark and fiery palette, this adaptation is perfect for reluctant readers or as a companion to the original. The novel, Fahrenheit 451, is one of my all-time favorites, and while this graphic novel is not as detailed and nuanced as the original, it is still a strong rendition of a novel that was once a short story that began as an idea. MS/HS-ESSENTIAL; Reviewer: Gretchen