• Fahrenheit 451

  • By: Ray Bradbury
  • Narrated by: Tim Robbins
  • Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (31,993 ratings)

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Fahrenheit 451  By  cover art

Fahrenheit 451

By: Ray Bradbury
Narrated by: Tim Robbins
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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

Publisher's summary

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

Ray Bradbury's internationally acclaimed novel Fahrenheit 451 is a masterwork of 20th-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.

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)

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What listeners say about Fahrenheit 451

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You know it

Finally got around to reading this classic! It made me wish for a classroom discussion - there’s a lot to dissect from it! Great dystopian novel. Although makes me think how it would be written today - women would be a part of the “remember” survivor clan and not mind-numbed citizens.

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Profound

WOW. Just wow. I’ve wanted to read this book for SO long, so glad I finally did the Tim Robbin’s audio version. He was PERFECT. As for the book. I cried. How could a man back in the 1950’s have had this much insight. Read it. You won’t regret it.

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Entertaining way of sending an important message

The theme was deeply imbedded in this amazing plot. The characters were extremely well written and relatable. The reading performance was great and added to the suspence.

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timeless

Fahrenheit 451 is a timeless tale of what can happen when we allow the government and others to dictate what we can learn.

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Roller-coaster ride

Totally recommended, a book everyone needs to read, especially in these times. Apply it to your life

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Amazing Narration!

Tim Robbins performance was simply flawless. one of the best audio books I've listened too. highly recommend!

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great performance

that was the best performance that I have heard from an Audible book--well done! interesting themes going on in this dystopia.

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Great listen.

Damn near as good a listen as it is a read.
Classic, deep. So relevant and timeless.

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Justlfiably a classic but glad it was short

I intended to read this decades ago. There are numerous stories depicting dystopian societies and this compares well to the other classics. I was glad it was a short book though; doesn't take a lot to overwhelm one with what were once science fiction visions of futuristic societies that are now much closer to reality than they were in the 1950s.
I found the renowned actor Tim Robbins an irritating narrator. The voice of the protagonist and some other characters were fine, Robbins used harsh and odd voices for the bad guys. One sounded drunk most of the time; another two sounded like yokels, speaking in loud voices.

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Great voices by Tim Robbins

Worth a listen. A story more relevant today as the day it was written.
Tim Robbins does a great job.

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