So I am taking AP English Literature this coming August, and I found out that on the lit exam, they ask you to use a book to answer a prompt so I decided that I’d choose a book that could help with that prompt, but also help improve my vocabulary while keeping me interested and intrigued. It would also be nice if I found a book that could help increase my own creativity since I am a writer. I’ve heard some people say that they loved Fahrenheit 451 and I wanted to ask those who have already read the book what they thought of it. Is it a good book for my case, and is it good in general? The plot seems great.
I never took AP Lit so I couldn’t say whether it’s a good book to choose for that. I read it on my own free time and enjoyed it, though of course I’m sure others will say they hated it. If you’re a writer and interested in free speech, censorship and that sort of thing I would recommend it.
I also haven’t taken AP lit so I can’t speak for that, but we read it in my english class last year. I thought it was a great book, but painful for me to read. Bradbury does a great job of bringing you there-- I didn’t want to go there lol
If I had to write a literary analysis paper then F451 would be a good book for me, can’t say the same for you but I’d say it does have potential. Hope some of my rambling helped haha
I read it back in 8th grade for my Civics class and I loved it. Haven’t taken AP Lit yet though, but good luck!
Good book!
It’s one of my favorite books of all time. It actually changed the way I think and look at certain things. I would definitely recommend it!
It’s a pretty confusing, weird book, but if you’re good with that then yes, it’s a great book.
I’m taking AP Lit this coming year too! 
I personally disliked the book. I didn’t really care for any of the characters, although the premise was interesting! And the imagery is really great; I still remember and can envision a lot of the descriptions. The cause of my intense dislike may be because my teacher was absolutely terrible lol, she greatly lessened my enthusiasm for the story, and for English class in general.
If this means anything, I would recommend 1984 over Fahrenheit 451. I personally thought the plot was even more interesting and intricate than Fahrenheit, and more suspenseful too. But that’s just my opinion! A lot of my friends much preferred Fahrenheit to 1984.
However, I will say that F451 is a book English teachers LOVE! I hear it mentioned year after year in several of my classes (English or not), and its influence has lasted quite a while! So for that reason i think it’s a great idea to use it! Plus, it seems like a book most teachers think one should read in HS, so by proving you did by using it as an example is an excellent idea, imo!
Anyways, just my 2 cents!
Fahrenheit 451 is amazing! If you look around, it’s hard to deny the vast similarities between the book’s world and our own, and that’s what I love so much about it.
I’m taking AP Lit next year too. 
I read the book my sophomore year, and though I didn’t like it, I must admit it was fairly well written. The imagery was truly amazing, but the plot got kinda iffy in the end. None of the characters seemed particularly deep, and while I’m pretty sure that was on purpose as they each represented different ideas, it didn’t make for a very captivating read. The book was also pretty preachy, I don’t personally like when the message of a book is as obvious and arrogant as F451 made it.
I agree with the poster above in that you should read 1984. The book’s message is also pretty in your face, but in a less know-it-all way, if that makes since? Also, the vocabulary in 1984 is more challenging and I felt as if the writing style was a lot more mature. I felt a lot more for the characters in that book as well, as I literally couldn’t put it down. I really only read the last chapter of F451 cause I had a quiz. 
I skimmed Fahrenheit 451 a long time ago so I honestly don’t remember much of it. I’m sure it is a great book. My AP Lit teacher this year told us that it wasn’t a book that was a high enough level to write about on the exam though. At our school the 9th graders read it.
I haven’t read F451 yet, but I would recommend, as other posters have, 1984 by Orwell. The least you could do is read through it. In my opinion, if you know the history of the twentieth century and do a bit of research on Orwell’s other works, you could make a well-constructed analysis. For instance, Orwell wrote Animal Farm as a satire on the Russian Revolution, while 1984 served as his warning to those in the West of Soviet society. It’s little facts like these that can help your writing if you learn to tie them in appropriately.
We read F451 in 8th grade and it was pretty easy, so it might be too easy for an AP Lit student. I agree, 1984 is awesome and better than F451
@Cornball lol the first two parts of our original messages are really similar!
Also, I forgot to mention, 1984 is definitely a more difficult read than F451. That’s not to say it’s hard, but I doubt as many 8th or 9th graders are reading 1984.
Okay, thanks guys! Based on your comments, it might be best if I order 1984. Hopefully, I enjoy it. Thank you all again!
1984 is a great book! If you like it, however, I enjoyed Brave New World more. It’s a bit more vulgar, but the concept is extremely interesting.
Fahrenheit 451 is one of the easiest books to analyze, and it’s a very good book as well.