Well I finished it, and I'm really not quite sure what to say. I'm sure there was some kind of symbolism or allusion in the last few pages, but if there was, I sure didn't catch it. Plot-wise, it made me pretty angry. It's one of those books with a very vague ending that really doesn't resolve any of the problems that the book created, and that just ticks me off. Why couldn't the book just end with Montag spreading the value of books throughout the city and everyone realizing how stupid they were? I guess it's because that would make the book too concrete and leave less room for discussion about the book. Isn't it true that most of the most popular books are very vague and have loads of ambiguity? I think so.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book, and I also enjoyed the majority of the second half. Unfortunately, Bradbury must have done something to change the book in the last 10-15 pages. I don't know what it was, but I didn't like it. He still wrote the same way with a bunch of figurative language and detail, but there was something missing...
I still enjoyed the character of Montag and how he was continually fighting an inner battle, and as terrible as this sounds, I was almost cheering when the city was blown up and Mildred died. That's one thing that Bradbury did right: Kill off the stupid people.
Overall, I enjoyed the book for the most part, which is all I can ask for. It gave me some entertainment unlike some other books we've read (That's right, I'm looking at you Color of Water), and for that I say thank you Ray Bradbury. At least this is the last book we have to read. Right? Please tell me I'm right.
