I have recently found out from a newspaper article in the Wall Street Journal that Ray Bradbury discovered in 1979 that "'some cubby-hole editors' had bowdlerized his book in 98 places." The story goes on to mention that the changes first showed up in 1967. Does anyone know if they have been fixed? and if so in what edition was the original story restored. Or better yet, where can I obtain a copy of the original unabridged story? I certainly don't want to read a story on censorship that someone has decided to censor for the author. Thanks.

I'm not sure what changes have been made. In most editions of F451, Bradbury has added an afterword where he discusses efforts to change his book, and asserts that he has not allowed them to be made.

In the 50th anniversary edition of F451 (Simon and Schuster, NY), there is a new introduction by Bradbury. In it, he discusses some changes he'd LIKE to see (For example, Clarisse would live), but says this about changes to the book:

"In the years of writing my two-act play and the opera that followed [both adaptations of F451], I let my characters tell me things about their lives that were not in the book. I have been tempted to go back and insert these truths in the old text, but this is a dangerous practice which writers must refuse. These truths, while important, could ruin a work done years before. . . the book is complete and untouched. I will not go back and revise anything. I have a great respect for the young man that I was when I sat down in that basement room with a bag of dimes and plunged into the passionate activity that resulted in the final work. So here, after fifty years, is Farenheit 451. I didn't know what I was doing, but I'm glad that it was done."

Date on the introduction: March 12, 2003.

It seems safe to say that, at the time of this publication, this version is about as close to what Bradbury wanted done as any other version.

ISBN
0-671-87036-X
0-671-87229-X (Special Edition)
0-7432-4722-1

Once the book was released, Ballantine Books decided that they were going to release an expurgated edition for high schools and did so without telling the public or Bradbury. Bradbury didn't find out about it until six years after in 1979, when a friend showed him. He demanded that the original be put back on the shelves and it has been since 1980. I would assume that any copy bought since then is the original. I hope this helps!