fahrenheit 451?

im not really sure if im doing this post right but here goes. The beginning of this book was actually very interesting -alot more interesting then i thought it was going to be, i thought it be a little boring. the beginning was a little confusing for me though, i dont know if anyone could answer this but, what exactly was this fireman, Guy Montag doing? burning books? and for what? i dont really get that. What year does this take place in because after i read where the fireman saw the girl Clarisse McClellan and began to walk with here and have a conversation with her, she mentions that firmen used to be people who put out fires not start them, and she mentioned that it was considered against the law to drive slow or to be a pedestrian. so, i was thinking that maybe this book took place in the future sometime. i dont know. Then the book really got interesting because i learned that the firman has a wife and aparently she tried to overdose on sleeping pills and i think this was maybe a suicide attempt? hopefully the book will continue to get better and better.