Brave New World

Would a future totalitarian society be all that bad if every single person - from the day they were born - was truly happy with their lot in life? That is the question Brave New World asks, and Aldous Huxley leaves it up to the reader to decide the answer. I've re-read this book several times and each time I'm glad I did. That is because it is an enjoyable story, first and foremost. The characters have sufficient depth, the locales are peculiar and attention-grabbing, and the underlying message is enough to make you stop and think. Brave New World revolves around three main characters. First, there's Bernard Marx, an elite "Alpha Plus" who is uncertain about how he fits into society. Then, there is Mustapha Mond, the World Controller for Western Europe, a man who reads The Holy Bible and Shakespeare, despite his society's ban on these "pornographic books". Finally, we have John (named John Savage when he visits Bernard's world), the son of two World State citizens raised in the remote hostility of a Savage Reservation. The interactions and thoughts of these three characters forms the skeleton of the book, and it is through their eyes that we view the World State of the future. The reader learns about how babies are "decanted" in the future, how they are bred and conditioned for their role in society, how entertainment plays a role in keeping them happy, and how unhappiness can be quickly whisked away by a gramme of Soma, a powerful drug that has no debilitating side-effects. Of course, it would be easy for the author to jab his finger at you from the pages and scream "SEE?!? SEE?!?! See what a society without freedom looks like? Isn't it horrible?", but he doesn't. In fact, the world of Year of Our Ford 632 doesn't seem so bad at all when you consider disease, war, and unhappiness have all been snuffed out of existence. But at what cost? Midway through the book, we meet John. Biologically, a son of the World State, but philosophically a student of the old religions and old literature of the old world. But don't misunderstand. John is not necessarily the book's "everyman". Many of his emotions and actions (like self-flagellation) are still foreign to a modern reader. Bernard - who has at this point accepted that he is "different" compared to his fellow World State-ers - brings John to his home to show him off to his peers. Naturally, many aspects of the World State are appalling to John, and this conflict continues all the way to the book's conclusion. Something I found remarkable is that the author, Huxley, gives us plenty of chances to sympathize with many of the various characters. Bernard Marx is not the "good guy" nor the "bad guy". In another story, the World Controller Mond might have been the evil villain trying to destroy any freedom, and John Savage might have been the passionate hero who wins the pretty girl and ultimately brings that freedom to society. But none of this occurs. The characters in Brave New World are just people, thrust into a world of perfect happiness and perfect harmony, and they each react in their own way. Sure, it's cute to see how the author envisioned the future, and perhaps a bit scary to see some of his "predictions" coming true, but that isn't what makes this book great. What makes it great is that it allows the reader to come to his/her own conclusions. To you, perhaps the World State seems terrifying, or maybe it seems like a nice place to live. To you, perhaps John Savage is the hero, or perhaps the logic and compassion in Mustapha Mond's final words and final actions resonate with you more. Maybe you can relate best to Bernard Marx's flawed personality. I suppose the choice is really yours, because Huxley doesn't make that choice for you. A lot of people say that the story is about entertainment media taking over our society, or about drugs, or about a controlling government, or about morality. I don't think Huxley intended the book to be exclusively about any one of those things, although of course the book makes a statement about them all. As stated above, Brave New World lets you draw your own conclusions about the World State instead of trying to grab you by the collar while screaming "SEE?!? SEE?!? See how horrible a world full of drugs and genetic manipulation would be?" Now, I rate this book a full 5 stars, but here is the "but..." of the review. For the majority of the book, we are treated to a fascinating romp through future science, future sociology, and future beliefs. However, toward the end of the book, John and Mustapha Mond engage in a very lengthy conversation about society and morals and God. To me, I really enjoyed this part. It was a great answer to my lingering question of "Why did society become this way?". To others, it might come off as a preachy, show-offy exposition from Huxley's own heart. Mustapha makes a point about human psychology, and John counters with Shakespeare. Mustapah points to the World State's "happiness", and John counters with God. Mustapha talks about bliss, and John talks about struggling for joy. I enjoyed it, but you might not, especially since it breaks away from the overall pace and feel of the rest of the book. Nevertheless, this book is well worth reading. It can be finished by a diligent reader in a weekend, and it contains a lot of thought-provoking ideas that will stick with you long after the final page.

Read this many moons ago, it's worthy of re-reading it was that good.

Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World was published in 1932, a fact that is truly astonishing if you pick this novel up blindly. Set in a dystopian London, this book that I’d gladly describe as cinematic, follows future citizens through their nightmarish brave new world, with little to no resemblance to our own. While Huxley’s novel wasn’t specifically written for me and my literary tastes, I am continuously amazed by this book. Keeping the time that it was written in mind makes for a truly captivating reading experience as Huxley has managed to weave a story that’s timeless and interesting and terrifying all at once. The protagonist of Brave New World is Bernard Marx, an outsider in this seemingly perfect world where everyone has their place. Although he was born an Alpha Plus, the highest tier in this New World’s society, he’s never felt that he fit in. He feels that he’s always had to fight for respect, whereas with any other Alpha, it’s automatically given. Despite this fact, he doesn’t particularly identify with the lower level Epsilon’s or any other caste, for that matter. Nor does he really fight against these social constraints. Bernard’s main companion is Lenina Crowe, a nurse in the “nursery” where all the lives in this world come from. Unlike Bernard, Lenina is only too happy to accept things the way they are. The main idea of Huxley’s world seems to be to erase emotion and sentiment in its entirety. There’s no place for love or monogamy, for hate or passion, for any type of longstanding commitment or relationship, including family. This society thrives on logical thinking, therefore all evidence of history and deities have been erased. The closest thing to a belief system or god they have is Ford Company founder, Henry Ford, known for his innovation, vision of the future, and ability to get things done. Huxley’s choice of Ford as a messianic figure goes to show that the most important value of this world is production. So why has Brave New World withstood the test of time? Why hasn’t it faded into obscurity like so many other dystopian novels just in the last ten years? I think there are two main reasons. The first, and the one that astounds me most about this book, is its timelessness. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this book was written and published yesterday. The language Huxley used is still incredibly modern and easy to read. That along with the ideas he fearlessly writes about, such as promiscuity and recreational drug use, aren’t something you’d expect from a book written in the early 20th century. Secondly, there is the premise of the book. The idea of all of humanity being a godless, loveless people, is a challenging thought to say the least. On the other hand, it has restored my faith in our race. Surely, we’d never let this happen. And our steadfast faith is for the better, right? My conscience wants to say yes, but logic says we’d be better off without the sentiment. The fact that it got me thinking about these things is why this book is still relevant. It challenges everything we know and hold dear about humanity and the way we are. All of that leaves the question; is Brave New World a good book? For arguments sake, I’m going to say yes. It wasn’t really my cup of tea, it’s not the best science fiction book ever written, and at times the science side of things is complicated and tends to drag on. However Huxley made his point here, which I think was to leave us with questions. What if this was the way things were? Cold, godless, ignorant and adolescent in many ways. This novel is so exceptionally well written that it held my interest despite the fact that it’s not something I’d choose to read outside of an academic setting. One of my favorite quotes was during Bernard’s introduction, which summed up Bernard’s character as well as any of us who have ever felt like an outsider. “Those who feel despised do well to look despising.” In conclusion, I think I can easily say that Aldous Huxley was a visionary. He envisioned and created a world not entirely unlike our own, and fearlessly wrote about things that could make literary critics today shudder. Brave New World is an adventure, despite its like of action, and a poignant look at what exactly makes humans, human.

Pros: A classic that holds up, font and text is clearly readable, the introduction is brief an concise. Cons: From the pictures on Amazon page you cannot clearly tell that the illustration on the hard cover is not engraved into the book itself but just a dusk jacket. I have not found anything in description on the Amazon page that specifies otherwise . For a 90th Anniversary Edition I expected a more premium care/build of the book.

Perfeito!

Estupendo libro, leanlo

A fascinating and unsettling read. Aldous Huxley’s vision of the future is both imaginative and disturbingly plausible, and the themes about society, control, and technology still feel incredibly relevant today. The writing is clear and engaging, and the story raises big questions without ever feeling preachy. It’s the kind of book that sticks with you long after finishing, making you reflect on the world around you. Thought-provoking, clever, and definitely a classic for good reason.

Bardzo fajne wydanie.