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jade_smith's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
3.5
Brave New World is a seminal work of science fiction. It's also very aggressively "of it's time" -- the racism was often jarring. 3.5/5 because it's an important read and absolutely still has thematic resonance today.
nikavalentina's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
eo_741's review against another edition
3.0
Man it’s been long since I’ve read this but i find the story interesting near to the end rather than in the beginning. Some parts in the middle, i think, were very trippy that it feels like you’re imagining on watching a sequence of sorts. I think i should re read it lol
johanneyey's review against another edition
3.0
“Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the overcompensations for misery. And, of course, stability is not nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand.”
ahalsnad's review against another edition
5.0
"We’ve gone on controlling ever since. It hasn’t been very good for truth, of course. But it’s been very good for happiness. One can’t have something for nothing. Happiness has got to be paid for. You’re paying for it, Mr. Watson–paying because you happen to be too much interested in beauty. I was too much interested in truth; I paid too."
The first few chapters were difficult to get through as the story does not seamlessly switch from one scene to another. It was hard for me to understand the flow of the conversation as there wasn't a clear switch.
The plotline of this dystopian world was interesting, where everyone is hypnopaedically-conditioned with particular values from the time they are in their embryonic form in favor of happiness for all humans in the society. It is a stunted world, but they are happy working and enjoying the unlimited pleasantries provided by this brave new world.
I particularly enjoyed the part where the Controller, Mustafa Mond, and the Savage, John, discuss their belief about how humans and society should work.
Mr. Savage: "... Haven't they used his pleasant vices as an instrument to degrade him?"
Controller: “Degrade him from what position? As a happy, hard-working, goods-consuming citizen he’s perfect. Of course, if you choose some other standard than ours, then perhaps you might say he was degraded. But you’ve got to stick to one set of postulates. You can’t play Electro-magnetic Golf according to the rules of Centrifugal Bumble-puppy.”
king_kong's review against another edition
Kinda boring. Started to get really weird. But I'll probably pick it up again sometime in the future.
almondcroissant's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
readtheroom1992's review against another edition
This book started out promising and interesting and I really wanted to finish it for the simple fact that it is a classic. Unfortunately, the book became mind-numbingly boring and was on the brink of putting me into a reading slump. I feel so much better now that I’m putting this book down and moving on to better books. Very original and groundbreaking but too boring for me to care.