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jfrostking's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This story is meant to present varying philosophical ideas and is not really about the story, but rather the ideas the story presents.
aspygirlsmom_1995's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
shadybanana's review
3.0
It was my first Aldous Huxley novel and since the protagonist is very cynical, it automatically gives a light touch to the novel. The story line is very fascinating in the start and the various Palanese customs and traditions are really awe-inspiring. The plot of the story is actually a bit mainstream about how someone wants to remove the core local values but overall I would say that the character sketches are perhaps my favorite thing from the novel
ericode's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
An extended essay masquerading as a novel. Page upon page upon page of cumbersome, highly unnatural dialog that only serves as a pulpit - to expound of philosophies of politics, religion, medicine, commercialism, exploitation, life and death... As other reviewers have said, I'd probably agree with most of Huxley's leanings had this been written as an essay or a series of lectures, but, as a novel, Island is a tedious bore.
pineconek's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I am of two minds about this book. Firstly: RIP Huxley, old chap, you would've loved the 21st century. But also: Aldous, my beloved, I know that you can write a good plot but you actively didn't try with this one.
Island is a collection of essays stacked in a trench coat and packaged as a novel. Our main character, struggling with grief, alienation, and capitalism, finds himself marooned in a quasi utopian society. Various members of the society give him a tour and tell him about the virtues of the island: their approach to child rearing, healthcare, sex and love, psychedelics, the economy, labour, property, and all other things that contrast starkly with the main character's experiences of capitalist England. These diatribes are written like Socratic essays, with our main character serving as an open minded skeptic, occasionally interrupting the speaker and allowing for additional precisions and corrections.
And so Huxley describes his utopia. I largely agree with his vision, and really enjoyed the individual "essays". I particularly liked the ideas around community-based approach to child rearing as well as around how responsible recreational drug use can be beneficial. This latter point is discussed with nuance and interesting to consider alongside how he discussed Soma in Brave New World.
Anyway, what I'm saying is that I would've joined Aldous' hippie commune. Probably.
Not recommended if you're looking for another Brave New World, or even any novel. This series of essays wearing a trench coat can get repetitive, dry, and tedious. But the ideas are interesting, and worth reading if you're interested in questions of what makes a happy and prosperous society. 2.75 stars on SG, rounded up to 3 for GR.
Island is a collection of essays stacked in a trench coat and packaged as a novel. Our main character, struggling with grief, alienation, and capitalism, finds himself marooned in a quasi utopian society. Various members of the society give him a tour and tell him about the virtues of the island: their approach to child rearing, healthcare, sex and love, psychedelics, the economy, labour, property, and all other things that contrast starkly with the main character's experiences of capitalist England. These diatribes are written like Socratic essays, with our main character serving as an open minded skeptic, occasionally interrupting the speaker and allowing for additional precisions and corrections.
And so Huxley describes his utopia. I largely agree with his vision, and really enjoyed the individual "essays". I particularly liked the ideas around community-based approach to child rearing as well as around how responsible recreational drug use can be beneficial. This latter point is discussed with nuance and interesting to consider alongside how he discussed Soma in Brave New World.
Anyway, what I'm saying is that I would've joined Aldous' hippie commune. Probably.
Not recommended if you're looking for another Brave New World, or even any novel. This series of essays wearing a trench coat can get repetitive, dry, and tedious. But the ideas are interesting, and worth reading if you're interested in questions of what makes a happy and prosperous society. 2.75 stars on SG, rounded up to 3 for GR.
randomprogrammer's review against another edition
3.0
Sermon masquerading as a narrative. The worst part is that I rather liked some key messages in Huxley's sermon, but see, I was hoping to read...you know...a book. Huxley could have given the world a much more engaging piece of literature if he had only revealed this utopia in true narrative form, perhaps from the viewpoint of the lifetime of the two children, the island girl and the prince. We could have followed them as they grew, felt the depths of their worldviews, seen the pain of their conflict. We would have identified with both of them, and had to really think and feel about the different systems.
Instead we got a lecture on how to live thinly disguised as a story, and tepidly weak writing as a result. The lecture was a bit too anti materialism and contained a sort of naive positivity towards lifelong drug use, but it had some wonderful stuff about physical activity, adoption clubs, thoughtfulness, teaching. styles, and sexual positivity.
Anyway, I think a prospective reader would do better to read a bullet point summary of Huxley's key propositions on Wikipedia.
Instead we got a lecture on how to live thinly disguised as a story, and tepidly weak writing as a result. The lecture was a bit too anti materialism and contained a sort of naive positivity towards lifelong drug use, but it had some wonderful stuff about physical activity, adoption clubs, thoughtfulness, teaching. styles, and sexual positivity.
Anyway, I think a prospective reader would do better to read a bullet point summary of Huxley's key propositions on Wikipedia.
civil6512's review
3.0
A journalist ends up shipwrecked in the island of Pala, who has lived in an idyllic isolation for the last 100 years.
As this strange visitor is shown around the island, Huxley presents his utopia: health, education, work... and a lot of Eastern philosophy sprinkled with psychedelic drugs.
While some of the concepts are certainly interesting, I found the Island's pace to be too slow at times. The worst disappointment was towards the end, where Huxley describes a psychedelic experience with so much detail... that I saw myself skipping through most of it!
As this strange visitor is shown around the island, Huxley presents his utopia: health, education, work... and a lot of Eastern philosophy sprinkled with psychedelic drugs.
While some of the concepts are certainly interesting, I found the Island's pace to be too slow at times. The worst disappointment was towards the end, where Huxley describes a psychedelic experience with so much detail... that I saw myself skipping through most of it!
ariadnemacquarie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
white man taught morality from the indigenous folks he sought to disenfranchise. the indigenous folks eventually and in due process are disenfranchised anyway, but hey, the dude got high and learned his lesson!
that’s it. that’s the entire novel.
i’m well aware i’m being harsh with this review. but holy shit, aldous. you wrote brave new world and then you wrote this. the messed up part is that i would’ve actually had a much more digestible experience with this text if it were just a series of nonfiction essays from huxley himself discussing moral philosophy, because that’s all this book was: huxley preaching his convictions with a thin, vague, and unsatisfying plotline.
that’s it. that’s the entire novel.
i’m well aware i’m being harsh with this review. but holy shit, aldous. you wrote brave new world and then you wrote this. the messed up part is that i would’ve actually had a much more digestible experience with this text if it were just a series of nonfiction essays from huxley himself discussing moral philosophy, because that’s all this book was: huxley preaching his convictions with a thin, vague, and unsatisfying plotline.
reubenmd's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Let’s have more Utopian fiction. Love a story that starts with the protagonist being given a therapy session and a philosophy book. Ending on a mushroom trip doesn’t hurt ngl.