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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
I was charged with the task of reading this book for a course on Renaissance literature. The moment I read the first few sentences: [ “Thomas More to Peter Giles, sends greeting. I am almost ashamed, right well-beloved Peter Giles, to send unto you this book of the Utopian commonwealth well-nigh after a year’s space, which I am sure you looked for within a month and a half. And no marvel”], I yawned. This book is not at all what I was expecting. I expected a work of fiction in which descriptions were interesting and pleasing to the ear, and dialogue was short and clipped like regular speech. Instead, Utopia is a long-winded series of descriptions of a perfect society.
However, even though it is a difficult read and hard to get into, this book is extremely important. Do not read Utopia under the pretext that you will be swept away into a story. It’s not a story. It is a portrait of a country that (according to Sir Thomas More) is perfect in every way. The reason why this book is important is because it points out what is wrong with modern society. It is at once a work of fiction, a travelogue, a philosophical discussion, and a satirical piece.
Sir Thomas More, the author of Utopia, features as a prominent character in the book. He is the narrator who recounts a long-winded story by the philosophical learned man called Raphael Hythloday. Raphael Hythloday, is a completely fictional character (unlike Sir Thomas More and Peter Giles) who voyages to the island of Utopia and lives there for five years. Everyone listening to Raphael’s tale is intrigued, and it’s no wonder, the island is full of many strange customs.
Here is one of the cultural practices worth mentioning: Young Utopians who are destined to be married see each other naked before they are married so that they know what they are getting into. Honestly, I was not expecting this for a text that was written in the 1500s. This was probably the only instance when I laughed out loud.
The rest of the text is full of descriptions on how the government works, the roles of women in society, war in society, work, leisure, religion, city structures, houses, and so on and so forth. Some of it is interesting, but it is usually plagued with philosophical discourse that is in a long-winded style akin to a typical text from the sixteenth century.
However, even though it is a difficult read and hard to get into, this book is extremely important. Do not read Utopia under the pretext that you will be swept away into a story. It’s not a story. It is a portrait of a country that (according to Sir Thomas More) is perfect in every way. The reason why this book is important is because it points out what is wrong with modern society. It is at once a work of fiction, a travelogue, a philosophical discussion, and a satirical piece.
Sir Thomas More, the author of Utopia, features as a prominent character in the book. He is the narrator who recounts a long-winded story by the philosophical learned man called Raphael Hythloday. Raphael Hythloday, is a completely fictional character (unlike Sir Thomas More and Peter Giles) who voyages to the island of Utopia and lives there for five years. Everyone listening to Raphael’s tale is intrigued, and it’s no wonder, the island is full of many strange customs.
Here is one of the cultural practices worth mentioning: Young Utopians who are destined to be married see each other naked before they are married so that they know what they are getting into. Honestly, I was not expecting this for a text that was written in the 1500s. This was probably the only instance when I laughed out loud.
The rest of the text is full of descriptions on how the government works, the roles of women in society, war in society, work, leisure, religion, city structures, houses, and so on and so forth. Some of it is interesting, but it is usually plagued with philosophical discourse that is in a long-winded style akin to a typical text from the sixteenth century.
challenging
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I though this would suck or at least be hard to read, but the book is amazing. Fascinating that the dude had such ideas in the 16th century. Really, really wild. And it's short too!
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
This is a very modern book for being written in the 16th century. Many of his ideas are still being struggled with in this century. (The last chapter about religion was a pain in the ass though and not really a modern view haha)
read this for my 16th-18th century english history and culture course i'm taking this semester.
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I've read this book countless times, and it always surprises me that a 500+ year old book describing the perfect place can have 1. clear inequality but 2. things we have and/or fight for having today. It's such an interesting look into Tudor thought
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Colonisation, War, Classism
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Misogyny, Violence
informative
reflective
medium-paced
2,5 puntos, redondeados hacia arriba por el pertinente estudio previo.
Utopía es un libro que se sigue leyendo a pesar de haber sido publicado hace 500 años. No solo eso, ya de por sí su título pasó a ser una palabra en nuestro idioma. Y en varios más, claro. Pero, ¿de qué va?
El libro es una especie de relato de viaje al estilo Marco Polo o los viajes de Gulliver. Comienza con un diálogo entre el mismo Tomás Moro y su amigo Peter, a quienes muy pronto se les une un tercero: Rafael, un filósofo-navegante de quien dependerá la mayor parte de la narración.
La obra se divide en dos libros. En el primero, Moro y su amigo intentan convencer a Rafael de lo provechoso que sería contar con una persona culta y de mundo como él al servicio del Rey; el viajero rechaza sistemáticamente sus argumentos, ya que, según expresa, a menos que el mismo Rey sea un filósofo, nada lo alejará de sus potenciales inclinaciones hacia la codicia y el egoísmo, por más sabios que fuesen los consejos que reciba.
En el segundo libro, Rafael comienza con su descripción de la isla de Utopía propiamente dicha. Así, se deshace en detalles sobre varios aspectos de la vida en ese lugar: de lo político a la vida social, de lo religioso a lo militar, entre otros. De esta manera, nos va formando un cuadro de cómo es este inexistente e imposible país. Sorprende con algunos conceptos muy adelantados para su época, como la eutanasia o la tolerancia religiosa; otros, como la esclavitud o ciertas observaciones jocosas sobre la preparación para el matrimonio, harán a más de un lector actual levantar una ceja.
El libro me ha desorientado un poco, no solo porque no era el formato que esperaba sino por la tensión entre lo que cada uno de nosotros piensa sobre lo que sería una utopía, y esta Utopía que nos presenta Moro. Francamente, ni él está tan tan convencido de que las alternativas propuestas fuesen lo mejor para la Inglaterra de ese momento, pero sí que es food for thought para cada uno de los temas propuestos. Da incluso que pensar, en que tal vez un gobierno con algunos defectos sea mejor que la tiranía de una idea individual de perfección.