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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
What marked this book as great to me was its ability to continually force me to notice the truths of the book upon our own world. Constantly I returned to passages rereading for hints on how to deal with the problems I see around me. I love the book.
I had such a difficult time getting involved in this book. The characters were weak and underdeveloped. I had little interest in the events and world that Huxley created. The end saved the book a little for me with the discussion between Mustapha Mond and the savage before his hermitage to the lighthouse. Other than that, I was quite uninterested with the end. I had no connection with the savage so it was difficult to feel any emotions with his demise. This came on the heels of Anna Karenina which has the strongest character development I've encountered in fiction thus far.
Great book! Provides a critical perspective on technology, politics, and society; and how each influences the other. I wish we would've read his Brave New World Revisited essays in my political science and philosophy classes in college. I wonder how Huxley would have used our modern technologies if he wrote the book today. Modern television, the internet, and social media would be a most interesting addition to the story and to his essays. I would also be interested in his perspective on our brave new world, and what his vision for the future would be now.
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I will freely admit to not always being the most perceptive analyst of themes in fiction, but unless I am gravely mistaken, any positive reputation of this work deserves to be disregarded. If we are to take for granted that dystopian novels generally portray society in ways that the author opposes, it would appear Huxley takes the most issue with socialism, sexual promiscuity, and overpopulation. At first glance, personal freedom seems to also be held in high regard by Huxley, though it doesn't take long to realize his beliefs do not actually support this. I would first point out how I can think of few things more liberating than sexual and economic freedom. There is also the rather large elephant in the room, taking the form of supporting a mandated eugenics program. This is a fairly anti-freedom stance, I would dare to say, and another example of Huxley's lack of prescience. I suppose if there's one truly good thing to come out of this work, it's the undeniable impact Huxley would have on Orwell. Though having read them both now, I'm baffled the two are talked about in the same breath.
My high school English teacher opened my eyes with this book. Absolutely loved it. Everyone should read it just once.
2.5/5 Readability
3.0/5 Characters
3.5/5 Plot
3.5/5 World Building
5.0/5 Themes
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3.5/5 Total
dark
reflective
medium-paced