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franklyfrank's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
3.25
revisorium's review against another edition
4.0
Although most of the book was just Guest being told in long paragraphs what the world was now like, it was interesting to see Morris' vision of a socialist utopian future.
karinlib's review against another edition
3.0
After a meeting with fellow socialists a man returns to his home in Hammersmith, wakes up in the morning in a future Hammersmith (2001 is mentioned). This future is an idyllic world of everyone working at what they are best suited, whether it is artistic or farming. England now has no government, money or marriage. The people are actually afraid of running out of work to do. It is truly interesting to see Morris' idea of utopia
avapava's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.25
Of course, with anything like this this, it can be rather dull at points. I would be lying pretentiously if I said otherwise! But I felt so sad at the end because Morris really does put forth a vision of a beautiful, competition-free, calm and fulfilling life through pleasurable work, freedom of movement, lack of money. I will think about it for a long time most likely.
amberhayward's review against another edition
2.0
I took a course on Utopian literature and I always get this book confused with Looking Backwards which makes some since, I guess, as I just learned News was a response to Looking.
This book contains:
- monogamy without official marriage
- no big cities
- socialism all over the place
- creative and pleasurable occupations only
- no standardized education
2 stars, according to what the box tells me when I hover my mouse over it, means that I liked it and that's pretty accurate though I do not anticipate re-reading it for any reason.
This book contains:
- monogamy without official marriage
- no big cities
- socialism all over the place
- creative and pleasurable occupations only
- no standardized education
2 stars, according to what the box tells me when I hover my mouse over it, means that I liked it and that's pretty accurate though I do not anticipate re-reading it for any reason.
meganium's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
alicechris's review against another edition
2.5
This is a really weird book that I wanted to like but ended up feeling just sort of average about. I love Morris's designs and had a vague idea he'd done some communist writing, and then found this by chance. After reading a lot of dystopia last year (Parable of the Sower + Talents) I was excited to try a utopian novel.
I don't want to be too critical because the book is a product of its time, and some of it did really resonate with me - finding meaning in crafts and nature, and a vision of England (although nations don't seem to exist anymore) as a 'garden, where nothing is wasted and nothing is spoilt'. Although some changes in this future seem very personal (Morris didn't like Manchester and so it ceased to exist), his vision of what a city could be will stick with me, and feels really relevant to current environmentalism (especially as someone who wrote a dissertation on urban green space).
It because clear pretty quickly there isn't a place for me in Morris's utopia - women are mostly housekeepers (at one point Morris talks about the emancipation of women as being pointless...) and there are so many descriptions of women as being more attractive in the future. Morris's self-insert also has a creepy romance with a 20 year old (he is in his fifties, and you can kind of infer he has a wife and kids). Health problems will apparently all disappear under communism too, can't wait!
I find Morris's backwards looking communism intriguing - at some points he seems to fall into the Victorian myth of a previous golden era of democracy (or in this case communism I guess) ended by the Norman conquest, and so his ideals feel less about potential, and so less radical, than they could do. This probably also explains a thread of what I'm calling 'Thames Valley patriotism' in the book.
On its own terms, this book is pretty good, but I do feel I've lost some respect for Morris now unfortunately. One of the good things about reading someone else's utopia is it's helped me sharpen what my own might be, and reminded me of Octavia E. Butler's 'The Book of Martha' - no one is going to be satisfied by anyone else's ideal world, so it's not surprising that Morris's pitch didn't totally win me over.
I don't want to be too critical because the book is a product of its time, and some of it did really resonate with me - finding meaning in crafts and nature, and a vision of England (although nations don't seem to exist anymore) as a 'garden, where nothing is wasted and nothing is spoilt'. Although some changes in this future seem very personal (Morris didn't like Manchester and so it ceased to exist), his vision of what a city could be will stick with me, and feels really relevant to current environmentalism (especially as someone who wrote a dissertation on urban green space).
It because clear pretty quickly there isn't a place for me in Morris's utopia - women are mostly housekeepers (at one point Morris talks about the emancipation of women as being pointless...) and there are so many descriptions of women as being more attractive in the future. Morris's self-insert also has a creepy romance with a 20 year old (he is in his fifties, and you can kind of infer he has a wife and kids). Health problems will apparently all disappear under communism too, can't wait!
I find Morris's backwards looking communism intriguing - at some points he seems to fall into the Victorian myth of a previous golden era of democracy (or in this case communism I guess) ended by the Norman conquest, and so his ideals feel less about potential, and so less radical, than they could do. This probably also explains a thread of what I'm calling 'Thames Valley patriotism' in the book.
On its own terms, this book is pretty good, but I do feel I've lost some respect for Morris now unfortunately. One of the good things about reading someone else's utopia is it's helped me sharpen what my own might be, and reminded me of Octavia E. Butler's 'The Book of Martha' - no one is going to be satisfied by anyone else's ideal world, so it's not surprising that Morris's pitch didn't totally win me over.
franceswilde95's review against another edition
4.0
I actually preferred this to Thomas Mores Utopia- the way that this Utopia seems achievable, even through bloodshed and reality. I love Morris and his Communist yet pragmatic influence. I love the idea of working for pleasure, of craft. A society based on positive intuition rather than the threat of punishment constraining individuals into specialisation in their production line work, and factory line environments.
elli_yu's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
annamulcahy's review against another edition
informative
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
2.0