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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
It's odd to imagine this book predating "1984" by a decade, and I will gladly give Huxley the nod on prescience for the overall trajectory of the world. It is not, however, more prescient in the context of its premise: a world ravaged by war then rebuilt under a totalizing governance. North Korea and few other less straight cases give Orwell the nod on that. The book is also boring. It feels like Huxley spent as much time researching prenatal biochemistry as he did assembling the rest of society, to say nothing of underdeveloped characters or relentless awful poetry. It turns around in the middle and near-end for a bit, but the ideas grounding this book hadn't fully gestated before it was written, much like some apt simile for the London Central Hatchery.
dark
reflective
medium-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:
Complicated
challenging
dark
funny
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Hilariously terrifying. Brutally well written. A perfect tragic ending. It's truly amazing how prophetic Huxley was in writing this masterpiece. I finished this book with a deep pit in my stomach-- it made me want to mimic John by going to the lighthouse and completely logging off to avoid the shallow fate of those around me. But we're all doomed by the narrative in the end-- death (and taxes and modernity and advancement) comes for us all. The question that I'm left with: If we can't beat them, do we have to join them?
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Dystopia but "sexy"
Huxley meditates on the possibility humanity is lost to corporate pleasure and materialism by placing a "savage" (some kid who read Shakespeare) into an orgy and drug loving society to call them strumpets, argue for the necessity of emotion and sin, and ultimately die an outcast adored by the media.
It has interesting ideas (like industrialist Henry Ford becoming a religious figure a la Christ) but suffers from a mediocre plot and inevitable comparisons to 1984 for the sake of proving "society is getting worse because we're doing weed and ha ing casual sex instead of being beat up for saying the wrong thing" type surface level analysis.
Plot may not be the point of a dystopian novel, but it would have helped to potentially push some deconstruction into the minds of the other characters and maybe have them explore healthy sexuality or sobriety from materialism.
The Grand Inquisitor scene here is arguably stronger than O'Brien's scenes with Winston in 1984
Huxley meditates on the possibility humanity is lost to corporate pleasure and materialism by placing a "savage" (some kid who read Shakespeare) into an orgy and drug loving society to call them strumpets, argue for the necessity of emotion and sin, and ultimately die an outcast adored by the media.
It has interesting ideas (like industrialist Henry Ford becoming a religious figure a la Christ) but suffers from a mediocre plot and inevitable comparisons to 1984 for the sake of proving "society is getting worse because we're doing weed and ha ing casual sex instead of being beat up for saying the wrong thing" type surface level analysis.
Plot may not be the point of a dystopian novel, but it would have helped to potentially push some deconstruction into the minds of the other characters and maybe have them explore healthy sexuality or sobriety from materialism.
The Grand Inquisitor scene here is arguably stronger than O'Brien's scenes with Winston in 1984
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual content, Suicide
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Police brutality
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
In Brave New World, Huxley makes astute observations about the human condition that solidifies it as a smart piece of literature and differentiates it from its commonly named counterpart, George Orwell's 1984. While 1984 describes a society built on oppression and control, Brave New World's society is meant to be a tad alluring. Seductive, even, in its mission to ensure stability and harmony at the expense of hard work and passion.
While Orwell's characters grasp onto pieces of their humanity, Huxley explores how much of our humanity is innate or conditioned. Essentially, Huxley engages in the nature vs. nurture argument, which manifests in Brave New World as a society built on extreme eugenics and indoctrination.
In short, I appreciate the book, despite the initial reading experience being an endurance test. The first half of Brave New World is a challenging read with its dry prose, absurd humor, and insufferable characters. Some parts of the book are very ahead of its time, but the parts that are not can feel exasperating. However, the back half was revelatory, using its ridiculous setting and unlikeable cast to drive home an important point -- that true happiness demands more than contentment.
While Orwell's characters grasp onto pieces of their humanity, Huxley explores how much of our humanity is innate or conditioned. Essentially, Huxley engages in the nature vs. nurture argument, which manifests in Brave New World as a society built on extreme eugenics and indoctrination.
In short, I appreciate the book, despite the initial reading experience being an endurance test. The first half of Brave New World is a challenging read with its dry prose, absurd humor, and insufferable characters. Some parts of the book are very ahead of its time, but the parts that are not can feel exasperating. However, the back half was revelatory, using its ridiculous setting and unlikeable cast to drive home an important point -- that true happiness demands more than contentment.
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
fast-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:
Yes