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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Worst possible ending to an already weak book
Just just ugh
And from Levin? Ira Levin?
Too mad to write anything constructive. Will edit later
Just just ugh
And from Levin? Ira Levin?
Too mad to write anything constructive. Will edit later
It was fine, and then the main character raped his love interest which she agreed was his only option and asked if he was okay (she had fought back, after all). And I was ready to celebrate that the book recognized and celebrated that women have sexual appetites until it became obvious that, from the perspective of the men in the story, women were still sex objects rather than sexual beings.
As for a review of the plot, Levin always does a great job making parts of the fabricated utopia seductive while still off-putting. The characters were lacking in dimension, but I recognize that this is a symptom of the "dumbing" or the drugging the Members undergo.
As for a review of the plot, Levin always does a great job making parts of the fabricated utopia seductive while still off-putting. The characters were lacking in dimension, but I recognize that this is a symptom of the "dumbing" or the drugging the Members undergo.
The second half wasn’t as strong as I had hoped it to be. The first half, though written well, is rather to-be-expected of a dystopian novel commenting on the dreary and inhuman nature of complete unification. What keeps you reading is the hope that it will pay off in a surprising second act, like most of Levin’s works. That is not the case. The second half introduces a bundle of new characters and a new setting, both of which I didn’t care much for. The ending itself was exactly as I expected and for that reason not very satisfying to read. The most conflicting element of this novel to me is Levin’s portrayal of love and sex. Even during the uncomfortable forced sex scene between Chip and Lilac, I understood that Levin’s message was that as we become more primitive, our human faults and urges will take hold, and there is a balance between primitive and controlled that the characters in the world of This Perfect Day have not found. After that, Chip and Lilac fall in love in the primitive meaning of the word, having a monogamous relationship and welcoming a child (which is a big deal considering sex and relationships are treated as not important and just a weekly pleasure-inducing routine in the world of the novel). In the final act of the story, when Chip reached the underground bunker where the programmers of Unicomp reside, he is quick to have a threesome with two young girls and then proceeds to sleep with one of them nightly, all the while concerned for his wife’s wellbeing. I am confused all around confused: wasn’t the point that relationships are meant to be treated dearly and sex is more than just “a thing to do for pleasure”? Anyways, I lost all compassion for Chip after that, and then at the end he is flying home to his wife, his head spinning as he wonders “What if she got with another man? She couldn’t have!” Why not? You cheated on her! Overall, I think this book does not use its length to its benefit — spending the majority of its pages fleshing out the typical dystopian world which inevitably leads to a rather unsatisfying conclusion.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Levin is always excellent. Like LOGAN’S RUN, this story concerns a utopian society that turns out to be anything but. A theme for the 60s and 70s. From the 80s onward, we got grungy dystopias, but when I was a kid future societies were overcrowded but antiseptically clean and computer controlled. Levin gives a great and thoroughly enjoyable example here. Amusingly, practically the first thing the protagonists do once free of computer control is... smoke!
Ira Levin explores some terrifying, exciting themes in This Perfect Day. What if what we accept isn't all there is? How is happiness related to our ability to choose, and to feel sadness? What might we do to "fit in", and how might that 'contented smile in place between the first chime and the last' be difficult to achieve?
I enjoyed Chip's character development, though he's pretty much the only relatable character in the book. He's not a protagonist without flaws (as other reviewers note), but his indefatigable Gnosticism is what drives the book and works really well with the aforementioned themes.
Fans of dystopian sci-fi should definitely give it a read.
I enjoyed Chip's character development, though he's pretty much the only relatable character in the book. He's not a protagonist without flaws (as other reviewers note), but his indefatigable Gnosticism is what drives the book and works really well with the aforementioned themes.
Fans of dystopian sci-fi should definitely give it a read.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall, I liked this book quite a bit. It was lacking in the character development department, but it seems like that wasn't the author's purpose in the book, so in a way I don't mind. There was a portion towards the end which dragged a bit for me, but it really picked back up in the last dozen or so pages, which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 3. Really, it should be 3.5. It is very similar to [b:1984|5470|1984|George Orwell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1292266223s/5470.jpg|153313], but not as good. I did find it to be better than [b:Brave New World|5129|Brave New World|Aldous Huxley|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41SJW829TEL._SL75_.jpg|3204877], or maybe it's just that I enjoyed it more. I found its point of view of the society more suited to me. It also has definite similarities to [b:Anthem|667|Anthem|Ayn Rand|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1157143423s/667.jpg|287946], only well written and much more developed. Less a mini-manifesto and more of an actual book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was all over the place with this book. In the beginning, I was completely into it, then I became bored, then I was annoyed, and almost DNF'd it, but I really wanted to see how it ended, so I kept at it. Then it got exciting again! Then it felt all over the place and left me with no closure.
What happened to the world? What happened to the Family? How did people cope? What happened to Chip and Lilac and Jan and Julia? To Kyle? We never find out.
I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it. Chip is not the most likable guy out there, and reading almost 400 pages of his thoughts became tiresome.
I will say, what I thought was most inappropriate about this story was NOT the infamous rape scene. That I actually understood. Mr. Levin had just spent more than half of the book telling us how members of the Family have a completely different attitude toward sex than we do. To them, it's no big deal. They're all so drugged that it really doesn't register as more than a way to pass the time, so I understood why Lilac forgave him so easily after the fact (as she was still under the influence of her meds) and why Chip felt so bad about it afterward (because he was not and understood the what he had done). It really just wasn't that big a deal to her. Now, in OUR lives and OUR society, yes, it's a VERY big deal. But most of us don't have different sexual partners every single week and have sex only on Saturdays because we're told to.
We also don't encourage our children of 12 and 13 years old to have as much sex as they want with as many different partners whenever they want. THAT, I had a problem with. There was no reason for it. Why make them so young? Why not introduce them to sex at 15 or 16 at the earliest?
Anyway, that was my only gripe.
I'm glad I finally read this, as it's been on my TBR list for years, but I didn't love it nearly as much as I thought I would. 'The Stepford Wives' is one of my favorite books, but I think this one just went on a little longer than my interest could stand.
What happened to the world? What happened to the Family? How did people cope? What happened to Chip and Lilac and Jan and Julia? To Kyle? We never find out.
I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it. Chip is not the most likable guy out there, and reading almost 400 pages of his thoughts became tiresome.
I will say, what I thought was most inappropriate about this story was NOT the infamous rape scene. That I actually understood. Mr. Levin had just spent more than half of the book telling us how members of the Family have a completely different attitude toward sex than we do. To them, it's no big deal. They're all so drugged that it really doesn't register as more than a way to pass the time, so I understood why Lilac forgave him so easily after the fact (as she was still under the influence of her meds) and why Chip felt so bad about it afterward (because he was not and understood the what he had done). It really just wasn't that big a deal to her. Now, in OUR lives and OUR society, yes, it's a VERY big deal. But most of us don't have different sexual partners every single week and have sex only on Saturdays because we're told to.
We also don't encourage our children of 12 and 13 years old to have as much sex as they want with as many different partners whenever they want. THAT, I had a problem with. There was no reason for it. Why make them so young? Why not introduce them to sex at 15 or 16 at the earliest?
Anyway, that was my only gripe.
I'm glad I finally read this, as it's been on my TBR list for years, but I didn't love it nearly as much as I thought I would. 'The Stepford Wives' is one of my favorite books, but I think this one just went on a little longer than my interest could stand.