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Summary: Brave New World
Review: This book reminded me of the novel "1984" by George Orwell. George Orwell and Aldous Huxley seems to contain some similarity; George Orwell focuses more deeply into totalitarinism, whereas Huxley tries to imply the effects of despotic policies. The book's plot is the prediction of the future. Huxley like Orwell takes place as an oracle...he predicts that in the future humans would no longer evolve from a natural state, instead human production would become a manufacturing process. They would "hatch" from labotorial embryos and from birth would be brainwashed to accept the criterias the ruler (in this case a form of totalitarinism) had as rules. Such predictions strike me in awe because Huxely wrote this novel in the early 1900's, but his depictions are of certain relavance to the technological capablities we can acheive today. Even today, the technology available in "Brave New World" is not considered impossible. Through this book one considers the effects and the consequences of such a world. A world dominated by one despotic ruler and through him society evolves. Humans are no longer different or original...we are all of the trite spiecies. This book makes us consider this as possible and not the impossible. This is why I think this book is a book definitely worth to read.
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Summary: Frightening awake to reality ?
Review: Well if you are doubting about buying this book. Do not hesitate, buy it. It is not the best written book ever but its contents are today more present than ever. The story is supposed to happen in the future, a future that has become close to the present. But yet again, there is hope. The book can help us to wake up and think seriously about what our world has become and what we can do to avoid falling down further in Huxley's society of loveless and meaningless existences.
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Summary: Classical philosophical questions.
Review: In the society that revers Henry Ford, the father of mass production, as God, people are predestined to be born into one of the social classes. The lucky few are made to be born physically attractive, possessing supreme intellect and will later become scientists and governors. Others are deliberately made to be born crippled, ugly and retarded to different extends will eventually become manual-labor workers. However, through hypnosis the society makes sure that its every single member will absolutely love his life, no matter what he or she is doing. People's lives are essentially reduced to pre-programmed existence, but people don't mind, since they don't realize that things can be different.Nevertheless, in this society there are no wars, no decease, no violence. Everybody is happy, lives are simple but good. What could be possibly missing? In Brave New World Huxley is trying to find out what makes one's life worth living. Beneath the sci-fi exterior of the Brave New World lie profound philosophical issues - the value of freedom of choice, and the ability to determine your own destiny. I find BNW to be an excellent thought-provoking material. The quality of the novel is somewhat marred by the too-detailed description of this futuristic society. I think Huxley could have spent less time on that, and more time on attending to the really important issues in this novel. Nonetheless, Brave New World is a terrific novel, definitely a must for someone who enjoys thought-provoking literature.
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Summary: Oh Brave New World
Review: It is 654 A.F. God has been removed from society. People now turn towards the government for their comfort not a chapel. What has happened? Science has happened. Man has taken the role of God and Man now has indirect control over everybody, everywhere. Children aren't born nowadays. The truth is, most people don't know the word "parent," and the people who do are afraid of it. No you are not born, Man creates you. You now start as an embryo in a little jar. That jar sits on a large conveyor belt moving slowly towards adulthood. Why has man chose to do this? One word: Stability. This is not the only surprise that Huxley intertwines into this faced paced piece of scientific literature. He portrays an unimaginable life that blows you mind away. His writing style just grabs you by the collar and pulls you into to this amazing story about life in future time. This scientific masterpiece isn't just about the future. Aldous Huxley ties in the story of a Savage brought in from the Malpais Indian tribe. He is oblivious to world outside his clay house. When he is brought to sense about the brave new world that he was born into, it disgust him to the largest extent. This roller coaster of a book will keep you pinned to you seat throughout the whole ride. It is definitely a must read.
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Summary: Outstanding book, grim yet uplifting
Review: Brave New World is a worthy book, that is not nearly as dark as it could be. A truly unrealistic view as to what may happen in the future allows for a comfortable distance between what is put forth in the book and what is possible, yet some elements to be seen in Huxley's world can be seen in our own, even today. An excellent choice for anyone looking for a book that can provide intellectual stimulation while remaining enjoyable and entertaining.
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Summary: This book got me thinking about the future.
Review: Brave New World was an interesting book that I definitely think was worth reading. I enjoyed reading every minute of it, yet sometimes it was confusing. At the beginning I didn't always understand what was going on. This book really makes you think about the future, and what it might be like in the years to come. It's so weird to hear the characters talking about how horrible our era is. They found the old people at the indian reservation disgusting because they never age. How strange in this day and age. I find the book very odd, but I'm very glad I read it for English class.
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Summary: It goes either way
Review: It was one of the most fascinating and intriguing books Ive ever read. There are two depths to this story and I dont mean intellectual, but rather you can decide to coast it and bounce from place to place accepting or you can pick the people you like and the ones you dont. Either way is perfectly fine, but it gives one different perspectives I beleive. I did both, choosing to side with some and dislike others but ultimately to tag along with the story and watch it. It is probably the weirdest yet most accurate thing I have ever read. The reality of it is frightening, and truthfully I hope the human society never reaches such a level. A human race laced with cold emotionless joy, nothing to fear (which is a defining factor in each of us) life carries itself it out with no point. Only a few who are considered essentially odd and one who has not been brought up in this terrifying surrounding but rather in the "inferrior" native culture can recognize any fault with society (which incidentally is the only reason this system works - every one is happy with it because there isnt any other way). It is almost to weird to read but its not really and if followed, it proves both margianally disatsifying but utterly rewarding.
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Summary: grata lectura de un clasico
Review: un mundo feliz Esta novela ha sido un despertar en muchos aspectos. Despertar a una realidad de hombres dormidos a un mundo de hombres despiertos y que aspiran a la libertad. No es que a esta altura de mi vida y después de tantos libros no tuviera mas o menos esa idea formada de la sociedad futurista, sino que me atrae la mordacidad con que su autor la expresa. Una sociedad como la que aquí se describe debió parecer chocante e irreal en ese entonces, pero si observamos los cambios que ha sufrido la sociedad desde ese entonces, muchas cosas que parecían increíbles e incluso ridículas, se han vuelto tan normales que no sabemos como podían vivir las personas de otros tiempos sin cosas tan elementales como nuestros soma-prozac, los teléfonos móviles, las computadoras y la demás parafarnelia de equipos que nos acompañan y nos hacen la vida mas fácil en nuestro ajetreo diario por consumir y consumirnos, por encajar dentro de los patrones de normalidad de una sociedad en la que a pesar de haber cruzado la línea de un nuevo milenio se muestra tan intolerante e intransigente con las personas que no se amoldan a ciertos estándares. Estoy de acuerdo con el autor en que un verdadero cambio de la sociedad radica en un cambio interno de cada ser humano. Una comunidad no debe pretender cambiar el rostro y pensar que ya todo esta listo. Solo un cambio dentro de nosotros mismos puede generar un cambio externo duradero. Luis Méndez
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Summary: Oh The Horror!
Review: My Opinion: I didn't find any characters that I was able to like. One is given a choice between insanity and lunacy as Huxley says in his forward. I picked neither. The book was dark and depressing. This might have been the point, but I don't have to like it. I would have liked it more had there been a main character that was more of a hero or an individual in this society of clones. If it would have been more about Helmholtz's struggles or if John would have been less crazy, I think it would have been better for me. Instead we are faced with the horror of drug addicted society members and the insanity of a savage that has a warped set of morals.
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Summary: A Utopian Hell??
Review: This novel was extremely tense and thought provoking. There aren't many books out there that are so deep and grab at you. This book gives you a view of the future, a world where genetics rules and individualism and emotion are removed. It shows the consequences and the benefits of such a society. You will agree and disagree with many of Huxley's ideas. But one thing, he was ahead of his time. It not quite like Gattica, but similiar in it's concept, the idolization of perfection and how far we will go to acheive it. A world of perfection, where everyone is "happy", without really having the emotions. Where people are conditioned to feel and act and react a certain way. Everyday little things that we take for granted are prohibited, in fact out-lawed, by this society. But even in this perfect world are the weird and the wrong. Take Benard Marx and his friend H. Watson. Two men who know there is something more than just soma, an intoxicating drug, the feelies, "orgy-porgy" films, scent factories and promiscuous sex. One of the key people are what Huxley calls the Alpha males, the top, the best. For Benard Marx, he is a small figured bright man with insecurities abou this size and Hemoltez Watson, an Emotional Engineer, bored with the unfeelingness of his world. Even though Watson and Marx know something is askew about the their world, it doesn't come home until they meet John, an uncivilized animal but the son of two "civilized" people. John takes on the form of the moral and the inquisitive part of the conscious. Why take away emotion, individualism, science, art, etc. he demands. Even the right to be unhappy. Many elements are incorporated into this complex novel of the human evolution, the future of mankind as we know it, ethics and morals, genetic perfection and sex. Everything we hold so dear to us in this day in age is reversed and rejected at every angle. This is definitely not for the weak of heart, you have to be willing to understand with an open mind, or you will hate it. This book, in fact, may offend some of you. But I ask you, give it a chance, you will learn from it.
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