Brave New World

Rating:
Summary: Quite the Book
Review: In my opinion, this is quite the book. It is a bit scary, though; because of how plausible it all sounds. The basic premise is this: it's a perfect future society where people are made into who they're supposed to be, common grunt worker, or intellect. Also, people are conditioned by listening to the same thing every night, to believe that it doesn't matter if someone dies, because society lives on. If something does threaten this perfect society, there is always soma, the perfect drug with no side effects. Well, Bernard Marx and Lelina Crowne go to a "savage" reservation, to see how people who aren't in "culture" exist. They stop there, and meet a young man named John. It turns out that he is actually a civilized person who grew up with the savages. They learn that his father was a man Bernard knows and dislikes intensely. So they bring John back to civilization, partly to ruin Bernard's enemy's life (you have to understand, "mother" and "father" are considered swear words.) They also do it partly to do experiments on him, to see if he has any conditioning, since both his parents did, but he hasn't. When he first gets to civilization he thinks it's great. Then he starts to realize that everyone is basically a zombie high on soma or civilization, and that no one really thinks on their own. The price for the perfection of society is art, literature, religion, and God. When he sees twins being conditioned not to care about his mother's death, he sort of snaps, and to see what happens, you'll have to read the book. I give this book a very high review, and part of the reason is it seems like it could happen. Right now, obviously, we don't make ninety-four twins from a single fetus, or put alcohol into the fetuses of the babies we want to be dumber. People can already pick if they want their kid to be a boy or girl, though, so it's not that big of a step to make their kid smart or stupid. I really liked most of this entire book. The only problem! , and it was very slight, was that parts of it were pretty hard to understand. Maybe that was part of the "atmosphere" or something. Another thing I liked was the ending. It was not a happy ending. I'll just leave it at that for those of you who haven't read it. If you're into science fiction, future doomsday stuff, or good literature, this book is for you.

Rating:
Summary: An amazing book
Review: Huxley portrays a perfect society, where everyone is healthy and happy. Disease is non-existant, war has ended, and everyone has plenty of free time, with nothing to worry about. This is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: the good, the bad, the ugly
Review: This book disappointed me some in the middle and impressed me greatly at the end. Originally published in the 1930s, "Brave New World" can only be more relevant today. However, one does get tired of the "1984"/"Brave New World" faith in an all-wise authority able to crush so thoroughly human freedom. At the end of a 20th century which has seen much real life totalitarian government, we can witness that no man-made institution has proved as skillful as in Orwell's or Huxley's dysutopias. It is more like the totalitarian governments have been more sluggishly brutal and mindlessly inept! And even as one will find plenty of people in "consumer societies" ready to drug themselves senseless and to live only for pleasure, so you find plenty of people who still live for the beauty of the poets and according to the wisdom of the sages. I also suspect most people were not so much wiser or appreciative of beauty and philosophy in the 19th century and earlier. Huxley lady protests too much, methinks. Nevertheless, the part when John the Savage confronts the Controller is literature of the highest rank; and I look it as a powerful statement more to individuals than to societies. But all the test tubes and talcum powder and soma and banalities seemed to me artistically inferior to the stark brutality of Orwell's "1984." It is interesting to see how much Koestler's "Darkness at Noon" and "1984" and "Brave New World" and Bradbury's "Farenheit 451" feed on each other! But I wonder if we have not exhausted this genre?

Rating:
Summary: A characteristic manifestation of Huxley's intelligence.
Review: The wonderful thing about Huxley is that his supreme intelligence delights -- but never intimidates -- the reader. One is aware of being dominated , but pleasantly and ineluctably, in much the same way as one is overwhelmed by the playing of a virtuoso of the calibre of Jascha Heifetz or Glenn Gould. " Brave New World" is a characteristic product of Huxley's playful genius. One marvels at -- envies! -- his effortless resourcefulness and elegant prose. All these superlatives apply to any Huxley novel. But in BNW he achieved the virtually impossible feat of producing a work whose content exceeded the elegance of form that came naturally to him, thereby establishing his literary longevity. To echo one of my fellow electronic correspondents: Bravo Aldous! -- John L. Bell.

Rating:
Summary: Classic
Review: Huxley portrays a "perfect" society, where everyone is healthy and happy. Disease is non-existent, war has ended, and everyone has plenty of free time. Everyone knows there place in society. The "perfect" society has paid the price for stability by getting rid of things like religion, art, and love. Excellent book, not nearly as predictable or linear as I had expected.

Rating:
Summary: Much better than the movie
Review: For those of you who saw the NBC version of this, the book is much better! While the movie had that sappy ending, the book cuts no punches. I'm 15, and I think I grasped this book pretty well, so anybody, and everybody can, and should read this book! Very good!

Rating:
Summary: What Everyone forgets...
Review: This is a book which was written in the 1930's and had dramatic insight to the hippie revolution and even now with the genetic copying of species like Molly the sheep. Even though experimenting with halucinatory drugs in his life, Huxley was still a genius and visionary. He should deserve the utmost respect.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting insight into the truth of life
Review: this book was a bit slow starting out...but i think that was a good technique to show the lack of life in Society...then, in the scene when Lenina seduces John, the book really came alive...life, Life, LIFE!!! It was like society was a recipe ade without salt....and then John had the "salt" and while it was not always a good thing, it added flavor...the shadow that defined that on which the sun shone...then, when i put the book down i had the creepiest feeling that i was not safe....worse than Faulkner or a horror-movie...Brave New World is awesome

Rating:
Summary: The most frightful prediction of the future ever written.
Review: Most people have never heard of this book. A book which, in my opinion, is better then Orwell's 1984. Brave New World is an illustration of Huxley's prediction of the world after Henry Ford makes it possible for mass-production of the automobile. The world, as Huxley preceives it, is run by Ford and the Controllers. Humans are born in test tubes, Promiscuity is encouraged and Soma ( evidently prozac) is taken regularly. Huxley's future is a future where the word "Ford" replaces God and Lord...where the words "Mother" and "Father" are considered dirty and inapproriate. All together his portrayl is terrifying, his descripitions of events: horrifying, and his new invented concept of "Everyone belong[ing] to everyone else" (Huxley), is outrageous.
Recently; however, NBC has turned this wonderous classic into a sorrid love story of chaotic endings. Those of you who have seen this movie and now think that that is what Brave New World is really about, I urge you to think again. Read the book. Close your eyes and imagine. Step in to A BRAVE NEW WORLD.

Rating:
Summary: He didn't look into the future he projected his present
Review: The Key to understanding the meaning of this book are found within Aldous' eyes. To know his life and the history of his period, that is, the substance of his projection, the associations are clear. What experience,-what fuel, kindled his vision? This question is key. And realizing this, one is not as tempted to grade Huxley's prophetic accuracy. An awareness of how people conversed during his period is also helpful in reading some drawn out dialouge. What may seem boring to the young reader today, was rather brazen in his day. Respecting these differences is key to the analysis of intent. Also, any knowlege of his other works will also allow a better grip on his psyche. Point Counter Point and The Doors Of Perception are a couple. I was assigned this book in high school and have since read it a few times. I found a biography at a yardsale that's from 1973. It was written by Sybille Bedford. What a life ole Aldous had. This provides great insights into his perception, his times, and his visions.