Rating: Summary: Give me Detumescence! Review: The only other Aldous Huxley book I ever read was "Brave New World," and that was at least ten years ago. For most people, I think that is the only Huxley book they know about. It's a shame, because this book, "Ape and Essence," is a true Huxley gem. The back of the book says Huxley wrote this in 1948 as a response to the use of atomic weapons in WWII and the emerging Cold War. "Brave New World" showed us a future of soma-laden people cared for by the state from cradle to grave. "Ape and Essence" doesn't have anything nearly as pleasant as soma. In this new world, people are ruled by a satanic theocracy after a nuclear war.The book is pretty easy to describe. Two Hollywood types find a manuscript that dropped off a truck bound for the incinerator. The script is entitled, "Ape and Essence," by a William Tallis. Somebody didn't care much for his script; they marked it incinerate and underlined that word twice. The two read the script and try to find Mr. Tallis, only to discover that he died a few months earlier. What follows this brief introduction is the script, in its entirety. "Ape and Essence" is about a post-nuclear holocaust world. New Zealand escaped the holocaust, and now they are sending explorers to America to see how the world is coming along. The main character here is Dr. Poole, a botanist. The survivors who roam the ruins of Los Angeles capture Poole and agree to let him live if he can improve crop production. Poole witnesses some unusual behavior amongst the natives, behavior that is explained to him by the archpriest of Belial. Huxley uses this odd world as a backdrop for his own views on humanity in the 20th century. Huxley feels that mankind never got past the beast (or ape) inside. The beginning of the script shows apes dressed as humans, engaging in such delightful activities as chemical warfare and mass killing. These apes even keep Albert Einstein on a leash, signifying man's inability to use our genius to overcome our basest instincts. While strange at times (almost David Lynch-like), I don't think this is too strange for an intellectual like Huxley. He relies on extreme images to capture his despair over the state of mankind. The time frame in which Huxley writes is telling. It's 1948, only a few years after Hiroshima and just about the time the Cold War is really cranking into gear. Huxley must have been appalled that just a few years after the most destructive war in human history, even more horrors are starting to lurk on the horizon. Huxley makes special mention of a few of man's ideas that lead to this type of nightmare. Both progress and nationalism are killers of mankind, according to Huxley. Nationalism, or the idea that one state is divinely sanctioned over all others, leads to useless killing. As Africa and the Balkans clearly show today, Huxley is not only insightful for his own time, but also prescient for today, as well. The idea of progress is just as important. Why, with man's ability to create, does he so often use his talents for destructive purposes? It is progress that led to industrialization, which led to cities full of people with created needs. These needs found expression through war, when one set of people decided to take things from others to fulfill their own needs. Huxley is insightful and his views on what makes humanity tick are dead on. I thought his use of a movie script to convey his ideas was clever, even though it is uneven at times. Huxley does seem to recognize the growing importance of media in disseminating ideas, and perhaps that is why he chose the format he did. I had to chuckle over the idea of this becoming a film in Huxley's day. The Catholics, who were keeping a close eye on Hollywood at this time, would have had a field day with this script-Satanism and unusual mating rituals would send them into histrionics. You can't go wrong with Mr. Aldous Huxley by your side.
Rating: Summary: this is where we are Review: This book is an unbelievable prophecy. I find it more erie than Orwell's 1984. The story lacks the smoothness of Brave New World, yet it's importance is equal. To look to the future of society is to read Brave New World and Ape and Essence, and figure out where we are headed. I can already see some of the philosophies described in the book in our society as we speak, and we have not yet had a nuclear holocaust. All I can say is that this book is a must read and every bit as important as Brave New World.
Rating: Summary: creative athough a bit dated Review: this book was pretty good, although since it was published in 1948 in reaction to WWII huxley's points are rather less revelatory now than they probably were then. occasionally huxley gets a little bogged down in essay-like pontificating, but in general he keeps things moving along. there are three main sections. the first serves as a set up and isn't that memorable. the second is poetic, metaphorical, and satirical and has some striking images, such as two albert einsteins on leashes with apes as masters. the third section makes up the bulk of the book and is an apocalyptic account of the world after world war iii, ravaged by nuclear bombing. there are some interesting ideas (his argument that the world becomes satan-worshipping is surprisingly convincing) and the occasional thought-provoking statement, but more well-known books like fast food nation, etc. have covered similar territory in greater depth. also, the plot involving the main character, dr. poole, is a bit predictable and overly familiar. still, the book as a whole serves as a good reminder and warning of the dangers of our "modern" society, although it's extremely disheartening that even now, 50 years later, so many governments and societies continue to turn the same blind eye to its own self-destructive behaviours. if only our world leaders would read books like this and learn from them.
Rating: Summary: Not bad/Not his best Review: This is the 3rd book from Huxley I have read. It's a little harder to understand at times than his others, but it's still good. However, it has a dark tone and for some reason I hard trouble becoming very immersed in it. If you are a Huxley fan, I would recommend first reading Jacob's Hands, which is simply an amazing book.
Rating: Summary: Not bad/Not his best Review: This is the 3rd book from Huxley I have read. It's a little harder to understand at times than his others, but it's still good. However, it has a dark tone and for some reason I hard trouble becoming very immersed in it. If you are a Huxley fan, I would recommend first reading Jacob's Hands, which is simply an amazing book.
Rating: Summary: Startling book that bugs the mind Review: This short novel really shook me and I discovered an extremely opressed society that was very superstitious. The doctor and his girl break from that society by facing the unevadeable, their escaping is risky. Huxley's stirring writings entertain me always and this was no dissapointment.
Rating: Summary: a great dissapointment by a master of the anti-utopia Review: we know huxley is a master in the literary world, and we know that he can write anti-utopian fiction, just read Brave New World. this is along the same lines, though without the niceties of BNW. and without the excellence of BNW. maybe it was the experimentation Huxley did with the form of the novel. but huxley still says a lot, perhaps more in this than he did in BNW. i'd recommend reading it just for the philosophy of huxley, but if you are expecting BNW, you are going to be dissapointed.
Rating: Summary: huh Review: well, this was a very interesting book. I didn't really like the ending. Otherwise, it kept your interest throughout. Not bad
Rating: Summary: huh Review: well, this was a very interesting book. I didn't really like the ending. Otherwise, it kept your interest throughout. Not bad
Rating: Summary: If you have to read one book in your life read this one! Review: When I was given this book by a avid Huxley fan I did not know the mortifing power that the pages held. Huxley's vision of the future is not only amazing but enlighting of the terriable power of Nuclear War and the aftermath. If you have read 1984 by G. Orwell or Brave New World by Huxley you should pick this book up. At first if you are lost, keep reading and before you know it you will have finished the book. It is a page turner in every sence of the word.
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