The Book Report Episode #48
Episode #47
Brave New World By Aldous Huxley
The Book
This book was originally written in 1931. Then published on the 4th of February in 1932 by Chatto & Windus. They were an independent publisher, later absorbed by Penguin Randon House UK into a sub-division called Vintage Books.
My copy is I believe the 8th print from Vintage. Who republished the book in 1994.
This book has 234 pages with an introduction from Margret Atwood and David Bradshaw. And also Includes a brief biography of Mr Huxley.
What Did I Think
The world in this book is created to be the perfect world—the perfect society—where life is managed via a conveyor belt, in a test tube. Castes are created to deal with the different levels of jobs needed to make people’s lives flow smoothly. Each level of each caste is deemed how intelligent they will need to be to fit the role designed for them.
But each caste is programmed to dislike the others.
Sex is a natural rule in life and is encouraged. It’s not taboo or frowned upon to go and explore each other’s body from an early age as possible. And is not unusual to be with as many partners as possible. But never a relationship like a married couple. Even though, in this story, the reverse seems to be the case with a couple of the characters. However, they still go off and enjoy other people’s company. At one point the “boyfriend” suggests a fellow citizen should try her out.
And if life seems to stress people out they have a drug named Soma to relax their inhibitions. A small amount can relax you, but a lot can send you into a happy coma. Where you can dream your life away.
As the story progresses you find out even with the controlled manufacturing of life. Rejecting this way of life still happens and instead of killing them, they send them away to live their lives, away from modern society.
Compare
I couldn’t read this without comparing it to George Orwell’s 1984. And I couldn’t decide which world I would rather live in. A world under constant scrutiny, the stress of constantly being watched and controlled, or a world where it is decided before you are born where and how you are going to live your life, programmed, and you will be uncontrollably pleased about it.
I know the answer is neither. But which is the lesser of two evils?
As I read, I envisioned that if this was made for TV, it would be in the futuristic style of the 60s or early 70s style of filmmaking. Maybe in fashion also.
Also, Mr Huxley predicted the flying drone car. I would like one myself.
Fitting In
After you experience how life is lived, you meet the people who don’t fit in. The outsiders, inside the society. Try their best to fit in and not succeed. They just don’t seem to understand what is wrong with everyone around them. However, they realise, the way they think is not the same as everybody else.
However, I did find one of the characters’ attitudes to be a tad childish in his ways of attention seeking and needing approval from others.
This leads to a world outside the security of man-made people. We are shown that people still live the way we do, but in an impoverished land—in another part of the world where the people of the new world can come and visit and study how the old ways were lived.
But in this case, a woman is found. Who was a part of their world but was abandoned because she became pregnant. Her son is fully grown and is introduced to this new world, where he finds that he doesn’t belong. After years of never being accepted, he finds that his acceptance in this world comes with a price.
Is he willing to give up his love of books and poetry? That’s one thing I would never be able to live with. The banning of old books and ideas.
This is a view of how the elites want us to behave. However, I do think they would prefer the 1984 standard of control.
The Audiobook
For those who don’t want to read. Here you can listen instead.
Would I Recommend
This is one of those books that I think everyone should read at least once in their lives. As well as 1984. To give you a perspective that you may never have realised before. Or an understanding of where the world should never go. Or in some cases should.
So, please give this book a try.
Would you like to purchase your very own copy?
You could try these online stores: Amazon UK/USA. Waterstones. AbeBooks UK/ USA, Barnes and Noble and eBay UK/ USA.
Alternatively, you could try your local bookshop or even your local library.
