"Community, Identity, Stability" is the motto of Aldous Huxley's utopian World State. Here everyone consumes daily grams of soma, to fight depression, babies are born in laboratories, and the most popular form of entertainment is a "Feelie," a movie that stimulates the senses of sight, hearing, and touch. Though there is no violence and everyone is provided for, Bernard Marx feels something is missing and senses his relationship with a young women has the potential to be much more than the co... (show more)
Reviews (6442)
fucking amazing, BUT!!!! read all the others first, starting with Island! because this book is waaay too popular for its own good. And definatly doesnt portray the extent of Huxley's knowledge nor talent as a writer!
1984 is a much darker book on what the future could be, a slightly difficult read for me. But instead, Brave New World reads more like a good sci-fi book.
Both books talk about bleak futures, where the populace are kept in check by methods that seek to repress or modify human tendencies.
What was different about Brave New World was that the method used was technology, modifying behaviour and intelligence levels from the embryo stage. So a human growing up in Huxley's future, is already pre-conditioned to behave, think and consume in a certain way.
The burning question for me, is if I grew up in Huxley's future where there is no God, there is no family structure, where fidelity is frowned upon, where there's no Shakespeare, where there's no freedom to be unhappy, would I miss those things if I never had them?
Orwell's future is far more difficult to live in, because the conditioning takes place at a more conscious level, everyday is a struggle to behave correctly, even so far as to think correctly. And that for me, makes it a more scary place to be.
In Huxley's future, there is no such struggle. Unless one has never been pre-conditioned before, as in the case of John Savage, who is the "old" kind of human, then the transition and adapting to this new world can be tragic.
But is Huxley's future possible? I don't think so. Not as long as we keep ourselves in check.
huxley's dystopia has been over shadowed by Orwell .. . but when you put them side by side and look at what is going on right now .. . huxley was the better prognosticator.
Image Gallery (48)
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
