Far in the future, the World Controllers have created the ideal society. Through clever use of genetic engineering, brainwashing and recreational sex and drugs all its members are happy consumers. Bernard Marx seems alone in feeling discontent. Harbouring an unnatural desire for solitude, and a perverse distaste for the pleasures of compulsory promiscuity, Bernard has an ill-defined longing to break free. A visit to one of the few remaining Savage Reservations where the old, imperfect life still continues, may be the cure for his distress-Huxley's ingenious fantasy of the future sheds a blazing light on the present and is considered to be his most enduring masterpiece. (20031017)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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a fantastical look at the world in the future which made me look differently at the present. (Katie Melua, The Observer 20041221)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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'One of the most important books to have been published since the war' Daily Telegraph (20031017)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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98 of 101 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
After years of hearing people refer to Brave New World - both online and in real life - I decided to read it myself and find out just what all the commotion was about. Having done so, I will share my thoughts with you.
The story is set in a future society where humans are no longer born but instead grown from embryos in huge research labs. Years of trial and error has resulted in scientists being able to produce up to 15,000 individuals from a single embryo - all of which end up being twins. Immediately they are conditioned to think and feel and act in certain ways which make society what it should be - happy, stable, strong, and united. As they sleep they are played voice recordings which, to cut a long story short, programme them into what society wants them to be. One of the many recordings being "Everyone belongs to everyone else".
In a time when humans are made in batches, pyshcologically conditioned, mentally and physically matured in a fraction of the natural time, encouraged to participate in 'errotic play' from a young age, given 'soma' (a recreational drug) to cure lows, taught to throw out old/dirty/torn clothes and buy new ones, sheltered from dirt and disease, prevented from ever becoming pregnant, told that everyone belongs to everyone else (in effect everyone has sex with everyone without thinking twice as from a young age this is taught to be perfectly natural), given medicine so that you physically look like a 20 year old all your life until around the age of 50 when you drop dead, after hearing all this you are left with many questions. Questions like 'How could it ever work?', 'What would a society of clones be like?', 'Why on earth did they do it in the first place?', and 'Is everyone truly happy?'.
... Read more ›79 of 82 people found the following review helpful
By hendrix
Format:Paperback
Society really is getting more and more like this.
This is a vision of the future where the population is controlled by subtlety and manipulation, the basic premise being that if people are too doped up to realise that they have been conned by a tiny minority who have everything then that elite can remain in charge for ever.
In Huxley's world the method of control is to program people to indulge only their most transitory and materialistic desires all of which can be fulfilled quite readily and in doing so suppress any idea that there "might be more to life than this" and this leaves the population with happy but trivial lives.
The morality of this is questioned through the introduction of an outsider to the society and his actions form the basis of the plot. To be honest I think the story isn't as involving as the world it is set in but the questions the book raised easily merit this book classic status.
It seems we are getting closer and closer to the kind of happy trivial life that Huxley forced upon his population and if you are inclined to wonder whether or not there is more to life than work and shopping then this book is probably going to be right up your street.
This is a vision of the future where the population is controlled by subtlety and manipulation, the basic premise being that if people are too doped up to realise that they have been conned by a tiny minority who have everything then that elite can remain in charge for ever.
In Huxley's world the method of control is to program people to indulge only their most transitory and materialistic desires all of which can be fulfilled quite readily and in doing so suppress any idea that there "might be more to life than this" and this leaves the population with happy but trivial lives.
The morality of this is questioned through the introduction of an outsider to the society and his actions form the basis of the plot. To be honest I think the story isn't as involving as the world it is set in but the questions the book raised easily merit this book classic status.
It seems we are getting closer and closer to the kind of happy trivial life that Huxley forced upon his population and if you are inclined to wonder whether or not there is more to life than work and shopping then this book is probably going to be right up your street.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Five hundred or so years into the future, and the our very existence as human beings has been taken control by the World Controllers. The primary goal of this dystopian situation is to create a global happiness, a mutual harmony between all humans. But all humans are no longer equal, depending on birth process defined by the controller, Alphas are at the top, intellectually superior in everyway, followed by Betas, all the way down to Episilons who are produced in large bundles, human mass production. That covers the main situation, although their are many other factors and conditions in this new world.
The first part of the book follows Bernard Marx, a slightly irregular Alpha plus human. This is where the conflict against conformity arises, as he starts to behave more like an individual. The second part of the book introduces John Savage, the son of a woman from the Dystopian society, but brought up amongst indians in the savage reservation. John acts as an individual caught between two cultures, conditioned by his mother, but aware of freedom through the local indians in the puebla.
Brave New World is one of Huxley's great masterpieces, much ahead of his time in thought and literary creativity. It raises some serious questions about the way the world was heading at the time, published a few years before the Second World War, a time of scientific breakthrough and experimentation, beginning of mass consumption. The work is comparable to Yevgeny Zamyatin's famous novel, We, also about a dystopian society, but written just over ten years before Brave New World, obviously another novel with a similar theme is Orwell's classic 1984, which all make very enjoyable reads.
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Aldous Huxley's brave new world screams a claustphobic future of a society that has diluted human life to a robotic souless existence. He seems to be seeking to warn us against scientific utopianism, which is a little too successful. This novel is a very important novel, which should be read at some point by everyone. It oulines a potential (perhaps exaggerated and paranoid) future which may await us if we are not careful. It is in a style that is easily read, making it suitable to everyone. I do believe that this is a book for the masses. Please go out and buy a copy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Hard work so far...
Am about 30 percent through this book now and I have to say it's not really engaging me like some others. Read more
Published 1 hour ago by Alan
3.0 out of 5 stars
erm
The book is in a decent condition, but when I opened it there was someones writing all over the inside and pretty much all the pages. Read more
Published 2 days ago by jasper
4.0 out of 5 stars
mbknees
Brilliant sci-fi or is it prophetic . Huxley was looking to the future as did Wells and now it comes true.
Good read if you like sci-fi.
Good read if you like sci-fi.
Published 3 days ago by mbknees
3.0 out of 5 stars
not very interesting, not captured by the story
thought it would be more, its ok, but the story line and characters are not interesting, I think its only in the top 10 because the wrter is good rather than the story
Published 11 days ago by Karen Ferguson
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic that never ages
I was surprised to learn this book was written in the 1930s. The writing, themes and various issues present in the book are just as vibrant and relevant today than when they were... Read more
Published 16 days ago by A. Faulkner
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting but dated
Interesting to finally read this classic SciFi book.
I quite enjoyed it, although it did feel dated. Read more
I quite enjoyed it, although it did feel dated. Read more
Published 29 days ago by latepaul
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oh, brave New world indeed
Every time that I read this book (and I've read it a few times) I always feel a dreadful sense of worry regarding where our modern 'Western' society is heading. Read more
Published 1 month ago by R. Hale
5.0 out of 5 stars
Frightening vision of the future
This is a book which is at once wonderful and at the same time terrifying in the possibilities it raises. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Andy G
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really nice
Well written, must've been a real gem when it was written, as it still shines now.
After this, I will definitely consider his other works.
After this, I will definitely consider his other works.
Published 1 month ago by AgentMulderUK
4.0 out of 5 stars
An author with genuine insight.
This book was recommended to me by a friend and boy am I glad they did.
Considering the date of publication of this book so much of the authors thoughts towards future... Read more
Considering the date of publication of this book so much of the authors thoughts towards future... Read more
Published 1 month ago by A.Alder
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