Customer Rating: 
Summary: The Apocalypse in a Bright Candy Shell
Comment: To say that "Brave New World" is revolutionary is a drastic understatement. Published in 1932, "Brave New World" manages to cast a deep look into the future and examines the downside of a production centered economy. The glance toward the future that "Brave New World" provides is so prolific that it stands relevant even today. Author, Aldous Huxley launches the reader into a future filled with promiscuous sex, chemical dependency, and State control. Huxley transcends science fiction and produces literary greatness.
"Brave New World" introduces the reader to Huxley's vision of the future, a tightly regimented, well-oiled production machine that exists around a strange nexus of dismissing the concept of self-denial while maintaining a complex hierarchy of social order. Humans no longer submit to the whims of religion or the wisdom of history, but are instead raised as wards of the State within a caste system based on embryonic predestination. This world seems to operate efficiently and smoothly until an outsider, an anomaly is introduced into the system. The inhabitants and the outsider must learn to cope when the world and the philosophy of a Savage bring to question the morality of the established social order.
Huxley weaves together both a vivid story and a stark social commentary, making the book impossible to put down. His brightly apocalyptic view of the future (in the sense that society as we know it will no longer exist) shows one possible outcome of a society geared toward consumption. Strangely the dark vision of the future is still relevant today. The lessons contained within "Brave New World" are timeless and the writing is among some of Huxley's best.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Timeless masterpiece - saw our future
Comment: Written in 1938 but still relevant. I am absolutely stunned at how Huxley was able to look to the future and write about technological medical advances that are still worrisome.
The dystopian society he creates is one where Fordism rules all. Obviously concerned about Ford's creation of mass production, Huxley created a society in which everything is mass produced - most especially children. An assembly line fertilizes and nurtures them, creating each child for a singular purpose, creating a caste system.
Citizens are created to be happy in their caste with no desires other than what is expected of them. When a few are out of the ordinary, they begin to question if there is more to happiness than going along with the system.
1984 by George Orwell is a good follow up to this book and should be read as a companion. Huxley actually taught Orwell at one point and I can see his influence.
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Summary: Groundbreaking when it was written and still an interesting read
Comment: It's hard to believe this book was written in 1931, Huxley is awfully accurate on some of his futuristic visions of how society could end up.
This book basically describes a society that appears to be Utopian at first glance. Humans are made at certain genetic intelligence and caste; they are conditioned to be grateful for their place in life. Of course humans being humans there are occasionally those who divert from the norm. The story focuses mainly on Bernard Marx, an Alpha who is born too short, and as such ostracized and isolated in a society based on community and on Lenina a woman who is a fairly average society girl who agrees to travel with Bernard to Reservation. At the reservation they meet a Savage named John who travels back with them to "proper" society. What ensues is basically disaster.
The kind of creepy thing is that Huxley is pretty spot on about some of the things in his Utopian society. There is a lot genetic engineering going on, subliminal messaging, regulated drug use to promote serenity, etc. The beginning of the book is the most shocking because they explain how they modify the chemical make up of the fetuses to make them smart or stupid, strong or weak. This is followed by a discussion of how they condition the infants to like or not like certain things based on what function they will have in society. It is a society where everyone is equal but no one gets to make any decisions.
The people in the society are encouraged to be somewhat infantile in their decisions; time not working is spend playing games or engaging in sexual activity. Despite the society being depicted as somewhat British the members are encouraged to give into their baser natures whenever they want...emotion makes for unhappy people so it is best to not think about it too much.
What happens when John, a Savage raised by a (gasp) mother, a man who loves and hurts is brought into this society is fascinating but predictable. He has a hard time making sense of a society where "mother" is an indecent word and love is a foreign concept.
The book is very readable and well-written. The story is engaging. I am sure at the time this book was written it was ground-breaking. Unfortunately most of the factors of society that are discussed in this book I have read discussed in more current books. For me what set this book apart from other dystopians was the fact that it was written so long ago, also the fact that Huxley didn't pull any punches on the human conditioning...they are pretty ruthless, and lastly how reasonable he makes the set-up of such a society sound. There is a portion towards the end of the book where the Controller explains to John how their society evolved to what it is today; the Controller explains what they tried and what actually worked. The Controller's argument sounds disturbingly reasonable and almost makes you understand how a society set-up like the one in this book might work out well for a large amount of people.
Overall I enjoyed the book and I am glad I read it. None of the ideas really blew me away and the story was engaging, but not absolutely incredible. It is a book that makes you think; especially when think of the time frame in which it was written. The topics discussed are something which will make you take pause but some of the ideas presented aren't that far away from where we are today (genetic engineering, etc.). Definitely something to read and something easy to relate to.
Customer Rating:
Summary: low expectation
Comment: I didn't have high expectations for the condition of this book, still I was a bit disapointed. It was worn and also had someones name written across the bottom end of book pages. I don't ever buy paperbacks but couldn't find a hard cover. The book was very cheap though and probably a fair price.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking
Comment: Brave New World is an incredibly though-provoking book...although, some of the thoughts that it provokes are incredibly disturbing. Huxley creates a dystopic society where peace and stability are maintained because humanity has used technology to do away with ideas and feelings like love, family, religion, and individuality. There are no books. All members of society are genetically engineered to be satisfied with whatever pre-ordained position they will hold in this society. If anyone starts to have a feeling other than complete satisfaction, they are encouraged to drug themselves with soma for few hours while the feeling passes. The story follows several characters and eventually ends up on a "reservation" where the savages live a more....natural life? John the Savage returns to society with a few societal members who had vacationed on his reservation. The consequences of this action require the reader to think about the importance of human emotion and the institutions we hold dear.
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