Reviews

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

kristenbooks's review against another edition

5.0

Reread in August 2021: I think I'm moving this back to a 5/5. I'm not going to move it on my standalone rankings for now, because I still want a bit of time to ruminate over the themes, etc. but rereading it after nearly a decade, I found it even more poignant than the first time, and it remains my favorite of the classic dystopian novels I've read.

Edit 6-10-16: I decided to change this to 8.5/10 (4/5)

This was one of the first books to convince me that books read for school could actually be interesting. Before this book, I'd never enjoyed reading books for school, but I devoured this one. Maybe it's just because I love dystopians, but I really loved this book. Very great.

9.5/10. (5/5)

freyja_rilo87's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

akmres's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

lalawoman416's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Hit a little differently this time. Instead of focusing on totalitarianism, I focused more on the government using drugs as a distraction. That felt more prescient now. 

astratton1027's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

pinkka's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

vculanathan's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Great vocabulary, good pacing. Well written story, and chapter 17 really had me thinking if truth or freedom is the better choice

loro_30's review against another edition

2.0

Con los libros de ciencia ficción me suele ocurrir que me fascina el mundo que el autor ha creado, así como la premisa bajo la que se desarrollan los acontecimientos, pero luego la historia en sí me deja fría y los personajes no me suelen atraer mucho. Este libro es un ejemplo de ello.

acsaper's review against another edition

3.0

So I'm not sure I get it. I was excited to read the book because it is so heavily cited and relied upon in Neil Postman's 'Amusing Ourselves to Death,' a book I thoroughly enjoyed. Now having dead both, I'm inclined to say that I found Postman's interpretation of Huxley much more interesting than the book itself.

So, Huxley presents a world covered by science, by rationalization and civilization - where feelings are allowed but controlled such that passions are unthinkable. Classes of children are produced and raised for a maximally consuming and producing society - complete efficiency with each in their place and each to placated to care.

And incomes soma. The mind numbing drug that seems to be the back bone of the brave new world. Through daily doses and encouraged self medication, no one ever thinks too hard or cares too much. A foreshadowing to the overmedicalizarion of society that seems unquestionably on point. Yet still, I think there is undoubtedly stacks of social commentary here that I'm missing.

The story itself was interesting but left me wanting more from the characters and more from the world itself. Why exactly is it as it is, how did it come about, what truly is so strange about the savage and why is he really so uncomfortable? And, what is it that he really want?

Questions that some will likely find the answers to within the pages of the book but that I simply happened to miss. So, if you ever want to fill me in, I'd be happy to hear, thanks!

hollij's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5