A review by maddie_can_read
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

First time reading this book as an adult. Read it in school maybe like 2009 so it's strange to read it 15 years later. I remember finding it interesting and enjoying it. Now it feels weirdly nostalgic so I'm not sure what to rate it. Also because I definitely have a much different understanding of it now.

The audiobook had good narration.

I think this would be a 5 star for me if the story was a bit tighter, and the tone (because of when the book was written) feels kind of weird at points. 

Towards the end of the book it feels more like the author is telling us some of his societal hot takes via 2 characters having a conversation rahter than like working it more seamlessly into the story.

wish we saw more of what happened to Helmholtz and Bernard on their island of misfits. Also wish we saw what happe ed to Johns father. The part with John's anger towards Lenina was really interesting, lots of like weird projection shit on John's part - I hate the men who slept with my mother, they were bad, so now that I want to sleep with Lenina I'm bad? But he never wanted to hurt his mother for her actions and really loved her, so it was kind of weird how violent he got towards Lenina
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