Una felicità universalmente riconosciuta, ma artificiale è preferibile ad un'esistenza dove sentimenti e aspirazioni sono repressi, la libertà individuale è preclusa e il concetto di bellezza e di famiglia - affinché non venga meno la stabilità della popolazione - viene sacrificato assumendo una connotazione "obsoleta"? Questa la domanda che riecheggia per l'intero romanzo... Huxley ci scaraventa in una società distopica certamente più soft e meno brutale rispetto a quella orwelliana, ma comunque d'effetto poichè la quotidianità delle persone è scandita dalle nozioni con cui sono state plagiate durante la fase dell'ipnopedia e, alla minima difficoltà, obnubilate e intontite dagli effetti allucinogeni e antidepressivi del "soma". Eppure è il saggio critico "Ritorno al mondo nuovo" la vera perla, infatti, l'autore sviscera con minuzia le tematiche che ha trattato, ricollegandosi alle successive scoperte scientifiche e non che si sono verificate dalla pubblicazione del romanzo. Una monografia, questa, punteggiata da un cinismo e pessimismo di fondo, se si pensa che questo libro è datato 1931 è davvero stupefacente quanto sia stato lungimirante e visionario l'autore.

What would happen if you were designed in a lab? If things like hair color, height, and IQ, were determined by a Greek letter? Brave New World is a book where people are born in test tubes. They are then decided to be in the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, or Epsilon class. Then they decide all of your characteristics, based on what class you are in. As you group up, you are taught morals through the hypnopaedic process (sleep-teaching). One of these morals is to not like being alone. But, there is a man named Bernard Marx who has different ideas. He prefers solitude to company. This makes him unique to the society, which threatens Englands moral structure. A theme from the book is Having people have diverse thought processes is important. Something that the author did great was portraying a possible future. Also, he did a great incorporation of complexity and simplicity. It was a very interesting style of writing to read. The book Brave New World is a classic for a few reasons. One reason is the quality of the writing. Another reason is the genius involved in the book. Finally, The books plot is very interesting and complex. Clearly, the book, Brave New World, is an amazing work of art.

Brave New WorldA difficult book to rate. I thoroughly hated the journey. Random thoughts that popped into my head along the way included:-Id like to go to Iceland. Right now.-I could really use a soma tablet.-Dystopia is so not my cup of teaThe ideas communicated are both profound and profoundly disturbing, but the vehicle used to communicate them to the reader is simply excruciating. Lame, shallow characterizations along with a simplistic and simply boring plot = a lethal combination. In the excellent foreword (which I dont recommend reading until the end), Christopher Hitchens suggests that the characters are two-dimensional for a reason because the Society of BNW has snuffed out their emotional and intellectual depth. This may be so, but it makes for painful reading. Nabokov detested the novel of ideas for very good reason they just arent much fun.And yet I thoroughly enjoyed the climactic conversation between the Savage and the World Controller. Here we get to hear Aldous channeled via Mustapha Mond brilliantly lay out his full dystopic vision. I just couldnt bear the path taken to get me there.Brave New World RevisitedThe earlier chapters on population pressures, over-organization, and propaganda are quite prescient and interesting. I lost interest once he began delving into how the future state will brainwash and distract the individual, and I suspect he did as well. In the end notes, Huxley is quoted as saying, upon completing BNW Revisited, I am sick and tired of this kind of writing."Finally, it must be said that Huxley was a futurist but was also inevitably a product of his time. His obsession with eugenics, his belief in the hereditary nature of intelligence, and his obvious anti-Semitism detract and distract from his core message. Still, I couldnt have hated it all that much as I just added Island and Point Counter Point to my GoodReads queue