Select language, opens an overlay

Comment

May 03, 2017TEENREVIEWCREW rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
An incredible read. The antithesis of 1984. This novel is a complete masterpiece. Set far into the future, the world’s values seem to have transformed to the point where one would not even be able to recognize the society in Brave New World as an offshoot of our own. Sex and drugs are pervasive, but not because of what you might think. These people are not trying to rebel or do anything wrong in general – they are following conventions. As surprising as it sounds, drugs, sex, and other forms of pleasure are actually used to control society and quell any desire to rebel. Their philosophy is simple – maximize pleasure to forget life’s miseries. Rating: 4.5/5 - @JuiceboxZ of the Teen Review Board at the Hamilton Public Library Aldous Huxley’s 1931 classic Brave New World is probably one of the best-known dystopian novels of all time, and for good reason. It describes topics of distraction, conditioning, socialization and the role of the outsider, and the struggle between happiness and freedom. The first word that jumps to mind (besides brilliant) is scary. Really scary. I didn’t feel uncomfortable the way I did with 1984, but I did feel very creeped out in a much subtler way. While 1984 is a very in-your-face injustice, Brave New World has a more quiet way of getting under your skin and making you realize something is wrong with the picture. There are many struggles of morals and ethics represented in the story and characters, and while this book is pretty divisive, I stand on the side of liking it. There were things I agreed with and things I really didn’t that Huxley evidently believed in, but I appreciated this book because it gave me a chance to struggle with the issues for myself. Even though I didn’t always agree with Huxley about what makes a dystopia, there is no doubt many of the elements of the World State are very frightening in a lot of ways.. Pair with 1984 and/or Handmaid’s Tale for best results. - @freckleface675 of the Teen Review Board of the Hamilton Public Library