Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

I have again been stunned by the quality of a piece of Sci Fi written years
ago - 1932 for this one. I doubt I can add any insight to this undoubted
classic, I thought it well written with great pace a good story, challenging
and thought provoking. My 1970's copy had an introduction by Huxley written
in 1946 discussing how perhaps he would have changed it slightly its strange
but the points he raised are the same things that popped into my head as I
read it. I read the novel first then the introduction so it wouldn't spoil
it. I had always thought I had done this at school but I remember so little
perhaps we only did extracts. Of course Brave New World is remembered for
the test tube babies - the whole population is grown in huge test tube
factories where conditioning at the cellular then foetus level with
chemicals and radiation determine how the babies and ultimately the people
turn out. Cloning of the cells mean there are hundreds of sets of twins of
the same person and all deemed to be Alpha, Beta etc right down to Epsilons.
The function of the different groups in the society is pre ordained - the
Alphas are at the top and the Epsilons do the most menial tasks. All are
given and are happy with their place in the society - a society based on
consumerism, worshiping Henry Ford. All their needs are taken care of, their
emotions kept in check with a daily drug ration of "Soma", which renders
them placid and peaceful without a care in the world. A paradise then or so
it seems - until a man appears from out in the wild lands where people live
as they have for 100's of years in a sort of wild game reserve.

A superb piece of thoughtful writing that like 1984 and others of its ilk
tell us a lot about our own society right now nearly 70yrs later. Freedom of
thought, freedom of individuality, freedom of expression and how all these
things can be catered for within a modern society that embraces science and
modernisation. Elimination of suffering, freedom from starvation, freedom
from fear of war and oppression but at what cost to the individual. All
these are challenged in a way that makes as much if not a lot more sense now
than it did in 1932. As a piece of 1930's English writing it can't escape it
roots and there are some delightful turns of phrases that remind one when it
was written - the babies are brainwashed whilst they sleep with speakers in
the pillows "I'm awfully glad I'm a Beta, I don't want to play with Delta
children they are beastly" - and so on, I love that and for me it adds to
the enjoyment of the novel hugely. A brilliant work well worth a look, many
may have read it at school but a re read in adulthood for pleasure and like
me you will find an extraordinarily good book indeed.

"sofa-spud" <comfysofa.DeleteThis@here.ok> wrote in message
news:d0rnbf$89d$1@newsg1.svr.pol.co.uk...

<SNIP>
 >
 > A superb piece of thoughtful writing that like 1984 and others of its ilk
 > tell us a lot about our own society right now nearly 70yrs later. Freedom
of
 > thought, freedom of individuality, freedom of expression and how all these
 > things can be catered for within a modern society that embraces science
and
 > modernisation. Elimination of suffering, freedom from starvation, freedom
 > from fear of war and oppression but at what cost to the individual. All
 > these are challenged in a way that makes as much if not a lot more sense
now
 > than it did in 1932. As a piece of 1930's English writing it can't escape
it
 > roots and there are some delightful turns of phrases that remind one when
it
 > was written - the babies are brainwashed whilst they sleep with speakers
in
 > the pillows "I'm awfully glad I'm a Beta, I don't want to play with Delta
 > children they are beastly" - and so on, I love that and for me it adds to
 > the enjoyment of the novel hugely. A brilliant work well worth a look,
many
 > may have read it at school but a re read in adulthood for pleasure and
like
 > me you will find an extraordinarily good book indeed.
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >
I agree. A reoccurring distraction was the references to data being stored
in large canisters on analog tape. He never saw the advent of the silicon
chip or a digital revolution ...but hey. The late 30's right? What can you
do? However, watching television in 2005 and seeing the flood of drug ads
more than compensates for those clumsy predictions and restores Huxley as a
visionary. We are not far from being strung out on SOMA. Not far at all.

- JT

Est'd 1969

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