A review by thelibraryofminds
Brave New World Revisited by Aldous Huxley

3.0

I read Brave New World first in high school, and I really enjoyed it. If you haven't read it, it needs to go on your to-read list immediately. It is a really important book, and it is just really good. Its a dystopian society set in the future where individuals are not controlled by punishment, but by reward. A "savage" enters into this society's mist and has to understand it. Its not a long read, but it is very good. It was written in 1931 and still holds weight today. It is perhaps the scariest version of the future, because at times, it seems like the most possible. We won't let ourselves be ruled by military, but we will by entertainment. Again, I can't say enough about this book. Please go read it.

Anyways, so I picked up Brave New World Revisted, because it was next on the shelf. Mr. Nerd is a huge fan of Huxley, so he bought this small book which is a collection of essays about Brave New World. Huxley went back later after he wrote the book and wrote this series of essays about modern society in relation to the Brave New World that he envisioned. It is terrifying. Parts of it are dated, as has to be, but parts of it are just as relevant. He brings up really interesting points, and he backs them up well.

I won't deny that this is a bleak outlook, but it is also a rallying cry to not give up our freedom or our minds. This book certainly made me think. Some of what he describes here is happening in America today. We are seeing what he has predicted. He talked about corporations gaining control because of technology. What do you think is happening now? He talks about over-population and hunger, and he talks about entertainment and commercialism.

Hitler, of course, plays a huge part in this book. As that was the time Huxley just lived through, the greatest enemy he can think of shadows over his book. The charismatic Fuhr is a scary enemy, indeed. If you have read Brave New World, I highly recommend this collection of essays. It is very interesting, and I really think it will spur some intriguing conversations or though processes. If you haven't read Brave New World, go do that, then read these essays;)