Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by domkoo
Brave New World Revisited by Aldous Huxley
3.0
I figured it would be best to read this shortly after Brave New World while my mind is still fresh, but I really hadn't needed to. I'll admit, I found this to be a bit of a slog. I'll admit that i'm less of a fan of non fiction.
I went into this book thinking that it was Huxley breaking down the novel and exploring why he chose to focus on these themes and how relevant it is to when he wrote Revisited. This is in some ways what he does, but it has far more emphasis on explaining how in certain aspects what his novel got right, but mostly the author expressing his alarm at the state of the world he was currently living in. If only he could see how the world is today because it outdid what he could imagine...
Still, it felt like more a complaint of the world at the time he wrote this rather than having much relevance to Brave New World. What surprised me was that there were quite a few comparisons to the novel 1984 which I have yet to read, so some aspects were most likely lost on me. I'm sure many people will be intrigued by Huxley's comparisons of Brave New World and 1984's ideas and predictions. I suppose I expected this to be more of a breakdown of the novel rather than an explanation of what he got right and how worse he predicts the future will become.
Still, I think this is still an important read because we have an examination of how the world has worsened since the time the book was written and how it compares to present day. The points Huxley make are eye opening in the face of modern day instant gratification via social media and the manipulation of the mass through consumerism and false news. The rapidness of technology has also meant an increased risk of people's mental freedom. It's hard to say if we make choices nowadays or if it's a choice that is subconsciously suggested to us because we're always exposed to the tv and the internet.
Be aware that Brave New World Revisited is less about an examination of the novel and more of a warning of how it can come true if we let it happen. Although not everything predicted was correct, in some cases Huxley wasn't even able to imagine how quickly we have reached the fears he has expressed. This is a book to awaken one's senses and see what we can do before it's too late.
I went into this book thinking that it was Huxley breaking down the novel and exploring why he chose to focus on these themes and how relevant it is to when he wrote Revisited. This is in some ways what he does, but it has far more emphasis on explaining how in certain aspects what his novel got right, but mostly the author expressing his alarm at the state of the world he was currently living in. If only he could see how the world is today because it outdid what he could imagine...
Still, it felt like more a complaint of the world at the time he wrote this rather than having much relevance to Brave New World. What surprised me was that there were quite a few comparisons to the novel 1984 which I have yet to read, so some aspects were most likely lost on me. I'm sure many people will be intrigued by Huxley's comparisons of Brave New World and 1984's ideas and predictions. I suppose I expected this to be more of a breakdown of the novel rather than an explanation of what he got right and how worse he predicts the future will become.
Still, I think this is still an important read because we have an examination of how the world has worsened since the time the book was written and how it compares to present day. The points Huxley make are eye opening in the face of modern day instant gratification via social media and the manipulation of the mass through consumerism and false news. The rapidness of technology has also meant an increased risk of people's mental freedom. It's hard to say if we make choices nowadays or if it's a choice that is subconsciously suggested to us because we're always exposed to the tv and the internet.
Be aware that Brave New World Revisited is less about an examination of the novel and more of a warning of how it can come true if we let it happen. Although not everything predicted was correct, in some cases Huxley wasn't even able to imagine how quickly we have reached the fears he has expressed. This is a book to awaken one's senses and see what we can do before it's too late.