Published by Chatto & Windus in 1932
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Largely set in a futuristic World State of genetically modified citizens and an intelligence-based social hierarchy, the novel anticipates huge scientific developments in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation, and classical conditioning that are combined to make a utopian society that goes challenged only by a single outsider.
This is a book that I like more in retrospect. I'm a bit rusty with classics, so the physical act of reading this book wasn't the easiest or most enjoyable experience for me. I ended up getting through the book by alternating between reading a chapter summary from SparkNotes and reading a chapter from the actual book itself--SparkNotes first! This helped me get through the book quickly and pick up on important themes. After all, I didn't enjoy the reading experience per say, but I thought the ideas brought up were very interesting. Upon finishing the book (finally!), my immediate rating was a 3, but now that time has passed, my rating is inching toward a 4, so perhaps I'll settle my final rating at a 3.5.
Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand.
At first, the World State was shocking to me. Society is optimised by capitalism. The population is cloned. Thus, families don't exist and parents are taboo. Kids are brainwashed in their sleep to prefer the castes they are assigned.
And yet, in the end, reflecting upon myself, I feel that I would prefer dull happiness over the grand struggle for it (at least at this moment in my life), which is very World State of me. But how could a sane person possibly prefer this shocking World State way of life?
I don't think anyone would find it too strange to hear that some people prefer dull happiness over the grand struggle for it. But this book shows the possible implications of that way of life--of course, in a much more extreme way than would ever be realistic, probably, but still, the hyperbole reveals truths--and those implications are very concerning indeed.
I can stay comfortable and learn to be happy with settling for less. Or I can strive for more, struggle and fail, maybe succeed one day and maybe not.
Reading buddy: Emily's review
