"There's always soma to calm your anger, to reconcile you to your enemies, to make you patient and long-suffering. In the past you could only accomplish these things by making a great effort and after years of hard moral training. Now, you swallow two or three half-gramme tablets, and there you are. Anybody can be virtuous now. You can carry at least half your morality about in a bottle. Christianity without tears-that's what soma is."
Brave New World by Huxley was my second book on cd. I thought it was comparable to 1984 and Fahrenheit 451. A seemingly "progressive" future, rich with satire, and a conservative undertone of relying on the past for what is real.
I think I liked it... I really liked the narrator's voice - his British accent was rich and pleasant, and I maybe drifted off while driving listening to his voice, not necessarily the story itself. The story was interesting, and a very disturbing way to look at the future of our planet. Much of it revolved around a drug called "Soma". Soma is basically a happy pill - taken whenever individuals begin to feel anything but happy. The entire focus of the people in this society revolves around pleasure, therefore there is a lot of erotic content. (A lot of it is shockingly erotic.)
A "savage" named John is introduced to this new society, and the juxtaposition of an uncivilized and over-civilized society followed. I really loved John. He was so refreshing after reading about the characters in the futuristic society. I loved when he cried over Linda, and when he spoke about Othello and when he talked about Jesus. I hope, that if our society ever came to that - I would be a lot more like John and a lot less like everyone else.
Ultimately, it wasn't exactly an enjoyable read, but it was interesting. If you like futuristic societies, and are not afraid of the "Big Brother" approach, you might like it.
Have you read it? What did you think?
5 comments:
Wonderful place you have here. As I journey through the Long Goodbye with my beloved I have struggles with the concept of happiness and joy. Of course we want to have joy and sunshine in our lives but we need those moments of sadness, anger, frustration, etc to help us appreciate the joy. I sometimes think we are in this Brave New World taking whatever drug we can to bring back the joy and eliminate the pain. No need to go seeking misery and trouble it comes a hunting us. But I tend to send it packing soon, ready to move on.
Good read. Stop by if you have a mo.
read it senior year and fell in loooove with dystopian future books. I want to re-read it again soon and see if my perception of it changed. But yes, I was totally in love with it when I read it. But that year I pretty much loved everything we read.
I read this in college. I thought it was fascinating!
Read this while working in Paris. I think you hit it spot on, not exactly enjoyable, but good nonetheless. Of course, Huxley didnt want us to be confortable. To me it provides the almost mirror opposite of a dystopian track that society could take when compared to Orwell's version. Ironically, and fittingly, our society has elements of both, and its almost as easy to see one side as the other.
So I was browsing through one of my favorite Wedding Blogs "Style Me Pretty" and I was so happy to see them feature your wedding, CONGRATS on your feature! All the details were stunning.
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