Brave New World - BookWyrm

Paperback, 229 pages

English language

Published Dec. 6, 2007 by Vintage.

ISBN:: 978-0-09-951847-1
Goodreads:: 3180338

(1 review)

Brave New World is a dystopian novel by English author Aldous Huxley, written in 1931 and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State, inhabited by genetically modified citizens and an intelligence-based social hierarchy, the novel anticipates huge scientific advancements in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation and classical conditioning that are combined to make a dystopian society which is challenged by only a single individual: the story's protagonist.

40 editions

Miya reviewed Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

O Brave New World that has such people in it!

5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this book, the style of writing is such a delight. For example when everything starts speeding up, different scenes intertwined with each other, but in a way that you can still keep up with what is happening where.

The philosophical discussion towards the end was especially interesting. I don't think that anyone could ever be happy like that (even if conditioned).

As Mark Deck (TheClick) put it so nicely: Happiness is a progress.

Happiness [isn't] achieved and everlasting. Happiness [...] requires constant investment. It's like the curve of how life is currently tilting [...], do I feel like things are going in the right direction, am I improving myself [...]? [...] when you achieve a goal you will just look towards the next goal after that. There's always a thing after, so it's more about the journey as a whole [...] rather than the specific singular …

I really enjoyed reading this book, the style of writing is such a delight. For example when everything starts speeding up, different scenes intertwined with each other, but in a way that you can still keep up with what is happening where.

The philosophical discussion towards the end was especially interesting. I don't think that anyone could ever be happy like that (even if conditioned).

As Mark Deck (TheClick) put it so nicely: Happiness is a progress.

Happiness [isn't] achieved and everlasting. Happiness [...] requires constant investment. It's like the curve of how life is currently tilting [...], do I feel like things are going in the right direction, am I improving myself [...]? [...] when you achieve a goal you will just look towards the next goal after that. There's always a thing after, so it's more about the journey as a whole [...] rather than the specific singular achievement.

Or as Mark Manson put it:

Happiness comes from solving problems. The keyword here is "solving." If you're avoiding your problems or feel like you don't have any problems, then you're going to make yourself miserable. [...] To be happy we need something to solve. Happiness is therefore a form of action; it's an activity.

The people in Brave New World don't have anything to solve, no ambitions, no passion... how could they ever be happy?