Island - Aldous Huxley
I will be the first to say that I hate reading books that have such long standing reputations, mostly because if the book doesn't start off with a bang I am instantly bored and can not understand why the book is so highly renowned. Island applies to this idea perfectly. Although, after completing it, I am still not sure I find it to be as amazing as I have heard. Don't get my wrong, I enjoyed the book. But, some of it just seemed so dry that I had to trudge through, and other parts I felt like I was sitting listening to someone preach to me about utopia. I guess the best way for me to summarize this book to me is that it was a good book to read once and I think it encompasses some great ideas, but it really wasn't "my cup of tea." I am unsure who I would recommend this book to, maybe people who enjoy science-like and/or human development novels. Even writing this, this book leaves me with mixed feelings. Something like a lack of plot, missing an conclusive ending, a not-so-good last chapter. I feel unfulfilled with this work, I think I will stick with Huxley's Brave New World.
Next (and sadly, last): Before We Were Free - Julia Alvarez
1 comment:
I'm glad I have someone to talk to about this novel because most people have either never read it or just say, "it was okay" and can't give an answer why. Personally, I love it because of all the components that create the "utopia" (kinda :P). I agree that the ending wasn't really there, and could have been SO MUCH more. And also because it was completely unrealistic, but that's another debate :P. But I think one of the great ideas is that the uptopia finally became a dystopia, meaning that it wasn't really a utopia in the first place (another great debate). So many great debates from the book! But I love some of the ideas in it like screening children to see if they're future criminals, so no need for jails. I haven't read the book in a while so I can't think of the other ones. But then again, I'm not too fond of the drugs (was it moksha in this one or was that in Brave New World?) Also, the whole eastern religion thing wasn't my thing. But I can put that aside because there were very obvious pro-science and environment-friendly messages. :)
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