Book Review: Brave New World

Book Blurb: "Aldous Huxley's tour de force, Brave New World is a darkly satiric vision of a "utopian" future—where humans are genetically bred and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively serve a ruling order. A powerful work of speculative fiction that has enthralled and terrified readers for generations, it remains remarkably relevant to this day as both a warning to be heeded as we head into tomorrow and as thought-provoking, satisfying entertainment."

Review: I've been putting off writing this review for ages. Although it's been two weeks since I finished this book, somehow I've lacked the inspiration to write its review. I think this has to do with how underwhelmed I was by this novel. This might well be partly my own fault, as I went in with such very, very high expectations. Brave New World will almost inevitably crop up in every list of books you must read/ best books ever written. Add to that the fact that I really enjoy my dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels, and I was really expecting to love this to bits... Not so in the end, I'm afraid.

It started of well, as I really enjoyed the first third of the book, when we are introduced to how the world now works. I was particularly intrigued by the whole concept of controlling the masses through forced happiness. Too much of a good thing, and all that. The descriptions of how humans now reproduce, and the reasons the government gives to justify it are enough to make anyone's skin crawl. Also, the things that shock the inhabitants of this world, really makes you (or at least, me!) think why it is that you are repulsed by the things that you are; do you really feel like that, or is it really all just conditioning?

However, after this frankly spectacular first third, things began to slow down. I found it hard to have any empathy for any of the characters, as they just seemed like empty shells. I guess that might have been the point, but I like to feel something for characters, even if that something happens to be hate. As it was (and this applies to all the characters in the novel), I just felt a bit...

Also, I found that things became quite predictable once the characters went to see the 'savages' in the reservation.

Although I think this novel had some amazing concepts (especially considering Huxley wrote it in 1931!) and some fantastic bits of writing, I feel these concepts could have been much more thoroughly developed. Unfortunately, the book lost me by the final third...

Favourite Quotes:
"Primroses and landscapes, he pointed out, have one grave defect: they are gratuitous. A love of nature keeps no factories busy".

"You can't consume much if you sit still and read books". - Which is why you should read, people!!!

"Happiness is a hard master–particularly other people's happiness." - Isn't it just? Embarrassingly true.

"Our Ford himself did a great deal to shift the emphasis from truth and beauty to comfort and happiness. Mass production demanded the shift. Universal happiness keeps the wheels steadily turning; truth and beauty can't."

Overall rating: 3/5

2013 Bookish Resolutions

Given that we are still in January, I figured it was not too late for resolutions, and could just about squeeze mine in. So without further ado, here they are!

1.  Start a book blog and update regularly.
2.  Read 60 new books (i.e. re-reads don't count) and review them on this blog.
3.  Read at least 15 Classics.
4.  Read The Host. All of it. With an open mind. And no preconceived loathing in my heart. More on this on another post.
5.  Stop being horrible, snobby, judgmental so-and-so about chick-lit.
6.  Read one of Haruki Murakami's books - any recommendations? 
7.  Get through my current Goodreads TBR list before adding new books to it. 
8.  Have a massive book cull before someone finds me buried underneath a pile of books when my bookshelf decides to stop being subjected to holding twice its book capacity and takes revenge by collapsing on top of me. 
9.  Whenever possible, buy from independent bookshops.
10. Control my book-buying and bookmark-buying compulsion.

Book Review: The Picture of Dorian Gray

When I was a teenager, I used to make a regular habit of reading works of Literature. Not because I was made to, but because I genuinely enjoyed it. I read the whole of Les Miserables when I was 14. It took   me about two months, but I remember the sense of achievement when I finished it. Lately, however, I've found that my ability to focus has been steadily dwindling. Maybe it's all the time I spend on the Internet, maybe it's the amount of brain cells which seem to be left fully awake after a full day's teaching little kids (i.e. precious few). And so it is, that in an attempt to regain my teenage powers of concentration, I am making it a point this year to read more works of Literature.

My first book this year was The Picture of Dorian Gray. It is one of those books that's been on my To Read list for years and years, but somehow kept getting neglected. Well, I finally read it, and I thoroughly loved it! It reminded me why I am such a big Oscar Wilde fan.

I think most people are at least vaguely aware of the storyline: man makes pact with Devil/destiny/whatever and retains his youth eternally while a picture of him gets old. I didn't really know too much beyond that.  The book is incredibly disturbing without ever being explicit or gory. I'd been thinking what exactly it was that made it so disturbing for me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It definitely wasn't just the whole Pact With the Devil thing. And then it dawned on me; it is that at the start of the story, Dorian Gray is the loveliest of people, not just externally, but inside as well. It is almost like his very soul radiates its kindness to make him beautiful.

In other words, Dorian Gray is , if we are honest, what we'd all like to think we are to a certain extent: kind, compassionate, modest, well-loved, sociable, witty. He's the guy we'd all love to have as a friend. And the question is, if such a paragon of virtue can be so easily (and rapidly) corrupted, what is stopping us from becoming the same?

Favourite quotes:
She was a curious woman, whose dresses always looked as if they had been designed in a rage and put on in a tempest. - about Lady Henry. Such a vivid character description via her wardrobe!

There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all. - Preach, Oscar!!!