A Review Of: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

This book is a nuanced critique of progress for progress sake, but not without the condemnation of the evils of our past. It conveys a fear of what happens when we “lose the plot” and when we lose sight of the things that are truly valuable. Facing fear, doing hard things, overcoming adversity, and explores a world without struggle and the things we lost by the world evolving in that manner.

I don’t care to discuss the literal happenings in the book, because you can distill it down to a utopia with zero struggle and everyone has freedom from pain. All problems are solved in some manner. Everything is optimized for freedom from struggle. Systems implemented so no one experiences unaccounted-for pain.

As the story moves onward it explores the logical outcomes of living in this world and introduces a character named John which represents the old world. He has beautiful and romantic ideals in some manners, but also a troubling mindset when it comes to equality and freedom. He passes judgment on the new world in a violent and decisive manner.

At the climax of the book there is an attempted reconciliation between these two perspectives (new vs old world) via a conversation between the world controller and John. At its conclusion reconciliation is impossible and John is sent back to the old world. He hangs himself.

Brave new world is delivering a nuanced opinion. Optimizing away pain and suffering has a cost, but certainly progress should happen. It writes a check that the reader must cash. How will the reader interpret the sides and can the reader resist “losing the plot” of humanity.