I miss my food-based book rating system. But I'm not hungry right now, and it's too hot to think of anything hot, meaty, chewy... belch. So, we'll go with the academic cowboy theme, right? Ah, the imagery.
I finished Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Zorak looked over and saw me reading it. Saw me grimacing.
"Isn't that the guy you didn't enjoy at all, except for the bit where he ripped on Byron?"
Yep. *cringe*
"Why are you reading that? No. Wait. Let me guess. This is part of your cultural education? It's an archetype, a social thread, and you want to understand the source?"
*raising my eyebrows and lowering the book* Wow, you're good.
"Nah, I've just heard it often enough. *pause* So. Is it working?"
Heh. Wait til they install the hypnopaedic rolls in homes. Then we'll see who's laughing. Well, no, I guess we won't, because we won't realize they've come and installed them, and by the time we do, we won't mind.
Yep. This book is going to give me the willies for a month. At least.
Shake it up a little, though. I'm one of the first to throw a rod when someone says, "Oh, that can't happen here!" (When referring to some governmental atrocity being committed elsewhere, generally, not with respect to Huxley's novel, per se.) And yet, it can. It has. It does. It's good to be uncomfortable, particularly if it spurs you into action. ...What is the reality-based equivalent of soma, anyhow?
I need to go read something uplifting and encouraging, like Lord of the Flies. Ugh. But I am glad I read this. Perhaps next time I pick up one of his books, I'll go for Crome Yellow (which Dover has on sale right now... hmmmm.)
Dy
4 comments:
How about Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress"?
It has some humorous parts...and lots of Libertarian themes...I bet you've already read it:-)
"It's good to be uncomfortable, particularly if it spurs you into action."
Amen, Sister, amen!
mere
Oh man, I started reading that book about a month ago, and it really started freaking me out, so I had to put it down. Then came Carson McCullers, "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter." That wasn't much better. So I started in on "Night" by Elie Wiesel, much better (I'm not sure exactly what that says about me.) So, now to ward off the sadness of the Holocaust, I'm mixing in a little of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince too.
Boy, sure sounds like I have too much time on my hands, huh?
-dawn
LOL Dawn. We should all start keeping a "Light Reading" shelf somewhere nearby. I tried switching over... to Heart of Darkness (Conrad). *snort* That wasn't such a good choice.
Mere, NO, I haven't read that! But I will. I definitely will. Thank you.
Dy
I *love* The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, though it's been a while since I read it. If I can locate the box it's in, I should probably re-read that one. Ironically, I've never enjoyed his most famous work. :)
Do you know there actually is a prescription drug called Soma? It's just a muscle relaxer though. I think today's equivalent of Soma is actually Ritalin. Works great because it's for altering the minds of young children to better receive the message the public schools are attempting to impart. (Yeah, I have issues and attitudes, but you already knew this.)
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