Utopia (Penguin Classics)
by Sir Thomas More
|
|
Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of Utopia.
discuss this book
friend reviews (0)
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1579)
Thomas More is traveling in the Low Countries when he sees his friend, Peter Giles. Giles introduces him to a well-traveled friend of his, Raphael Hythloday.
Raphael speaks of many countries and their policies and laws, and freely criticizes the laws of their own countries.He then begins speaking of a country, Utopia, which he thinks is ruled very well and is a perfect country.
More begs Raphael to speak more of Utopia, and he does. He first tells of their towns, which are all as identical...more
Raphael speaks of many countries and their policies and laws, and freely criticizes the laws of their own countries.He then begins speaking of a country, Utopia, which he thinks is ruled very well and is a perfect country.
More begs Raphael to speak more of Utopia, and he does. He first tells of their towns, which are all as identical...more
Like this review?
yes
(2 people liked it)
1 comments
Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
Those interested in government and/or philosophy
Although it took me 2 whole months to read a relatively short novel, I liked Moore's well-referenced Utopia. The first book is a little slow, but picked up a little at the end. The second book is way more interesting, going into details about this relatively unknown land of Utopia. This story is told from Moore's memory of a conversation he had with a man who traveled to the land of Utopia. Everything from fashion to politics is covered in their discussion, which although is very interesting, is...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in March, 2008
The man was brilliant but his ideas are relatively impractical for application in a society based on capitalism. His impact on future Utopian experiments was widespread and after reading his well-thought out book I can see why people actually tried it. The book is short, but not a quick read. It covers every aspect of society from government to religion, from rules of warfare to communal sharing of property. For people studying the reasons a modern Utopian society failed, comparing it with th...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in January, 2008
Utopia is a must for anyone wanting to better understand the history of political science. More gives his idea of a perfect society, through a Marco Polo-like analysis of the fictional Utopia's government, culture, and views on religion, etc. What makes it especially impressive is to see the views on the separation of Church and state and the freedom of religion from someone living in the 1500's. Some other interesting parts include the idea that our culture determines what we value (Utopian...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in April, 2008
I loved this book. I thought it was a fun look at the "naturalness" of capitalism (the whole argument for Utopia is how reasonable and natural that social arrangement is) and had great arguments against private property. Even though the imaginary communal society persecutes atheists and executes adulterers, it had a few redeeming qualities! What was really shocking and upsetting to me was the accuracy with which Raphael described and condemned capitalism, which was really only in its...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Thomas More was well ahead of his time, he was a man who was both a devout catholic and a man dedicated to equality, principle and education (even for women). Sadly, its his principles that cost him his head during one of Henry VIII tantrums, but nevertheless, Utopia is a fascinating idea. On the surface, it makes sense that, in a time when the lower classes were so oppressed, a story like this would arise that idealises communal living, equality and tolerance. The thing is though, those oppress...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
like history, philosophy, political science
This is an interesting book for a nummber of reasons, not the least of which being that the author, Sir Thomas More, was a devout Catholic and leading official in Tudor England who nevertheless wrote this treatise-satire about an ideal society that was both communal and religiously tolerant. It is still disputed as to what More was actually trying to say in writing this work. I'm inclined to believe that, for the most part, he was sincerely praising the Utopian society, while nevertheless real...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
This book coined not only a word that we are all familiar with, but a whole idea of what life could be. More's ideas have been used as inspiration by numerous groups of people attempting to found their own Utopian societies, like the Shakers or Karl Marx. However, More seems less to advocate such fantastic, unrealistic dreams than to warn his readers of the potential catastrophes that could result in their realization. This is necessary reading not just due to the breadth of its influence (ev...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in December, 2003
recommends it for:
European History Interests...maybe
Thomas More was better at being a martyr then being an engaging writer. Probably going to hell now, but with all the science fiction out there, all the utopia/dystopia motifs oozing out of everything, and this version not even being the first example of a literary Utopia (not to mention that this "Utopia" is clearly no utopia at all), this book is better left to Medieval literature classes or on the shelf all together.
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
recommends it for:
everyone
More coined the term utopia with this book, which comes from two greek roots, together meaning noplace. I think the work itself is a must read for anyone who is into politics or history. More writes a very intersting account of a fictional land that he bases off of the discovery of the New World. A place that isn't governed by greed or money, an interesting idea for a system of goverment. And also a weird twist when we think about what this place has become.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
recommends it for:
The cynical.
As I understand it, this book was written with the intent that the utopia described was something to strive for, an ideal world we should seek. One that could come to pass (someday). However I read it assuming that it was written as a parody, a statement about how such a thing could never come to be - that such a utopia is even undesirable. Such a world as that described lives only in the ridiculous fantasies of those I recommended PihKal to.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in December, 2001
recommends it for:
Poli-sci majors and Idealists
This was the perfect book to read as an idealistic undergrad teetering on the edge of being a Republican.
It taught me the basic premise that to rule well, first you must rule well at home and THEN branch out. If you try to rule too much and spread yourself too thin, you'll just end up destroying everything. I've found it an ever-relevant story in my own life, even though as I remember it was first written in Latin in the 13th Century
It taught me the basic premise that to rule well, first you must rule well at home and THEN branch out. If you try to rule too much and spread yourself too thin, you'll just end up destroying everything. I've found it an ever-relevant story in my own life, even though as I remember it was first written in Latin in the 13th Century
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Has a copy to sell/swap
—
Read in May, 2007
recommends it for:
Mike
Interesting, if typically uneven, description of an ideal society; like all such thought experiments, more compelling as a social document than as a narrative. Prefigures communism and Unitarian Universalism; certain passages, I'm convinced, the Marquis de Sade must have used for Justine, though characteristically inverted. It's too bad More and de Sade couldn't have met, I'd imagine they'd
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
i read this on the many buses i rode down to Panama. I guess I liked Moore's humorous and biting commentary on European politics. The foreword attached to my edition said that most people didn't get it and thought it was a real civilization on a real island. I guess he got to keep his head. Or maybe Cronwell (or are my time periods all messed up) got him afterall, i don't remember. It was good.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in July, 2007
Split in two parts, they're both interesting but it's mostly an academic exercise, without critique or analysis. Merely a description of a particular society, one that would cause you to reflect on your own situation, but only in so far as you are already inclined to do so. As far as utopias go, I don't think the society described in the book is all it's cracked up to be.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in February, 2001
I most recently read this in grad school to help me understand David Harvey's "Spaces of Hope" and the broader ideas of Utopian spaces, dystopias, and planned communities in urban planning. Objective irony, story within the story, using the form of fiction to obliquely cticize a power system of which he is a part; fascinating, and great stuff!
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in December, 2007
Every good socialist should read this - and probably shudder a little. Special treats include how women in Utopia are so happy to have work to contribute to society rather than just sitting idle in the home...Moore didn't mention about whether or not they were happy to also be part of a communal lot of women for attending to, er, urges. Hmm...
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in October, 2007
I had to read this for my English Lit class and it wasn't at all what I expected. Utopia is supposed to be an ideal soceity, yet there is a lack of personal freedom and individuality, and there is still war, sickness (plague), and slavery. Makes me wonder what More was trying to express... was he for this type of society or against it?
Like this review?
yes
3 comments
Read in October, 2006
recommends it for:
Analyctical types
I loved this book. The style is somewhat similar to Gulliver's Travels, but more philosophical. I especially enjoyed the commentary on 16th century England. More was certainly ahead of his time, and I think one could make a case that some elements of communism may have been taken from this book.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in March, 2008
Utopia blows. The story was interesting to read but the actual city was terrible. The amount of linguistic jokes within the story lead me to believe that More may have meant it as a satire. A "no" place rather than a "good" place. But hey, maybe he meant it and I am just a selfish capitalist.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
