Island
by Aldous Huxley
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| published
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July 1989
by HarperCollins Canada / Mm, Us Adult
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| first published
| 1962 |
| binding
| Paperback |
| isbn
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006080985X
(isbn13: 9780060809850)
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| ebook |
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| pages
| 304 |
| description
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A Utopian spoof from Aldous Huxley, author of the classic Brave New World.
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A Utopian spoof from Aldous Huxley, author of the classic Brave New World.
[close]
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| date added
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05-11-07
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
hippies looking for a wake-up call
There are going to be references to “Brave New World” in here. That almost can’t be avoided, the two ought to be sold together. I try not to cite other works and make comparisons or references, but I’m also going to acknowledge that anyone reading “Island” has probably read “BNW”. Face it, brah, you’re probably a weirdo if this isn’t the case. Anyone in here with that singular honor? Oh, I see the guy wearing the Chicago Cubs jersey becapped mesh trucker hat endorsing Ma...more
There are going to be references to “Brave New World” in here. That almost can’t be avoided, the two ought to be sold together. I try not to cite other works and make comparisons or references, but I’m also going to acknowledge that anyone reading “Island” has probably read “BNW”. Face it, brah, you’re probably a weirdo if this isn’t the case. Anyone in here with that singular honor? Oh, I see the guy wearing the Chicago Cubs jersey becapped mesh trucker hat endorsing Mad Dog 20/20 has put down his 40oz Mickey’s to scratch his head as he’s finally realized he mistakenly clicked the wrong link while searching porn on the web. Well, hunker on down and sit a spell, dude, you’re a promising candidate for emigration to the idyllic island of Pala. That’s right, gorgeous Pala, the jewel of what I suspect to be the Indonesian archipelago…… and the very same place I happen to have a timeshare which I’m willing to sell! Attractively located on fetid swampland, charmingly ensconced by drug-addled throwbacks to the days of hunting and gathering, and lavishly furnished with local wares and crafts which make Amish goods seem factory-fresh and reeking of the industrial revolution. Fantastic Pala: The only place on earth where you can both straddle the equator while the magnificent sunset occluded by the steaming caldera from a recent volcanic eruption. All for the low price of your soul, hopes, dreams, one-hundred and fifty large ones, and the rights to name your next two sons. But I swear on Buddha, the view is something, you’d be a fool not to pounce on this opportunity.
So let’s take a look at the timeshare, walk with me. Off on your left there, that sheer rock-face, that’s where the locals hold their ‘rite of passage’ by taking the local drug of choice (moshka-medicine) and wildly climbing about, and coming around this bend over here, that’s one of their religious centers, where they get twisted and contemplate. Reflecting, pondering; that’s serious business here in Pala, a session at the ‘church’ can last days if you’ve got a large enough stash. We’re coming up to the property I want to show you now, this would be your neighbors’ house, the Bhattacharyas, good people. Based on the cacophony coming from within I presume Vijaya is currently whack on the moshka-medicine and charming snakes, while his dear wife, Shanta, is currently practicing the love-yoga while in a state of transcendental narcotic bliss. Consider yourself favorably located, as you can see the roof of the hospital due south, see it? Pretty convenient. Strangely, the hospital is about the only place they don’t dispense or consume any drugs; they prefer to ‘will’ themselves better. Great place, Pala, and interesting to no end. Oh, why am I leaving such a fantastic locale, you ask. Well, I discovered I’m mildly allergic to equatorial sunlight, I unfortunately have to relocate to a cave in Nepal lest I suffer another bout of itchy rashes on my ample buttocks.
Actually, Pala isn’t that ridiculous, not to promote their tenets in any sense, but they have a thing going on. Not a particularly practical thing, certainly not a progressive thing, but a thing nonetheless, and for some, that’s really all that matters.
Anyway, back to the task at hand. You’ve read “Brave New World”, and for some reason you’re still reading this, which is indicative of serious lapses in judgment, so you obviously have the time, and perhaps about 8 bucks, to order this from Amazon and forego this review. Oh, you spent your last sawbuck on some losing wagers at the OTB and have to rely on this, eh. Well, at least I can rest assured you’ll consider counseling for that gambling habit after being subjected to this.
As I read “Island”, I constantly felt that the book was simply Huxley’s own response to his earlier, more recognized novel. Imagine that all the building blocks of a society, (from reproduction, leisure activity, religion, education, to government and law enforcement) are placed at a fork in the road, and how you chose to use them determines which path you’ll meander down: off to the right you have The World State where each social influence was used to weaken and reduce the individual, and off to the left each element was actively applied to self-awareness and an appreciation of their ‘one-ness’ with the infinite. (You boring and commonplace right-handers can reverse what outcomes lies at the end of each path, should it help you distinguish which of these civilizations is indeed more ‘righteous’.) I’ll admit it was pretty distracting to be considering why Huxley did this; was this his counterpoint to Brave New World, his testament that the World State seems inevitable, but that it can be avoided if we intelligently opt how to mold those pesky social requisites? Or was this just the disturbed lunacy of another damnfool junkie who’s been to a Rainbow gathering one too many times, now embracing the glorious beneficence imparted by copious amounts of consciousness-expanding drugs? Mayhap after a decade of getting geeked he’d realized that his cherished junk couldn’t possibly corrupt a cleverly organized society led by a reasourceful moshka-medicine-man such as himself? I really don’t know, but had Huxley not decided to go and overdose on his own brain I’d treat him to dinner at Burger King and ask him.
“Island” concerns the adventures of Will Farnaby, a troubled individual who has cleverly managed to infiltrate Pala, which normally restricts outsiders as not to sully their lifestyle, all under the auspices as a shipwreck survivor who happens to be interested in examining their culture. Little do the Palanese suspect that Farnaby is actually on Pala to negotiate an oil-trade agreement for his boss, as the island is about to have a new monarch looking to modernize his realm, beginning with the sale of their oil reserves for consumer products which have previously been kept off Palanese soil. Murugan, the soon-to-be-king, is about as far from typical as possible on Pala; he wants a flashy car, an iPod, and a widescreen hi-def plasma tv while his simpleton subjects seek only enlightenment and the path to nirvana. It is the investigative nature of Mr. Farnaby (a reporter by trade) that allows us to compare the differences of how the World State and Pala are putting the societal puzzle pieces together, as the novel centers around Farnaby’s arrival and the natives showing him around when he expresses interest in their practices during this pivotal period concerning Palanese isolationism.
I’ll try doing this by going through broad stages of life. To bring a new human into the world both rely heavily on artificial practices, with World State filling their ranks with 72-member batches of identical ‘twins’ (“The principle of mass production at last applied to biology” – BNW); whereas in Pala, the most notable figures of each age all make sizeable contributions of genetic matter so that future generations may ensure their stellar qualities are preserved and passed down (incidentally creating a populous that is almost assuredly inbred; Kentucky manages to do the same without wasting time having their top-tier stock car drivers beating off at sperm banks). Once born, there is a marked difference in acclimating the child to society: in World State, the genetic tinkering and conditioning of the embryos takes care of that prior to birth, in Pala, children are raised primarily by one family, but each family is part of a Mutual Adoption Club that trades the kids around in order than can experience a little of everything, to know what it’s like to live as the son of a ditch-digger, doctor, or dominatrix. In World State, education is strictly geared towards the role in which you’ve been predestined to accept (this ditch-digger don’t need no math!) and in Pala, the citizens are free to pursue their broad interests at leisure, when not attending classes that promote the wisdom of Buddha. Upon maturation, the typical World Statesman is immediately dispatched to perform his single, dedicated duty, in Pala, most appear to have a preferred occupation, but often decide to go and try their hand at something else to nudge along their development towards personal completeness. And let’s not forget about drugs; the Palanese use the moshka-medicine to the benefit of their spirituality, and the soma-junkies in World State are further entrenched in their slavery by this nefarious narcotic. The bottom line: anything done is World State is an effort to marginalize individual nature, on the island of Pala, everything is designed to make people the best individual they can be.
So, can this carefully constructed society possibly withstand the allure of the Pokemons begging for shelf-space in Palanese shops? Can these peaceful people influence Murugan to reconsider opening the borders and admitting the evil influence of the ridiculous outside world which makes their skin crawl? Is Will Farnaby ever going to get to try some of the acclaimed moshka-medicine, or lay the wood to the recently widowed Susila? Only a reading of the book can answer these questions for you.
Also included is a pretty funny discussion on the tyrant-forming natures of Hitler and Stalin, a few hilarious incidents concerning Murugan’s mother (a self-proclaimed clairvoyant and total shithead that conditioned her son to sell out his people), and a Palanese man explaining to Farnaby that the suffering of the masses in the outside world isn’t a cosmic joke when he states “the joke isn’t cosmic, it’s man-made. These things aren’t like gravity or the second law of thermodynamics; they don’t have to happen. They happen only if people are stupid enough to allow them to happen.”
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bookshelves:
the-emergent-paradigm
Read in July, 2007
As much as I'd like to shake it off, I can't quite get past the feeling that Huxley's critique of Western developmentalism, which I pretty much agree with, might not.. well, be quite served as well as it ought to have been by his own vision of the Good Society. The feeling that yes, given such and such fortuitous set of pre-existing conditions, combined with such and such rational application of supra-utilitarian psychology, transcendental humanism, "neurotheology," eco-anarchist mutua...more
As much as I'd like to shake it off, I can't quite get past the feeling that Huxley's critique of Western developmentalism, which I pretty much agree with, might not.. well, be quite served as well as it ought to have been by his own vision of the Good Society. The feeling that yes, given such and such fortuitous set of pre-existing conditions, combined with such and such rational application of supra-utilitarian psychology, transcendental humanism, "neurotheology," eco-anarchist mutualism, and good old Mahayana Buddhism, such an envious end-result would not seem out of question...
But which still begs the question of its sustained resistance in the face of the relentless machinery of obsolescence and cross-cultural hegemony employed by those in the iniquitous Westernist camp to mete out their own grubbing demands and exemplified with such lovingly satirical portrayal in the Dipa-Rani-Murugan Crusade-of-the-Spirit cabal. A suspicion which would make one say, basically, Its too good to be true, which is at least acknowledged at the very end as we watch the sun set on the Palanese as their own masters... but which also could be taken as a projection of one's own ambivalence and lack of full conviction in the face of the ideal world towards which we are so emphatically, blindedly, but most urgently groping.
What really gets to me, and is rather surprising, given that it is Huxley, is the book's rather pedantic dialectical form, between the Enlightened Ones, who are to serve as the author's mouthpieces, and the Innocent-Bystander-Who-Just-Happened-To-Be-Sucked-Down-The-Rabbit-Hole/Overtly-Ignorant-Everyman, who is to be their foil, much in the manner of Daniel Quinn's Ishmael, only less obviously, obnoxiously so... The only difference here being the emphasis on the social, rather than ecological side of the eco-socio-justice divide. Oh and also, that the author isn't a complete, dithering idiot. Or at least doesn't insult his audience by assuming that they are so.
But anyway, I guess in the end we should just go ahead and let the experience of the book stand in to do its own job, which is to say hey, Another World (Really) Is Possible... even if only within the space-time allotment accorded it by the strands of world historicity. And what a world it is.
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Read in August, 2008
recommends it for:
stoners
This book was simply unbearable to read. The only reason I slugged through it was out of respect for Huxley and for the occasional snippets of philosophical wisdom I discovered along the way.
The theme is pure Huxley: intelligent, open-minded man gets shipwrecked on a remote tropical island where the native population has managed to create a utopia. The man meets a variety of people over a period of days who explain Pala's (the name of the island) unique culture.
The story is actually a ...more
This book was simply unbearable to read. The only reason I slugged through it was out of respect for Huxley and for the occasional snippets of philosophical wisdom I discovered along the way.
The theme is pure Huxley: intelligent, open-minded man gets shipwrecked on a remote tropical island where the native population has managed to create a utopia. The man meets a variety of people over a period of days who explain Pala's (the name of the island) unique culture.
The story is actually a succession of philosophical, political, spiritual, scientific, and psychological discussions (or narratives) that describe how their perfect society works.
No wonder this was Huxley's last book. It's obvious he's trying to create a perfect world on paper--one he never had the opportunity to witness in real life.
The main problem I have with "Island" is its complete departure from the novel form. And this issue is not problematic in and of itself, but when the departure is UNINTERESTING, it becomes a problem.
There is no palpable tension, no recognizable antagonist, and absolutely, no climax. If anything, the best part of the book is when the main character, Will Barnaby, takes the "moksha-medicine" and goes into a psychedelic trance. Oh, I won't ruin the end for you...its predictability is so utterly bland, you'll want to keep turning every page.
Ultimately, if you're into Tantra or Buddhism or utopian novels, this may be your book. But if you're into Literature. Be Warned.
One more thing. Here's my favorite quotation of the book (and there's lots more like it if you read it):
"We cannot reason ourselves out of our basic irrationality. All we can do is learn the art of being irrational in a reasonable way."
I think that's cool!
And one more thing Beatles fans:
There is a "Dr. Robert" in the book who is one of the main characters. He is one of the proponents of the moksha-medicine (mind expanding drug). The Beatles have a song called "Dr. Robert", and Aldous Huxley is one of the famous people on the cover of the Sgt. Pepper album!
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bookshelves:
reviewed
Read in June, 2006
recommends it for:
Hippies pretending to be Yuppies.
My GRE Test Prep book says that qualifying and generally narrowing the scope of your thesis does not in any way undermine the effectiveness of your argument. On the contrary it makes the argument appear scholarly, more convincing. The persuasive power of Huxley’s utopia similarly rests in a kind of measured ambition. That is, while it is certainly naïve to assume human beings will ever solve all of their important problems, it also cannot be denied that these problems are all too often cause...more
My GRE Test Prep book says that qualifying and generally narrowing the scope of your thesis does not in any way undermine the effectiveness of your argument. On the contrary it makes the argument appear scholarly, more convincing. The persuasive power of Huxley’s utopia similarly rests in a kind of measured ambition. That is, while it is certainly naïve to assume human beings will ever solve all of their important problems, it also cannot be denied that these problems are all too often caused by social choices we have made. And so, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that some problems may be solved by making different choices, etc. And so, Huxley gives us an island with fewer religious fanatics, food shortages, problems due to overpopulation, emotional cripples, bullies, problems due to sexism, crimes of jealousy and fewer class antagonisms than the world at large. Huxley gives us a society of human beings that are less alienated from their environment, their communities, themselves. Huxley gives us a culture that is thoughtfully organized, with solutions to some of the world’s most important social problems. Then, he has it destroyed by a military dictator with a short-man’s complex--in the name of progress, no less!
It is a wonderful novel of ideas. Bravo!
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Read in March, 2008
This is a book to read and re-read for the philosophical and spiritual issues that it examines. The utopia of Pala is examined by an outsider, much like ourselves. Will has been brought up through the typical patriarchal pedagogy, which resents and demeans anything different.
He learns to embrace a parallel if not complementary way of living. The Palanese integrate teachings across philosophies (not just religions) of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity and accept the spectrum of individu...more
This is a book to read and re-read for the philosophical and spiritual issues that it examines. The utopia of Pala is examined by an outsider, much like ourselves. Will has been brought up through the typical patriarchal pedagogy, which resents and demeans anything different.
He learns to embrace a parallel if not complementary way of living. The Palanese integrate teachings across philosophies (not just religions) of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity and accept the spectrum of individuals (muscle men, peter pans) but find ways to allow peaceful interaction. There is no monopolistic forcing of one's ways on others but continuously appropriate and attentive choices made by an intellectually and humanely informed population, all the way from children to adults.
This book gets at an essential that many of us have not taken the time to absorb - but that is evident in the background should we choose to make the effort to observe it - like the saying the democracy depends on a well informed electorate and Albert Einstein's quote: "peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding."
I choose to believe that the ending is just the future truth being revealed by the moksha-medicine, and that Will wakes up and takes actions that allow the little heaven on earth to still be in existence, resilient to the ever-present outside forces trying to get in and corrupt/conquer. It harks to the daily fight each of us undergoes since we were born. That is the beauty of the ending - you can make up your own!
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
Brave New World readers
It should be stated as a caveat to this review, that I believe that Huxley is one of the most important, intellectual, and enlightened mystics of the 20th century. I originally read this book 8 or nine years ago when my knowledge of spirituality, religion, and literature was sparse. However, it was one of those books that struck me like lightning and forever change the way I frame the world and our society.So a re-read…
Island is an active dialogue between relatively few characters who bring ...more
It should be stated as a caveat to this review, that I believe that Huxley is one of the most important, intellectual, and enlightened mystics of the 20th century. I originally read this book 8 or nine years ago when my knowledge of spirituality, religion, and literature was sparse. However, it was one of those books that struck me like lightning and forever change the way I frame the world and our society.So a re-read…
Island is an active dialogue between relatively few characters who bring Huxley’s Perennial Philosophy to a narrative form. Will Farnaby , the protagonist is a deranged, self-loathing, confused journalist who finds himself a survivor of a shipwreck and is welcomed into the utopian land of Pala. Here he witnesses Huxley’s vision of a society harmonizing with nature, but also embracing science and compassion. Now that I’m writing this I find it hard to write an adequate summary and so I’ll leave it on a quote that I earmarked. There is really so much wisdom embedded in these pages, that often this novel could be read like any piece of philosophic or religious text.
In one scene the children of Pala are actively moving scarecrows to protect their crops. The scarecrows are representations of gods or enlightened beings such as Buddha, Shiva,… will was confused by this, so he inquired about the purpose of it.
“ He wanted to make the children understand that all gods are homemade, and it’s we who pull their strings and so give them the power to pull ours.”
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You know I took real offense at the tag on the cover: "a utopian spoof". As I read I could find no evidence that Huxley was in any way spoofing anything. All the characters were presented in a the same matter of fact voice. In no way did Huxley lambast either the protagonists or antagonists. As a reader who has some experience with both the modern world (tee hee hee) and the utopian vision Huxley presents I was able to empathise with the kind of conflict that arose between them. This i...more
You know I took real offense at the tag on the cover: "a utopian spoof". As I read I could find no evidence that Huxley was in any way spoofing anything. All the characters were presented in a the same matter of fact voice. In no way did Huxley lambast either the protagonists or antagonists. As a reader who has some experience with both the modern world (tee hee hee) and the utopian vision Huxley presents I was able to empathise with the kind of conflict that arose between them. This is not a spoiler but you'll understand when you have read the book that it would have been far longer, after the denoumont, if huxley had wanted to stand on any kind of farcical soapbox. Anyway, either way it seemed the publishers simply did not get the book at all or they were perhaps trying to sell copies by in some way tying the book in with Brave New World (though such a tie-in might suggest that the general public had not gotten BNW themselves.) But after much fuming I finally got what the tag line meant or at least should be taken to mean. The main character Will Farnaby repeatedly but effectively spoofs the both the utopian and modernian view of the world. At some point we begin to expect that after any character has pontificated on his or her personal beliefs - the utopians take up about half the book doing this - Will will make a snide rejoinder. Its his way of coping both with a world he cannot comprehend and another world he has to defend. Perhaps because Mr. Farnaby is so brief in his own speaking style I was able to miss until after finishing the book this subtle characterization. ...less
Read in March, 2006
Huxley writes about a utopian society and points out many of the downfalls of western society. What I liked about this is that he offered alternatives/soltutions to these negatives.
He describes a new way to raise children called mutual adoption that "guarantees children against injustice and the worst consequences of parental ineptitude".
He addresses the western healthcare and describes his vision for the way it should be:
"It’s fifty percent terrific and fifty pe...more
Huxley writes about a utopian society and points out many of the downfalls of western society. What I liked about this is that he offered alternatives/soltutions to these negatives.
He describes a new way to raise children called mutual adoption that "guarantees children against injustice and the worst consequences of parental ineptitude".
He addresses the western healthcare and describes his vision for the way it should be:
"It’s fifty percent terrific and fifty percent nonexistent. Marvelous antibiotics – but absolutely no methods for increasing resistance, so that antibiotics won’t be necessary. Fantastic operations – but when it comes to teaching people the way of going through life without having to be chopped up, absolutely nothing. And it’s the same all along the line. Alpha Plus for patching you up when you’ve started to fall apart; Delta Minus for keeping you healthy.” […]
“But cure,” said Will, “is so much more dramatic than prevention. And for doctors it’s also a lot more profitable.”
“Maybe for your doctors,” said the little nurse. “Not so for ours. Ours get paid for keeping people well.”
One of my favorite lines is "spongy seats for spongy bottoms": when talking about how westerners are 'sitting addicts'.
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Read in January, 2002
Published in 1962, the year before his death (which occurred on the same day JFK was assassinated), Island is the antithesis of his earlier-acclaimed Brave New World. Whereas Brave New World describes the epitome of a dystopian future, Island is a richly imagined utopian realm.
Pala, a fictional island, is home to an undisturbed and prospering society — that is, until a skeptical journalist named Will Farnaby is shipwrecked upon its shores. As much a philosoph...more
Published in 1962, the year before his death (which occurred on the same day JFK was assassinated), Island is the antithesis of his earlier-acclaimed Brave New World. Whereas Brave New World describes the epitome of a dystopian future, Island is a richly imagined utopian realm.
Pala, a fictional island, is home to an undisturbed and prospering society — that is, until a skeptical journalist named Will Farnaby is shipwrecked upon its shores. As much a philosophical exposition as it is a novel, Island further expounds upon many of the themes Huxley explored throughout his illustrious career: democracy, modernization, industrialization, overpopulation, ecology, consciousness, psychedelic drugs, and mysticism.
Island's allegorical tale, sadly, seems as relevant today as when it was written nearly a half-century ago. With his trademark wisdom and unyielding insight, Huxley has crafted a hopeful story that should appeal to all who seek a better world. ...less
Read in February, 2007
Island describes a fictional utopian society and serves as a counterpoint to Huxley's (and other's) earlier dystopia novels. Despite having been written nearly fifty years ago, many of the themes, such as corporate imperialism and energy consumption, remain (painfully) relevant today. Huxley describes an island nation that has managed to conquer most of society's ill's and is being threatened by the corrupting influence of western culture. This book is very clearly written from the perspective o...more
Island describes a fictional utopian society and serves as a counterpoint to Huxley's (and other's) earlier dystopia novels. Despite having been written nearly fifty years ago, many of the themes, such as corporate imperialism and energy consumption, remain (painfully) relevant today. Huxley describes an island nation that has managed to conquer most of society's ill's and is being threatened by the corrupting influence of western culture. This book is very clearly written from the perspective of an upper middle class European man, a predecessor to the modern day Limousine Liberal, and doesn't exactly portray my idea of a Utopia, but it does present several though provoking ideas for managing social problems that persist to this day. Some of the solutions proposed in Island would, no doubt, provoke head explosions from people on both the left and right. If nothing else, you will leave this book with a few conversation (or violent debate) starters....less
Read in August, 2007
This book was so jam-packed with ideas and opinions, it was nearly impossible to put down. You really get the sense of this being Huxley's last book and of him lying all of his beliefs right out there for you to interpret and assess. And seeing as how I agree with pretty much everything he says, I thought this book was awesome. My only complaints would be that since he has so much to say, the book is essentially plot-less, with 95% of the time dedicated to describing his utopia/dystopia scenario...more
This book was so jam-packed with ideas and opinions, it was nearly impossible to put down. You really get the sense of this being Huxley's last book and of him lying all of his beliefs right out there for you to interpret and assess. And seeing as how I agree with pretty much everything he says, I thought this book was awesome. My only complaints would be that since he has so much to say, the book is essentially plot-less, with 95% of the time dedicated to describing his utopia/dystopia scenario. Also, I felt that the ending was semi-unbelievable (more on that if you don't mind me dropping some spoilers) given its reversion back to the main character when throughout the story I felt he was more of just a springboard to bounce ideas off of. All in all tho, a Good Read....less
bookshelves:
fiction,
lost-lit
Read in April, 2008
Another novel I picked up becuase it was noted as an influence on the Lost Tv show (dont hate me, please)
It was just ok for me. I am not sure what i was expecting, but this novel just didnt even come close. Basically, I feel like I read an essay by Huxley on what he felt the perfect society was. The only reason it is a 'novel' is becuase he created characters to explain it all to us.
There was no meat in this storyline, no real action or emotions to really build on, or to get you involve...more
Another novel I picked up becuase it was noted as an influence on the Lost Tv show (dont hate me, please)
It was just ok for me. I am not sure what i was expecting, but this novel just didnt even come close. Basically, I feel like I read an essay by Huxley on what he felt the perfect society was. The only reason it is a 'novel' is becuase he created characters to explain it all to us.
There was no meat in this storyline, no real action or emotions to really build on, or to get you involved with the characters. It was hard to pick up once it was put down.
I will say I am glad Ive read it.
And I thought the ending was interesting.
And thats really all i can say. Not for the light reader!...less
Has a copy to sell/swap
—
Read in February, 2008
recommended to Mark by:
Allyson
recommends it for:
Susie
Great content but the writing style bumped me. The 90% exposition and 10% narrative mix is awkward. The fact that every character, even the children, rant on manifesto style often takes you out of the already thin story line. Yet Huxley's thoughts are dense and fascinating. His deconstruction of Western civilization is excellent. I share his appreciation of the joy and freedom that the Buddha's teachings can bring but the Buddha never spoke of the utopia that Huxley puts forward in his novel. My...more
Great content but the writing style bumped me. The 90% exposition and 10% narrative mix is awkward. The fact that every character, even the children, rant on manifesto style often takes you out of the already thin story line. Yet Huxley's thoughts are dense and fascinating. His deconstruction of Western civilization is excellent. I share his appreciation of the joy and freedom that the Buddha's teachings can bring but the Buddha never spoke of the utopia that Huxley puts forward in his novel. My understanding of nature and the human psyche tells me that such a world is not possible. Regardless the book is rich exploration of human potential....less
Read in May, 2008
This book starts out brilliant, but after a while, what starts as a really interesting, deep character piece becomes a torrent of philosophical and descriptive monologues by inhabitants of this utopian island. The book spends too much time developing its philosophy and sort of loses what I felt was the heart of the book, the story of a man who can't take yes for an answer finally learning to say yes.
But maybe that's just what happens when you read utopian fiction. You spend a lot of time j...more
This book starts out brilliant, but after a while, what starts as a really interesting, deep character piece becomes a torrent of philosophical and descriptive monologues by inhabitants of this utopian island. The book spends too much time developing its philosophy and sort of loses what I felt was the heart of the book, the story of a man who can't take yes for an answer finally learning to say yes.
But maybe that's just what happens when you read utopian fiction. You spend a lot of time just studying what an author's vision of utopia is, and not a lot of time on the fiction....less
Read in August, 2008
At first I didn't like the artificial framework to describe Huxley's utopia or the fact that it seemed a little preachy, but by the end it actually made a lot of sense. I liked the perfect human uptopia being a combination of science and spirituality not based on any religion. Too bad it would be impossible due to human nature, plus the type of society described limits progress so that the even greater uptopia afforded by the singularity would never be possible :)
bookshelves:
whatdoibelieve
This book has some really great ideas about little things that we can do to make this world a better place. It has great suggestions for how we can raise our children to be more loving and non-violent, how to embrace the inevitability of death, and puts into perspective the truly important things in life. However, when Huxley explains that the easiest way to experience enlightenment is through eating mushrooms, I have to admit, the book became a bit less interesting and powerful. It sure bega...more
This book has some really great ideas about little things that we can do to make this world a better place. It has great suggestions for how we can raise our children to be more loving and non-violent, how to embrace the inevitability of death, and puts into perspective the truly important things in life. However, when Huxley explains that the easiest way to experience enlightenment is through eating mushrooms, I have to admit, the book became a bit less interesting and powerful. It sure began with a bang, though... ...less
bookshelves:
sci-fi-or-futuristic
About a utopian SE Asian island society on the cusp of being corrupted by exploitation of oil. Reads more like a socio-political manifesto than a novel. The plot, such as it is, is just an excuse to contrive situations for characters to explain their life, philosophy, culture etc, rather than the driving force. This also means that none of the characters are very convincing because they are almost incidental caricatures (and many of them are too good to be true).
Read in January, 2002
Not nearly as good a novel as Brave New World, but interesting nonetheless. What might be most surprising at first is the inverse relationship this utopia has to the dystopia Huxley writes about some thirty or so years before. Soma and forced polygamy give way to...psychedelic mushrooms and either polygamy or monogamy (chosen instead of forced). Anyway: a tad dry, but if you have some time to kill, it's a good counterpoint to Brave New World.
bookshelves:
novel
Read in January, 1990
Thirty years after the classic dystopia Brave New World and towards the end of his life, Huxley crafted this model of a utopian society, working out kinship structures, ritual practice, political processes and the ultimate challenge of living within the international context of resource avarice. I read this a long time ago and it often comes unbidden to my mind, reminding me that another world is possible.
Read in January, 2004
Island is an interesting novel that Aldous Huxley wrote at the end of his life. As such, it is interesting to glean from Island the lessons that Huxley has learned in life. Even more interesting is comparing and contrasting the society in Brave New World with the one in Island to decipher whether or not Huxley actually believes that the existence of a utopia is possible, and if so, what it would entail.
book data (includes all editions)
avg rating
(all editions):
3.76 (913 ratings)
avg rating
(this edition): 3.65
(26 ratings)
number of reviews: 95
other editions
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Island (Paperback)
isbn: 0060085495
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Island (Paperback)
isbn: 0099477777
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Island: A Novel (Hardcover)
isbn: 0060120851
quote
"Armaments, universal debt, and planned obsolescence - those are the three pillars of Western prosperity. If war, waste, and moneylenders were abolished, you'd collapse. And while you people are overconsuming the rest of the world sinks more and more deeply into chronic disaster."
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