I have read it before, in seventh or eighth grade, but I figured it was time for it again. I like the book a lot, and I think it remains applicable today (maybe now more than ever).
My only complaint is with the suddenness of the ending, and how it seems to imply that the "death of beauty" or true humanness is an inevitability. I don't know if it's making the argument that John and the "New World" are opposite sides of a spectrum, like two impossible extremes, and that neither one can truly work, but there's a clear loser at the end which really pushes the superiority or, at least strength of the winning system.
I guess it all stems from the character John being irrational and damaged in many ways. He's not someone who can articulate what is wrong with the way things are.
I just re-read my original comment. I must have been distracted or something cause I didn't mean to just say I hate it, and leave it at that. I also meant to ask U your opinion so I'm glad you gave it anyway.
Yes I agree with you. The book in itself was interesting and I agree that the dystopian themes still hold true. And, as with lots of dystopian novels, that theory may very well come true.
Anyway, my big problem is that the characters were too one-dimensional. I can look past it in the Alphas etc, because it's their conditioning but I think John became less interesting for it. The ending was also far too abrupt in my opinion, so abrupt in fact that I nearly missed it. The feet going north, north west, west and then back again, was a poetic but really abstract way of putting it, and I felt it was kind of a cowardly way out of the book.
There's no real resolution. You said there's a winner but I don't really think so. The savage camp is still there and there's now some seed of rebellion within the other camp with the tall, awesome Alpha and the short, bitter one (i forget their names).
1984 has no 'real' resolution either. The big bad wins and all is normal again but I feel it helps make the threat of an all-powerful/knowing government that much more real. In Brave New World, I was like, really? thanks for wasting my time. Like a story that takes forever and goes nowhere.
I guess I didn't hate it, I was just disappointed.
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I finished Book 2: 44 by Joolz Somebody.
Good premise - girl wakes up from the dead and can see serial killer on rampage.
Then it takes a huge nosedive towards the end. Huuuuuuuuuge.
Still enjoyable except for the last 20-30 pages. 3 stars?
Book 3: Dunno - will take recommendations.
