genre: dystopian speculative fiction
I feel silly writing a little summary of this book because I feel like I am the last adult American to read it, but, it should be noted that even though I think I knew what it was about, I wasn't correct. Brave New World is about an imagined "utopian" society in which pain, worry, the need to make any kind of challenging decision has all be forfeited in the quest for peace and "happiness." To make a society like this requires a surprising amount of conformity which has been put in place using a lot of mechanical and scientific social structures to ensure that everyone knows their place, the role they play, and what is allowed.
What happens when someone doesn't easily fit their role in society? That's where our story comes in. If a curious brain somehow overrides its genetic and psychological programming, or if an outsider somehow makes their way into Civilization, it must be dealt with.
This was more interesting than I'd imagined, super thought provoking. It's deeply uncomfortable to imagine this world, so much the opposite of ours in so many ways. No idea of "family." The ability to dull ourselves whenever we have a feeling we don't like - it sounds appealing until you see the consequences of a society of people who have no idea of what to do with emotions. I can see why this required reading so often because there is a lot of ethical questions to discuss.
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