2009 - I liked this book the best of Ayn Rand's three big fiction books, as a novel. Perhaps it was because it was so very autobiographical in some way2009 - I liked this book the best of Ayn Rand's three big fiction books, as a novel. Perhaps it was because it was so very autobiographical in some ways of her time in St. Petersburg/Petrograd during and after the Russian Revolution. The gritty realism of how unjust and desperate such a system, the Soviet Socialist system was becoming, appeals to my love of historical realism.
The passionate love affairs and beliefs of the conflicting characters were very vividly drawn. Even though I have not read it fully in over 30 years, but read it twice in the previous 10, the characters, plot, setting and theme will not be forgotten.
I also enjoyed the movie that was made from it in Mussolini's Italy during WWII, which was edited and re-released in the late 80s in the US. Alida Valli was mesmerizingly great as the main character, Kira, and it was the later film star Rossano Brazzi's first movie. Several other great Italian actors were in it too, and their performances added richly to the movie. The script stayed quite close to the book, except in one or two places where the wartime/fascist censors had to be appeased.
2024-07-10 I read this book a long time ago - in the early 70s I believe. I'm a little surprised that I have not reviewed it already here on Goodreads.2024-07-10 I read this book a long time ago - in the early 70s I believe. I'm a little surprised that I have not reviewed it already here on Goodreads. Perhaps I have and it just did not come up when I searched??
I do remember kind of liking the book, but not nearly as much as 1984 which also deals with the future dystopia, from a somewhat opposite prediction: 1984 describes a poor society being ground down by totalitarian controls Brave New World describes a rich society with amazing machines that produce humans, drugs, and everything one should need.
1984's scenario fit my views of what totalitarianism actually meant as witnessed in the USSR, most of Eastern EU after WWII, China of Mao, Pol Pot's Cambodia, and recently what Venezuela is going through.
Brave New World (BNW) seemed a pure fantasy, not based on much reality around me in the 70s.
But I am seeing aspects of BNW in the US, EU and even in China, Japan, etc. - rich states where conformity to government rules/policies/genetic engineering is being promoted and any free/independent thoughts are squashed by the government.
Perhaps I should reread to see more? And maybe give a higher rating too?...more
2021-08-29 modified from my 14 Oct. 2017 comment - This edition looks like the cover of the pb that I actually read, but that edition came out in the 2021-08-29 modified from my 14 Oct. 2017 comment - This edition looks like the cover of the pb that I actually read, but that edition came out in the early 70s, since I saw the movie and read the book when I was in college, in the mid-70s. I liked them both, but they were both pretty funky.
I just *2017) finished Vonnegut's "Armageddon in Retrospect" and also liked that even more. In the review I just wrote for that book I referred to my thoughts now, on Slaughterhouse Five. So I urge you to read my review of Armageddon in Retrospect.
I am writing this now since a friend is visiting Dresden, which brought memories of this book and the terrible fire-bombing of that city with its massive destruction and loss of life. I mentioned the book and movie to her and wanted to make this short review available too.
Since I have been to Germany many times, I want to go to Dresden too, to see what it is like now.
2020-07-17 - I read this in High School and perhaps another time since. Our son's High School produced and performed the book as a play about 4-5 year2020-07-17 - I read this in High School and perhaps another time since. Our son's High School produced and performed the book as a play about 4-5 years ago, in which our son was in charge of the lighting and worked on the props. They did a neat job, but the teacher/director introduced the play with the too typical social justice and race themes of our day. That was not how I read or watched the play. Perhaps I am wrong. Steinbeck had many ideas swirling around in his brain and that came out of his pen, that is sure.
But I think the play was mostly just about one guy, George, who is trying to do his best to help another crippled (mentally) friend, Lennie, whom he feels a close bond to and responsibility for. When Lennie commits murder, and really does not even appreciate what he has done, George has a big problem, his worst fear having come true. How does a moral man act?
Where is the racism in this story? Where is the "social justice" - whatever that means? Justice? For sure! Why append only a confusing and politically loaded term ("social") to a perfectly good and important concept (justice), if not to deceive or at least confuse?
I just changed my rating today from 4 stars to 3 stars, because I am not sure the book really deserves the 4th star - I didn't "really" like it. But I still do "like" it. It has some value. It is well written and compelling, as most anything by Steinbeck is. It is an account of some historical accuracy of a slice of life (and death) in depression era USA. But its clarity and importance on important issues (justice, friendship, honor, duty, etc.) is not nearly as positive as I previously rated it. Little light was shed on the opening bad situation or tragic ending....more
2020-05-13 - I read this book in high school and really disliked it, but did not know exactly why. Over the years I have thought about it quite a bit a2020-05-13 - I read this book in high school and really disliked it, but did not know exactly why. Over the years I have thought about it quite a bit and come to the conclusion that the author was very malevolent and drew this book in a similar way. He put predominantly evil ideas and actions into the boy characters stranded on the island without adult supervision.
But why did he do this?
Why were the boys with good, cooperative, reasonable, fair instincts and ideas not the strong ones?
I don't know really. I have not studied the author's life or psychology. But I have seen others like him over the years. And I usually see big problems in their own lives that they are projecting onto others and in their writings. They can't fathom good, reasonable, fair-minded people being the strong ones in society. So they believe in wacky ideas that are contradictory such as socialism, fascism, authoritarianism, "social democracy," interventionism, etc. etc.
I just cringe when I see otherwise reasonable people give this book 4 or 5 stars, and/or praising it in their reviews.
But today, I found an article that talks about a real life incident that is so close to the setup in this story that I had to write this review and share it: https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...
Of course what really happened to the boys in the article noted above is the virtual opposite of what Golding drew.
You come to your own conclusions.
I am not saying that the evil in society can't be the strongest and take over the good people, kill, maim, starve, tax, control, etc. That certainly has happened with the likes of Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, not to mention all the petty dictators. But that is not what life is all about either. There are good strong people too, who help make civilization and human thriving possible. The difference is ideas and thinking and following what is right and better, or succumbing to evil.
Be good. Be strong. Win for yourself, your family, your friends and the world you want to live in. Don't succumb. Don't give in.
2024-05-08 clarified some points and modified another....more
My 11 year old son Arthur and I read and discussed this book chapter by chapter. (Sept. - Oct. 2010)
We saw the movie a few months previously and both My 11 year old son Arthur and I read and discussed this book chapter by chapter. (Sept. - Oct. 2010)
We saw the movie a few months previously and both really liked it. Brought back fond memories of when I first read the book and saw the movie in High School, over 37 years ago.
I simply LOVED this book. Arthur liked it ok. The humor was so precious. The vocabulary is wonderful. The morals are excellent. The literary, historical, political, economic, cultural and other references sprinkled throughout the story are just precious.
Harper Lee's "live and let live" philosophy is very libertarian.
She makes one mistake I can see when defining the country as a Democracy. It's not. It's a democratic republic and the difference is important.
She has wonderful references to crazy New Deal schemes, and the political, not economic, WPA program of the times - the story is set in the depths of the depression.
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