Brave New World by Huxley

(Blog note: I'm trying to write more meaningful posts from here on out for the following reasons: to force me to think more about what I'm reading, to get a little writing practice, and just in case anyone else reads this blog in the future.  Considering this, posts may not be in order of finishing, and may get edited a bunch - I haven't written non-technical pieces in a long time!)

This classic by Huxley was published in 1931.  It's made multiple "best novels" lists and judging by my experience working at a bookstore, it must be typical reading for some college courses (we always had this book in stock, in higher quantities than many others in the same category).  Surely it's well-studied and excessively analyzed by experts.  My goal here is not academic, but to give an outline of how this casual reader experienced the novel.

Brave New World falls into the genre of dystopian novels since it describes a future world which Huxley must have assumed the reader would find undesirable, if not alarming.  People live in a drug-soaked haze of total comfort, with no unmet desires.  Originality, individuality, emotional attachment, frugality, and nature itself are among the things vocally despised by the citizens of this future London.  The pleasure of sex has been severed from emotion and reproduction (which is taken care of in giant factories), and people are encouraged to have sex frequently and swap partners frequently.  The baby factories are just the beginning of a mass-produced life cycle; dozens of identical humans are bred to perform their function perfectly, then conditioned chemically and through sleep-learning to be happily conformist.  Even though higher-level persons are well aware of this conditioning, they do not fight it but rather embrace it.

Into this world comes John the Savage, who is found in the uncivilized zone by slightly rebellious Bernard and brought back to London.  John's reaction to the society around him is the main focus of the second half of the book.

I think the main point of this book is to show us the future setting that Huxley envisioned.  We often imagine how a catastrophic war or environmental disaster could bring an end to happiness as we know it, but there is more than one way to skin a cat, as they say.  Huxley shows us how the complete opposite - lack of any struggle whatsoever - could also bring about our downfall.

Personally I didn't particularly enjoy reading this, although I truly wanted to because I liked the premise. The writing style just didn't click with me, it really felt like I was reading something for english class.  If you want to read about depressing things happening in the future (here I am lumping together dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels) then I can attest to more enjoyable options.

Cryptonomicon by Stephenson

World War II spy activity, modern-day (ok, ten-year-old) tech excitement, wacky characters and some wacky math thrown in for good measure. This pretty much sums up Cryptonomicon, written by Neal Stephenson in 1999.

I have to say that for the first 20% or so of the book I wasn't particularly interested in any of the characters or plotlines. The beginning is a bit tedious for my taste*, and quite honestly most of the characters aren't immediately likable. It's more of an ensemble cast but perhaps the main character is Randy Waterhouse, an educated computer guy who lives in California with an academic girlfriend, some really geeky friends, and the kind of "whatever" attitude so common to middle-class white dudes living in California, and I never really connected with him. However, the episodic nature of this book (it flips back and forth between WWII and 1990s) made it easy reading for public transport so I stuck with it.

Later on I found myself almost missing my stops and reading at other times too. The plot is really cool and some of the characters are a lot more interesting than they first seem. Of course some plot twists are a little ridiculous but on the whole I found this to be an exciting and interesting read.

This is the first Stephenson novel I've read, and I am surprised how much I liked it.  Usually, I can't stand long-winded authors and this man definitely likes to write long books.  I'm planning to check out others of his in the future.

*I must fess up to uncomfortability when authors try to sneak popularized mathematics into otherwise fine novels - and I am a mathematical cryptographer so it's not a matter of understanding.

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Diamond

I already had a good idea about this book since I listened to an abridged version last year, and saw the author speak several years ago. I found his observations so interesting that I wanted to read the whole book. He uses data from a variety of different fields to create a strong case and an interesting read. I plan to read this again sometime, and also check into some of the references he recommends.

Perhaps because I am an academic, I prefer his writing style to that of any other nonfiction authors that I've read recently. He presents the data in a logical manner and draws reasonable conclusions from it. He doesn't bring in a human-interest element or put himself into the story any more than he has to.



ETA: This book has really stuck with me. It made me aware of some assumptions about our planet that I shouldn't have been making... which causes me to question a lot of ideas that were based on those assumptions. However I am having a hard time finding words for these changes in my worldview.

By exploring the development of food production over the world, Diamond gently points out that most places on earth do not have native species that can be used in agriculture. This means that most populations on earth grew only because they somehow managed to bring in plants and animals from elsewhere. Diamond uses this fact to explain why different cultures "developed" at different rates, but somehow this observation has rocked me beyond that. This movement of species happened thousands of years ago in many cases, so of course it doesn't seem strange that there are cows in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia, etc. But now, when I think about our current preoccupation with being natural, organic, locavorous, etc it all seems a bit silly. When potatoes originated in the Andes, isn't it a little bit silly to worry about genetically modified potatoes growing in idaho, for example? They are already modified by our many many generations of growing them outside their original location.

Taking it a step further, the whole idea of a plant having a place where it is "supposed" to grow is silly too. If we want to be one with the earth and only grow mother nature's plants where mother nature planted them, then I suppose we all ought to move back to the fertile crescent. Any other situation is inherently unnatural and disruptive of "the natural balance" - whatever that is.

Where God Was Born by Feiler

I love reading Bruce Feiler's books. I think what he writes about is really important for this world.

This book wasn't my favorite as far as writing goes. He does have a bad habit of claiming to have had impossibly cheesy and perfect conversations, but I find this forgivable. While I enjoyed reading this one the least of his three books I've read, I really wanted to hear what he had to say. I learned a lot about Iraq and Iran, and got a better understanding of biblical history. Also, his thoughts on dialogue between the religions touches me to the core. I wish I could make everyone I know read his thoughts on such matters.

This seems to be a general theme... I don't like the style that is currently considered good nonfiction writing, but I cannot help but read these books for the content.

Quotes I found worthy of noting:

"One recurring problem with religions the grew out of the Hebrew Bible is that each has a tendency to believe its faith is unique, its interpretation of the text absolute, and its relationship with God so exclusive that is has the right to harm those who disagree. The idea that the writers of the Bible were influenced by sources that predate their own suggests the Bible should be seen not as sui generis but as being in dialogue with other texts. And if scriptures can be in dialogue, surely the faiths that grow out of those scruptures can be in dialogue as well."

"The Bible is neither conservative, in that it recommends returning to a better time, nor is it optimistic that a better time lies ahead. The Bible is redemptive, in that it gives humans the ability to save themselves."

"God embraces any people who share his moral vision, no matter their identity."

The Mists of Avalon by Bradley

Reading this book is a very personal and heart-wrenching experience for me. It's my second time through this story, and it was just as powerful as the first time. I see so much of myself and the people in my life in the characters, and I can't help but get really into it. The religious themes mimic my own personal journey on that topic. I cannot even consider this book on a literary level because the content is just too personal.

Seeking Spirits by Jay and Grant

I read this book because Ghost Hunters is "my show" and I've been watching it religously for over a year now. I have to say that it's a lot better than their first book, and considering that they are two plumbers with a reality tv show, the writing isn't all that bad. But, I see this as cheap entertainment and zealous fandom. I wouldn't even bother to compare it to the quality of most books that I read.

And, I must admit... I read it in a few hours in one night, and I slept with a light on. ;)

Anna Karenina by Tolstoy

(finished Oct 2009)

I read this book very quickly, and at the time I felt that I couldn't wait to finish it.  But now having finished it, I miss it very much.  Tolstoy's style is unobtrusive, just the way I like it.  I still don't know how to feel about any of the characters, and I like that very much too.  Also, I have absolutely no desire to get married after reading this book.  Every wife is nagging and annoying, every husband a bit of a sissy.