Retro Rants: Brave New World

Hello Darkness My Old Friend

Are you feeling cheery? Having a good day?

Want to change that?

Why not pick up this depressing piece of literature and begin questioning all that is good with modern society via a heavy dose of nihilist existentialism! (it tastes like burning)

I first read this book back in highschool and it’s somehow both reassuring and depressing to see that it still has the same amount of cringe all these years later. That’s right, folks! This is another call back to good ‘ol AP Lit.

I recommend this book as a must read, dear reader, if only because I firmly believe in the adage “the salvation of the state is watchfulness in the citizen” and it’s a little alarming how similar our current world is to a dystopia envisioned back in 1932.

That being said, this book also puts a smile on my face from remembering the faces of several girls in my class when it was explained the beautiful name Lenina was, in point of fact, derived from Lenin- resulting in their immediate and horrified declarations that they would not, in point of fact, be naming any future daughters the same after all (Yes, Liz, I’m still laughing about it. Sorry not sorry).

But, whether it’s the drugs, the marketing, the branding, or the technology shown off as a means to brainwash the populace, Brave New World hits a little too close to home when it comes to looking at the ugly side of modernity.

And that’s why it’s great, dear reader.

Too often books with this kind of message come across as preachy, dry affairs with minimal entertainment value (if any). Too often they’re the kind of books you’d read or claim to enjoy only if you were an English teacher, a pretentious dick, or both.

The characters and setting presented here, however, are whacky enough to be enjoyable, but shitty enough to leave a bad taste in your mouth once you’ve finished reading. It’s quirky (dare I say even fun at times), it’s cringy, and it has a powerful message. On top of that you’re not exactly going to burn the midnight oil finishing it since it’s capped out at under 300 pages making it the perfect little aperitif to political discussion with your friends and family.

At the very least it’s an engaging little read which will stimulate your mind and make you take a fresh look at the world around you.

And we all could benefit from that from time to time don’t you think?