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Which do you prefer 1984 or Brave New World?
Huxley responds to Orwell's vision in the intorduction to Brave New World, which do you think is a better book? 1984 or Brave New World?
Personally I like Aldous's view of things and his style a bit better, I like the idea of approaching the future through a view of more basic human conditions than political positions. While there is a certain degree of politics in BNW it is much more subdued than in 1984 which is good in it's own right but ultimately looses something in its topicality. Although I will say after the Patriot Act I think it's possible to read 1984 as decidedly less Russian.
Andy Czachowski about 1 year ago
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Hiya Andy, I agree with you in that BNW is stylisticly the better book, i enjoy more they way that Huxley writes. It is also true i feel that though politics is ultimately important to the human condition as a whole, Huxley gives this a more personal interpretation. The 'lightness' of Huxley's book makes it enjoyable to read whereas Orwell's book has a 'darkness' that makes it interesting.
Stacy Lee Adams about 1 year agoXXX
If you're into those 2 great books, you might be interested in "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin (1921) which heavily influenced Orwell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_(novel)
Vincent Tigreat about 1 year agoI have to say, while I really like both books, BNW is frighteningly accurate. It reads like a current book with an alternate look at present day events -- aside from children being programed from birth into a caste system, but even that has the feeling of some truth to it -- how many of us really move from working to upper middle class?
The use of drugs, the sexual freedom, the living to work - not working to live, all ring very true.
I love when my students read this book and then realize when it was written. The looks on their faces are priceless.
Yeah, I like BNW better.
Heather Clark about 1 year agoHeather, what age level do you teach? I am working on my Ph D and have been slowly developing my ideal reading list for a class and BNW is definitely on there, what I think would be even more interesting is BNW revisited because Hux really gets into some interesting environmental issues in that. Anyway I guess I was wondering if you ever gave revisited to your class in conjunction with BNW?
Andy Czachowski about 1 year agoAlso I am currently hunting down a copy of WE which I hope to be able to get through in the next week or so, time permitting. Looking forward to it and I was just thinking if you like Huxley's style of writing, his depiction of his characters somewhat impotent (although gradually more effective) attempts at psychological freedom I would highly, highly, reccomend The Magus by Fowles. If you've already read it I would be interested to know what you think. Not as much society, alot more psychology and a good dose of libido. A very entertaining look at the way the human mind is conditioned.
Andy Czachowski about 1 year agoAndy,
Heather Clark about 1 year agoI used to teach Sophomores and Juniors, but I'm now teaching at our local community college (freshman comp, doncha know). I really loved BNW for my juniors. I've not read the other books you mentioned, but I will certainly seek them out. I've been offered a lit class for the fall, I was thinking I'd like to do a distopian lit segment. I'll have to check these out. It might be fun to do something other than the same old same old. (c:
I really do think that 1984 is the more complex, disturbing and poignant vision of a dystopian future. However, as far actually reading them went I really preferred Brave New World. Huxley's Writing Style was far more enjoyable, his characters were more appealing and easier to identify with, and at least there seemed to be some hope for the future.
Caleb Snider about 1 year agoIN my humble view, Orwell kicks, Huxleys ass; not through the extraordinary dystopic setting (Which they both are very disturbing) , but through the progression of the plot, and the motivation for a reader to well - keep reading, I read 1984 in one sitting, and Brave New World in, well more.
At the end of the day, they clear and daunting with the life the protagiost must lead, with more emphsise in Brave New World at the cost of 'readibility'.
One must also remember that Oceania. is well 'evil' by all our definitions; intolarant cruel, totalatatian wereas Brave New World has evil science which requres a deeper explaination' killing braincells with oxgen deprivation for example.
Phillip Jenkins about 1 year agoIN my humble view, Orwell kicks, Huxleys ass; not through the extraordinary dystopic setting (Which they both are very disturbing) , but through the progression of the plot, and the motivation for a reader to well - keep reading, I read 1984 in one sitting, and Brave New World in, well more.
At the end of the day, they clear and daunting with the life the protagiost must lead, with more emphsise in Brave New World at the cost of 'readibility'.
One must also remember that Oceania. is well 'evil' by all our definitions; intolarant cruel, totalatatian wereas Brave New World has evil science which requres a deeper explaination' killing braincells with oxgen deprivation for example.
Phillip Jenkins about 1 year agoI love both. I found 1984 more disturbing in ways that actually happens in my country, like modified the history. And that´s creepy!
Alejandra Lenzberg about 1 year agoBut I read about all the new medications arround and I can help thinking in the fuckin´soma... so... here we are!
If you enjoy those books, maybe you´ll like Margaret Atwood´s Oryx & Crake. Fasinating and also disturbing
Two splendid books. 1984 is mostly political, BNW philisophical. One speaks of Power, one speaks of the meaning of being human. How to compare them. Just read both, think and enjoy... and act, please.
Jean Corbel about 1 year agoAlejandra, you're right fasinating and disturbing. I really like Margaret Atwood and only just read Oryx & Crake not that long ago. I would reccomend it to all others who have read these two. I wonder what a commercial for soma would be like... All these medication commercial are just a long list of the hideous disturbing side effects. If you feel sad take this pill but it may cause rectal bleeding, liquidation of your major organs, heart failure, brain damage, respitory failure, etc.
Andy Czachowski about 1 year agoSo where do you land Huxley or Orwell? I don't know who these highly educated folks are that think that Orwell and Huxley are predicting the same future, it seems painfully obvious that they aren't even if you didn't read the forward in Huxley's later addition where he basically says that my vision of the future is way more right than Orwells. I mean come on for Ford's sake!
Andy Czachowski about 1 year agoMaybe they were high on soma, I don't know :) Anyway, I think the point is that though both guys (Orwell and Huxley) were great writers and thinkers, Western society today seems to be heading more toward the Huxleyan vision than an Orwellian one. Who knows how much influence works like 1984 had as deterrents? Western society at least seems to be in more danger of drowning in a sea of triviality than falling under the control of a top-down police state.
Jordan Buckley about 1 year agoI disagree with all you Huxleyans. In my book at least, Orwell is a far superior writer, and made a much stronger statement at the time of his book's publishing. I can see where you might draw the connection between the world depicted in Brave New World and "the direction that Western society is headed today", but without commenting on that, I must point out that the world of 1984 is idosyncratically parallel to that of the former USSR. That future, albeit not necessarily fulfilled in Orwell's Great Britain, came true with amazing precision.
Shoshana Vasserman about 1 year agoI'm going to have to go with 1984 just because I see so many ideas from the book in every day life. Doublethink is a concept every person should be able to recognize.
Steve McCauley about 1 year agoWell, just being a high school student who read both of these just out of pleasure? I don't think you can really compare the two. They're two completely different styles of writing with two completely different points. Orwell has all the concepts there, but it's plot driven. Huxley just uses the plot to talk more about the exposition. He wants to talk more about how science and technology don't necessarily bring solutions to people's emotional/spiritual woes.
Orwell does it the other way, where he uses the society to talk about the people. And then we're not talking about technology, we're talking about, well, sheep, basically. I don't know, it's been a while since I've picked up 1984, and I haven't done any extensive analysis on either of these novels. So I guess I'm not the best one to judge.
I think when it comes down to it, Orwell is the better writer. But I like Huxley's style better, and I like the points he drives home.
Tyra Matheson about 1 year agoI would say 1984. I found the climax of 1984 more satisfying and ABNW gets a little preachy and wishy-washy towards the end.
Chris Pizanias about 1 year agoHuxley definitely. First of all, his style of writing appeals to me much more. And it also kept on the light side of distopian universes, none of that 2+2=5 torturing from 1984. I love both books, but I have to say I liked this one better for its insights, rather than 1984, which shows us everything that we could already see.
* i just remembered the beautiful glass paperweight in 1984, and that made me think a little more about this question. still, i would go with brave new world. anyone else captivated by the paperweight??
Anonymous User about 1 year ago