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May 04, 2018SeattleSaul rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
This famous novel was published in 1932, pre-WW2, pre-television, pre-personal computer, pre-Internet, pre-cell phone, and perhaps it was meant to warn us what a perfectionist, totalitarian society with access to reproduction controls, would be. The liberalism of sex for pleasure only not primarily for family, was likely very shocking at that time. People may have been more liberal than they’d admit, but today sex before marriage or even pregnancy without marriage is hardly earth-shaking. I am reminded of Metropolis with its class distinctions and wholly outdated ideas of where society would be in the future, but I liked it for an historic view of that kind of writing, which is contemporaneous with this novel. But BNW I found it not very interesting, perhaps for the writing style, predictions, down-beat ending…I am not sure. Granted that so much of contemporary science fiction is likely way off but more engaging, I still cannot give this one a “pass.” Students of literature might find that the thoughts of the writer, his style, and predictions are worth the reading.