It appears on Modern Library’s list of the 100 Best English Language Novels of the 20th Century and the British newspaper The Observer’s list of 100 Greatest Novels of All Time.īy the time of Brave New World’s publication, Aldous Huxley was already well-known as an essayist, intellectual, and satirist.

It ranks today among the great dystopian novels, frequently compared with George Orwell’s 1984. It is also one of the world’s most banned books because of the its depiction of sexual promiscuity and drug use as a tool for maintaining societal happiness, and for the false perception of its being both anti-family and anti-religion. However, the book increasingly resonated with readers, and is now taught as one of literature’s great novels in schools and universities across the Western world. Its vision of dystopian London was perhaps too far ahead of its time, or perhaps its subject matter was overshadowed by the worldwide depression and the rise of fascism in Germany. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of fiction.įirst published in 1932, Brave New World was widely panned by critics at the time. Even as embryos, people are conditioned and programmed not only to accept, but to enjoy their predestined lives-or is it their slavery?īut what happens when a savage-a man born from an actual mother-is introduced into this perfectly ordered society?īrave New World is a masterpiece of literary satire, as appropriate today, in our world of endless, shallow distractions and ubiquitous mass media, as it was when it was first published in 1932.

In a society built on conformity, stability, and pervasive “happiness,” individuals are not born, but manufactured into one of five distinct castes-from dull-witted laborers to leaders and thinkers. Supporting material to enhance your understanding of the original workĪldous Huxley’s visionary Brave New World is one of the world’s greatest dystopian novels.This short summary and analysis of Brave New World includes: So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of Brave New World tells you what you need to know-before or after you read Aldous Huxley’s book.Ĭrafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader.

Huxley brave new world summary