| [Jul. 9th, 2010|02:32 pm] |
a. What was your favorite part?
Honestly, I didn't particularly like this book. I suppose I enjoyed the "clinical" feel to it - the author's tone was consistent throughout, you always felt detached from the world (although this didn't make it seem unrealistic). Does that make sense?
b. What was your least favorite part?
I had no interest or investment in any of the characters. I didn't care what happened to any of them. If this book was a rollercoaster, it would have no dips or loops: it would just be a flat circuit of track. You'll get there, and you might encounter a nice breeze along the way, but ultimately, not worth the queue.
c. How many stars would you rate this book?
Personally, I'd give it two. I realise that it's a classic and has great literary value in many people's minds, but I just couldn't get anything from it. In terms of social commentary, I much preferred 1984.
d. Were there any quotes that stuck out to you? Why?
Not particularly.
3. Why are strong emotions dangerous? Family relationships? Romance? Religion? Art? Culture?
Because it removes need from life and replaces it with want. We could, physically, survive without family, companionship, love, faith, social connections and opinion. It may not be a fulfilling life, but it's possible. In a society dependent on control and total submission (in this case, even from pre-birth), you have to remove the want.
5. Why isn’t death terrible for those in the civilized world? What does this mean for the individual?
Fear has been removed for them - we cannot imagine how it would be to live without fear of death. You meet some people in life who claim not to be afraid, but honestly, I think the vast majority of these people are lying. It would be a massive shift if we knew what came after death. By removing God and any thought of faith from the people living in this world, there is no "hope" in an afterlife: they're told what to expect, and so they don't fear, or think about otherwise. They're trained to accept what they are told, and in that aspect, despite all of the genetic class division between Alphas, Betas, Gammas, etc., they are all equal. They're not really individuals at all, they're one seamless unit, and if a cog breaks off the machine (as happens in the book) then you get rid of it. And life goes on without fear because you don't allow them to know otherwise.
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