Some books never get old. In fact, they become more and more relevant as time goes on. And there is one novel in particular that just does that. It was written 94 years ago but has become even more powerful today, with readers calling it a “masterpiece” and “the best book anyone will ever read”.
The story imagines a future where humans are created in labs, free thought is suppressed, and happiness is controlled by the state. But it’s the way this world mirrors real life that has shocked many readers. Despite being written in 1931, the book feels modern, and its warnings are now being taken more seriously than ever.
The novel is Brave New World by English author Aldous Huxley.
One reader said: “Some books become more urgent as history catches up with their imagination. Brave New World is one of them and it’s a masterpiece.”
Another review described it as “a true piece of essential reading,” adding: “Huxley, despite writing this nearly a century ago, seems to effortlessly draw parallels between the modern day and his fictitious dystopia.”
The novel is set in a futuristic world where people are genetically engineered and placed into a strict social order.
Emotions, family, and religion have all been removed. Instead, society is kept in check using pleasure, drugs, and constant distraction.
One reader wrote: “I’ve read hundreds of books but none have kept me so glued. It just might be the best book anyone will ever read. Just be prepared for the language.”
Another added: “I think this is a great book, not only because it gives a new perspective on life, but its chosen vocabulary makes it an interesting read.”
Huxley wrote the novel while living in France. At the time, he was already known for his essays and satire, but this was his first dystopian story.
He was inspired by the rise of mass production, consumerism and the belief that technology could solve every problem. The book was partly written as a warning against those ideas.
Over the years, Brave New World has been compared with George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, though the two books offer very different futures.
Orwell imagined a world ruled by fear. Huxley imagined one ruled by comfort and control.
The novel was ranked number five on the Modern Library’s list of the 100 best novels of the 20th century.
It also appeared on The Observer’s list of the greatest books of all time.
But the book hasn’t always been accepted. It has been banned and challenged many times since it was published, and it regularly appears on lists of the most censored novels in the world.
