Brave New World

A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation

By: Aldous Huxley

Narrated by: Anton Lesser, Jonathan Coy, Justin Salinger, Pippa Bennett-Warner, full cast

Length: 1 hr and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

A gripping BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Aldous Huxley's classic dystopian novel.

It's 2116, and Bernard Marx and Helmholtz Watson are token rebels in an irretrievably corrupted society where promiscuity is the norm, eugenics a respectable science, and morality turned upside down. There is no poverty, crime or sickness - but no creativity, art or culture either. Human beings are merely docile citizens: divided into castes, brainwashed and controlled by the state and dependent on the drug soma for superficial gratification.

Into this sterile society comes an outsider, John - a man born into squalor and suffering, but raised on The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, a book which has shaped his entire life. When he discovers that treasured ideals such as love mean nothing in this 'brave new world', where romance is ridiculous, marriage shocking and parenthood shameful, John's world is shattered - and his reaction will show Bernard and Helmholtz what rebellion really means....

Based on Aldous Huxley's 1932 masterpiece, widely considered one of the greatest novels of all time, this chilling dramatisation set in a futuristic totalitarian society stars Jonathan Coy, Justin Salinger, Milton Lopes and Anton Lesser. Running time: 2 hours

©2016 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2016 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Great voice cast and dramatization performance.

Amazing story, and great dramatization. the sound effects are compelling. the story really sucks you in.

Sad Look at Humanity's Future

I once would have found this all outlandish but interesting entertainment. However, in light of what has been happening - WAP being OK for our kids while discussing election issues is outlawed - it has become clear that this is exactly where we are headed. Very sad. No human connection. Masks anyone?

Good but short

I was expecting a longer book. Not sure if the actual book is longer but this was short.

Lackluster Abridgement of a fantastic book.

I usually love a BBC dramatisation, but this one cut out too much in order to come in under time, and lost a lot of the internal struggle of the characters.

An Age of Bravery

I did not know what had affected society in this way. From Krypton to the sex clubs in Vegas. I am besides myself.

A great performance, much to think about

I haven't read the original, and now I want to all the more, to find further nuances to enjoy. The characters were imperfect and understandable mostly.

Amazing dramatisation

Never read the original book and was hesitant to listen to an audio version, which can be very hit or miss. But finding a properly acted version, I just had to try.

A very good way to introduce yourself to the book. Puts strong visuals in your head, just like a good book does. Recommended.

an eerily prescient work

BBC has taken some liberties with this piece. some of the exposition of the book has been lost but this is typical of any transition from one form of media to another; some things have been changed to make the book a bit more relevant to modern day listeners but these are minor (for instance, use of cell phones or mentioning walmart). i believe the changes are in the spirit of the original text and minor, thus, appropriate. the voices of the two young women were a bit hard to differeciate so made their conversations a bit confusing. overall one of my favorite books and because of a good performance this audiobook would be a great distraction during any roadtrip.

Intriguing ideas and story that end haphazardly

TL;DR: This is a great book, and a fun listen. The dramatization is not over the top but is enough to easily distinguish the different cast members/roles. Which is a good thing, since the story moves rapidly through a lot of ideas. I wish the concepts presented in the book were explored more in depth and had a less hurried end. -- This book is an interesting exploration of a future society based in purely profit driven hedonistic societies. The book does an excellent job conveying the issues with a purely hedonistic society, but lacks substantially in the economic and political aspects of the world as presented in this book. If you were to make a comparison to a book like George Orwell's 1984, it would be like if the book suddenly sped up and then ended rather quickly once the protagonist is caught by the Ministry of Truth. The story arc of the protagonist being broken down and then eventually being entirely compliant is arguably one of the most powerful and terrifying parts about that story. I think it would have been extremely interesting if the parallels and direct counterpoints to 1984 were fleshed out in more depth. While both books explore totalitarian governance and emotional suppression and control, the methods and reasons are very different. For example, the primary motivation in 1984 is an idealistic, isolated "utopia" that got out of hand. In A Brave New World, the main goal is profit. Despite these differences, the end result is shockingly similar. The tool of choice is the primary difference after the central goals. In 1984, the weapon of choice is inconceivable pain, with manipulation of information as a supplemental tool. In A Brave New World it is primarily pleasure, with the absence of unpleasantry, controlled access to profitable ideas and items, and a sprinkling of total control scattered here and there as needed. While the book is definitely good, and a great complementary read with 1984, I can't help but feel like a lot of the meat of the ideas presented was left out. -- Story: 4/5 - very interesting ideas and a good complement to other books in the genre Presentation: 5/5 - an excellent performance that is easy to follow Pacing: 3/5 - The book speeds up as it approaches the end, and doesn't go into any great depth on one single idea

Awesome version of one of my favorite books

loved the format. loved the sound scapes and the actors were great. listened to it twoce in a row