This Perfect Day

By: Ira Levin

Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins

Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

By the author of Rosemary's Baby, a horrifying journey into a future only Ira Levin could imagine...

Considered one of the great dystopian novels - alongside Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange and Aldous Huxley's A Brave New World - Ira Levin's frightening glimpse into the future continues to fascinate listeners even 40 years after publication.

The story is set in a seemingly perfect global society. Uniformity is the defining feature; there is only one language and all ethnic groups have been eugenically merged into one race called "The Family". The world is ruled by a central computer called UniComp that has been programmed to keep every single human on the surface of the Earth in check. People are continually drugged by means of regular injections so that they will remain satisfied and cooperative. They are told where to live, when to eat, whom to marry, when to reproduce. Even the basic facts of nature are subject to the UniComp's will - men do not grow facial hair, women do not develop breasts, and it only rains at night.

With a vision as frightening as any in the history of the science fiction genre, This Perfect Day is one of Ira Levin's most haunting novels.

©1970 Ira Levin (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers

Not Levin's best

This story was disappointing. Levin is usually an amazing writer, but this time not so much. Also, the reader uses a simple, child-like voice throughout the novel, so it's tiresome to listen to. If you wish to rrad Ira Levin, try any of his 3 other novels, that are brilliant & well read.

Warning

There is a rape scene, which in 1970 would possibly not have been the horrific event it is now (and should have always been). However, I’ve chosen to skip over that short but violent scene because it’s so disturbing. I had forgotten the rape altogether when I read the book as a teenager; we were very sheltered in those decades, I don’t believe I even knew what it meant at that time.

That said, I love the story and the narrator was great! Unfortunately, the topic has become more relevant and even possible, given the world political climate.

This perfect day

I have always loved this book. I have read it at least four times. Thank you

A well written Dystopian Story

I love a good Dystopian Story, only ruined by a poor reader , too much monotony or too much reliance on a predicted formulas which can happen in this genre. I was not disappointed. The reader was good. Nor magical, but good and the plot had enough twist and turns to keep this audio book worm happy.

Hits Too Close To Home

An almost too real story that frighteningly-accurately mirrors our modern ideologies, and grips you all-the-way-through!

Great story far ahead of its time

great story and just can’t imagine why this has not been made into a movie.

its 1970s is showing

It is profoundly 1970s, anti-communist, and condones rape. It would not be tolerated as a modern book. However, it is quite interesting from a historical perspective.

my favorite book even as a child.

I've been reading and rereading this book since I was a child. every time I read it I get even more out of the story then the last time.
Kevin T. Collins was great! I could listen to him for hours. He gave the right amount of emotion where it needed to be.

wow!

what an interesting and unique story. I was not expecting the twists and the story kept me on the edge of my seat!

Powerful, timely, elegant.

Lucid storytelling of an unusually high order, here. Relentlessly driven plot, the story hurtles forward. Philosophically challenging and emotionally engaging, the expression of the ideas here hits its targets dead center. There is pathos. There is rage. There is catharsis. There is yearning.

There is also a rape. A painstakingly described rape. A hard to read rape.

Every rape is different. Everyone is different is why. There are no rules for how rape affects people. Some forgive. Some don't; can't. Some are resilient and able to rebuild. Some are not and never do. And there are an infinite number of points in between. In this story, what follows the rape is entirely within the realm of the reality these characters have known. There are no off-notes here, not in their experience of the world. But perhaps, for some, in ours--but, and this is crucial--only for SOME in ours. Not all. Not at all. Rape really isn't something you can have a meaningful opinion about if you've not experienced it. Accept that some outcomes are not for you to understand.

This novel is fair in all of its depictions.

This novel is for adults.