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Title details for Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - Available

Brave New World

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

by Aldous Huxley
Anton Lesser
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

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
"...outstanding, right from the cheery music that kicks the thing off through to all the subtle sound effects that help to set the scenes perfectly"

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 6, 2016

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781785293443
      • File size: 54362 KB
      • Duration: 01:53:15

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 790
    • Text Difficulty: 3-4

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      When some books are abridged for audio, they lose in the "translation." Unfortunately, this version of Aldous Huxley's BRAVE NEW WORLD leaves most of its substance on the editor's desk. BRAVE NEW WORLD is the 1932 fable about life in the seventh century, when society is controlled by human geneticists, who breed different classes of people for differing needs. The original novel runs about 270 pages, while this abridgment is three hours. (Audio Partners sells an unabridged recording that runs eight hours). This performance demonstrates what happens when a work is abridged too much. The holes in the story are huge and leave too much to the imagination. In addition, Tony Britton's reading seems to change pace at times for no reason, and the pauses between chapters/sections are sometimes too short and confuse the listener even more. In short, this BRAVE NEW WORLD is definitely not a classic. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Huxley's visionary novel of social engineering postulates a future world in which for the sake of social stability drugs and sex and mindlessness replace truth and beauty. It became a classic almost from its publication. Peter Firth concentrates on the dialogue, giving us vivid characterizations and plenty of drama. His narrative, however, is flat and graceless, a disservice to Huxley's descriptive powers. Worse are the instances of total misreadings--rare, but glaring. While students may find this recording more enlightening than Cliff's Notes, those who listen for pleasure should pass this by. Y.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Aldous Huxley's novel of a genetically engineered, drugged-out utopia set in the not-too-distant future seems more prophetic by the day. British actor Michael York's refined and dramatic reading captures both the tone and the spirit of Huxley's masterpiece. His adept characterizations are instrumental in helping the listener discriminate between the book's innumerable characters, and his handling of the contrapuntal sections in Chapter 3 makes song from what might have been a muddle with a lesser reader. On occasion, York tends to overdramatize, making for unwanted melodrama and unintentional humor; but overall this is an excellent performance of a classic and prescient twentieth-century novel. G.B.C. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:790
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

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