Review: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So, I've realized something.
I don't think I can ever read bland YA dystopian ever again, of course there are some really good gems out there, but after reading 1984, A Clockwork Orange, and this novel, my expectations are just too high.

Review: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

'that is the secret of happiness and virtue - liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims at that. Making people like their inescapable social destiny.'

This entire novel is an argument between two conflicting ideologies, moral codes, and standards of behaviour.

The World State is a "utopian" society in which no one must wait in want of something. Gratification of appetite is instant, emotional extremes are never reached, desire for intense relationships are conditioned out with neo-Pavlovian methods while they are children. The individual is sacrificed for the stability of society: "Everybody belongs to everybody".

Review: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really wanted to give this 5 stars.

The first half of the story was great, out of everything I enjoyed reading the aphorisms of Harry. He is a despicable character, but some of the things he says does have some merit to them. While the other half of the things he says are just complete fallacies, and have no ground in reality. I've never felt an author agree and disagree simultaneously so strongly with his own character. I could really pick up on the aphorisms that Oscar Wilde agreed with, and the ones which he used to mock Harry.

Review: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ah, as I finished the book, I realized one thing: Frankenstein's monster is not a monster, he is a microcosm and metaphor of every abnormal, different, disabled human on earth. Every human that is prejudiced against, every human that is judged based on appearance. He is not a monster, he IS humanity, constantly at war with itself.

SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD