Island

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Huxley's Philosophy is Perennial - Rated
This is the antithesis to Brave New World and a deeper exploration of the naturalistic vision that Huxley left us with, at the climax of his stunning novel 30 years earlier. It is a thing of beauty. I doubt anyone could read this book wihtout feeling a little loathing at technological and industrial marvels we are privileged with. You will feel compelled to set aside some time for the simple things in life and forget about the ones that involve money, without feeling guilty.

It seems incredible that Brave new world is nearly 80 years old and Island, born with the Hippy era, almost 50. To me, these works ring truer today than any other utopian works. It is Huxley's grasp of the human psyche that makes us believe such societies could endure. He shows us not how we could be forced to exist within them them, but whatever your political stance, why you might be happier if you did so. Despite his failing eyesight, Huxley saw a lot of things coming and wrote his books HD-ready!

Potential classic that failed to materialise - Rated
I was interested by the sound of this book. Other reviewers were certainly smitten with Island. The overall theme and sub-themes of this book are still so relevant, even in the 21st century. What disappointed me most of all was Huxley's decision to make this into a novel. A portrait in ideas would have been far more befitting for his writing.

I was very frustrated with this book early on. The characterization was just non-existent and the characters themselves just annoyed me. There were certainly ideas that Huxley raised which had me thinking. But at other times, the themes and ideas that made the Palanese so happy failed to convince me that this was the path towards a better society. The dependency on Moksha for hallucinogenic hedonism and happiness was one example that I shook my head at.

It was a brave book which at least tried to assess how a society could improve, and there are some valid arguments, some of which really do have some weight. I liked the way Huxley stated that the goal of the Palanese was to become fully realised human beings. That was really admirable and is a great societal aim and I also liked his advocacy for the training of children to be at one with their surroundings. However, there were numerous implausible arguments which I just couldn't relate to and half the problem with the book is the delivery. As Huxley commented himself on the book, its weakness was 'an imbalance between fable and exposition'. The one star I have given may seem a little unwarranted but I just felt let down by Island. Maybe I was expecting too much. I may try and read it again at some point as it's a well-rated book, but it didn't deliver for me somehow.

One of the best books I have read - Rated
One of the best books I have read is Aldous Huxley's 'Island'. It is a take-off on the utopia theme and not his first one on it, the earlier one being 'The Brave New World'. His 'The Brave New World' was a brilliant trenchant satire, written on the premise that the human race has only two alternatives viz. being either insane or lunatic. 'The Brave New World' was a fantasy fable. 'Island' published in 1962, 30 years after 'Brave New World' was written by a much mellowed Huxley. Huxley's premise had changed from the earlier one. He believed that humanity had a third choice, of being sane. 'Island' is no satire, less fable like, the socio-political, economic system exposited in it is less fable like, and though might seem very difficult to realize, is not impossible if we all manage to be sane!

Pala is a tiny (fictitious) island in the Indian Ocean, where it's small community has made the best of western and eastern worlds. The inhabitants are basically Shivaite-Buddhists. They have adopted the western technology but not to the extent that the technology becomes dehumanizing and prevents them being full human beings. They have steered clear of the three pillars of the western prosperity:- armaments, universal debt and planned obsolescence. They have of course their tradition of empathy for all the living beings, their respect for the environment, habitat and the practice of their traditional mind science. The Community believes that God is immanent, man is potentially transcendent. The island's enlightened community have attempted the enormous folly of trying to make a marriage between Hell and Heaven and succeeded at it. They have blended their tradition with western technology in a perfect synthesis. Rather, one of their prime credo is making the best of all the worlds.

The book opens in a dramatic fashion. An English journalist on a secret mission to push the Oil interests of his tycoon boss is regaining consciousness an early morning on Pala. He had the previous afternoon procured a boat at the neighboring island (a separate country) and planned to sail into the Pala harbor. Unfortunately, he gets caught in a squall. Instead of sailing into the Pala harbor, he is washed ashore the wrong side of the Island with steep hills to be negotiated to reach habitation. Even as he is descending in the failing light of dusk, negotiating the slippery rain washed rocks, he espies snakes (not necessarily venomous) slithering around. Probably finding live snakes around for the first time in his life, he panics, loses hold and falls. Fortunately for him, this fall to the ground is cushioned by an obstructing tree. Still badly bruised, shaken and utterly terrified he loses consciousness. He regains consciousness the next morning with two Palanese urchins - a ten year old girl and a four year old boy- solicitously looking down upon him. The girl sends off the boy to get help. Meanwhile she feeds the famished journalist with bananas. The journalist is still carrying the phantom images of the slithering snakes though they are no more around. How the ten year old successfully administers therapy to the adult journalist to rid of the snakes crawling in his mind is one of the high points of the novel!

One of the other high points in the novel: - the character Lakshmi, in last dying stages of terminal cancer is treated by her relatives. Death is treated as any other incident in life. It is as if Lakshmi's relatives are seeing her off for a long journey she is undertaking. She is helped in every way to live to the very fullest even as she is dying. Huxley had been deeply influenced by the book 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead' so popular in the west during 1920s & 1930s. This particular episode seems to have been inspired by 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead'.

Huxley concludes the book on somewhat tragic but realistic note. Pala, the tiny oasis of sanity is finally overwhelmed, enveloped by the surrounding insanity

Not a novel - but not a criticism - Rated
If you came to read a thriller based on the romantic principles of melodrama, walk away now. What you have here is a treatise on a way of living, a progressive book of ideas, a barefaced deciphering of love and the suffering of the human condition. A realistic accumulation of one man's answers to the problems of life and death. Read it with complete sincerity. It will bring light to any fool, and make him wise.

Wisdom - Rated
A beautiful utopian tale, full of wisdom and insight. A minor issue with the book is that some of the dialog is a little dated,and the first few pages can be hard going, but this is far outweighed by the strength of the ideas. Ensure that you read this book, a work of genius.