Students in this year’s AP literature classes have recently finished reading “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley. 

This novel is a parody, but not all parodies are conveyed as light jokes. The topics discussed in this book can be dark at times, and it is meant to critique a societal issue.

This book has a wild plot with many strange elements. The plot is controversial at times, discussing topics that many view as taboo. These story elements may make some cringe, but to others, the issues discussed in the novel only made them want to read more.

“Brave New World was definitely interesting,” junior Zuzanna Kociolek said. “There were a lot of times where the plot was so out of touch with how we act that I didn’t know what was going to happen next. I wanted to keep reading it.”

To sum up the novel without spoiling the plotline, the book revolves around a futuristic society where deep connections are not allowed. Additionally, they are pre-conditioned to only like specific things, and are not allowed to read books or like nature. Many characters feel instinctively inclined to seek out real relationships and find joy in other things that the government has not designed, but regulations make this an uneasy task.

It is hard to judge the characters in the novel on how realistic they are, because the regulations of the society in Brave New World are so different from societies seen in the world today. The same goes for the world that they live in. With such heavy regulations such as that in the story, it is difficult for anybody to imagine living in that kind of dystopian world. 

All in all, this book was actually quite a fun read. Going into AP Literature, one has to have an open mind when reading the stories that are part of the syllabus. They may seem odd, but one may find that they actually enjoy reading more than they originally thought.