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Audio Book: Brave New World
Written by Aldous Huxley; Read by Michael York
Published by Audio Partners; 7 discs, 8+ hours
Reviewed by Erick Mertz
There is an entire wing in the halls of speculative literature devoted to books which to contemporary readers might seem a bit too, well, contemporary. For instance, the world of mind control featured in George Orwell's 1984 mirrors the present thrust of Homeland Security to near prophetic ends; Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451's depiction of rampant censorship always seems lurking just around the draconian corner. One has to wonder if either Orwell or Bradbury weren't working with a crystal ball while penning their novels.
English born, Aldous Huxley might be best known in pop circles as the author of the drug induced novel The Doors of Perception that lent title to 60s rock outfit The Doors. A famed experimenter with psychedelic substances, Huxley's true masterpiece is Brave New World, a work written in 1932 that is often listed among the top ten novels of all time. Delving into then imagined topics such as cloning, a population crazed by pharmaceuticals, anti-aging programs and total government control through media programming, one has to wonder if Huxley wasn't peering into a similar crystal ball to the one Orwell or Bradbury were. Open any morning newspaper or tune to evening news and some element of those topics is sure to grace the front page. Even more frightening is listening to touted experts and their take on these topics, then realizing how much they don't know.
The complete and unabridged CD edition offered by Audio Partners is over eight hours long, encompassing seven discs. At first glance Brave New World is a daunting project to listen to. Expertly handled by British actor Michael York, the seemingly laborious length sweeps away with ease. A veteran of the stage and screen, York is best known for his role as Basil Expedition in the Austin Powers movies (by no means limited to slapstick, York has also done Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams as well as a leading role in Logan's Run). His reading is absolutely engrossing, bridging the light and dark portions of the book that often come within a single complicated line. With a lilting tone and deft ability to model both the hopeful and sinister elements of life in 632 AF, York's voice makes no apologies and casts no stones, a necessary ability to aptly capture Brave New World's essence.
Delving into authors such as Bradbury, Orwell and Huxley is a haunting yet provocative proposition in present day America. Works such as Fahrenheit 451, 1984 and even more so, A Brave New World, might be the more valuable ally to the modern skeptic than the morning paper or evening news and more poignant today as their prophecies are fulfilled. It is all too easy to close your eyes and imagine that our touted experts are clamoring for foresight about a brave new world Huxley's work already details.
© 2003 - Erick Mertz