Book Review: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley Should it be banned?

This classic has been a subject of controversies throughout centuries: the numerous explicit scenes presented throughout, the mind-boggling concept humans being “decanted” and raised in centers, and the dark ending have stirred both uproars and high praises from scholars and parents throughout the world. As The Guardian writes, it was also one of the 10 books that Americans wanted to ban the most year after year, with people showing disapproval of the depiction of “promiscuous sex” in the book. Some countries, like India, have already banned the book decades ago for its explicit content. Quite frankly, I had no idea it was such a controversial piece of writing when I picked the book up and started reading. And while the criticism for the excess of explicit content might be justified, the book itself was extremely well-written and intriguing.

The book itself is a masterpiece: a well-developed plot with advanced writing techniques on display, and just the sheer imagination that went into satirizing Utopia is astounding. But being that this is such a bizarre, brilliant piece of writing warning and satirizing the future of humanity, it is bound to be controversial: it is in the nature of this type of writing to be controversial. I can understand the reasons for banning this book, especially in grade school or even middle and high schools. The significant amount of references to the use of pleasure drugs, sexual innuendos, and the extreme levels of violence could definitely have detrimental effects for the young minds. But I think it makes the book that much more meaningful because Huxley's message for the future generation is projected louder through these shocking practices portraying the future of humanity. This robotic, almost factory-like daily lives are indeed actually becoming a reality. Words like "work-a-holic" are good proof that this world Huxley is describing is indeed unfolding before our very eyes(obviously not to the extent of the book but remarkably similar). From genetic engineering to the promiscuous sex and the industrial culture, Huxley hit every dot with this one.

So, let's get to the chase. Should this book be banned in countries all over the world? No. While I can understand not including this in the curriculum for teaching, I find it crazy to prohibit people from reading a book that is as deep and well-written as this. It feels as if the brutal warnings for our future are too pungent for governments in the world. And oh, just how ironic is it that the very thing he warned readers about in his book: the persecution and the abolishment of knowledge and literature, is happening to this very book?