![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Here's my favorite quotation of the book (and there's lots more like it if you read it): Ultimately, if you're into Tantra or Buddhism or utopian novels, this may be your book. Oh, I won't ruin the end for you.its predictability is so utterly bland, you'll want to keep turning every page. If anything, the best part of the book is when the main character, Will Barnaby, takes the "moksha-medicine" and goes into a psychedelic trance. There is no palpable tension, no recognizable antagonist, and absolutely, no climax. ![]() And this issue is not problematic in and of itself, but when the departure is UNINTERESTING, it becomes a problem. The main problem I have with "Island" is its complete departure from the novel form. It's obvious he's trying to create a perfect world on paper-one he never had the opportunity to witness in real life. The story is actually a succession of philosophical, political, spiritual, scientific, and psychological discussions (or narratives) that describe how their perfect society works. The man meets a variety of people over a period of days who explain Pala's (the name of the island) unique culture. The theme is pure Huxley: intelligent, open-minded man gets shipwrecked on a remote tropical island where the native population has managed to create a utopia. The only reason I slugged through it was out of respect for Huxley and for the occasional snippets of philosophical wisdom I discovered along the way. ![]()
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