People piss me off. Not always. And not everyone. But every now and then, well, people piss me off and quite frankly, I think I need a break from the human race and I can’t help but wonder just where I’d “go,” if I took a soma holiday. And am I the only one who wants a definitive answer to Lenina Crowne’s fate? Did John Savage kill her? Or did she slither away into a rabbit hole, broken …
Is the human race doomed? Are we all crazy? Or at the very least, on our way to creating our own “Savage Land”?
Why did Aldous Huxley leave us hanging like that?
Huxley said plenty in his 1932 novel, Brave New World, but because humanity keeps proving him right, I think we need a sequel. Every grocery store, every restaurant, every paint aisle is its own little Savage Land. The lady sniffing twelve cantaloupes only to reject the one she chose at checkout? Savage Land. The woman debating between a New York strip and a bone‑in ribeye only to order a salad? Savage Land. The person agonizing over fifty shades of white paint that all look identical on the wall? Savage Land. (And if that was you, I apologize. But also … come on.)
Huxley, I don’t think, thought people were insane, but he did think we are prone to choices that slowly erode freedom, depth, and moral clarity. A kind of everyday “crazy” — the self‑deceptive kind. And while he did publish Brave New World Revisited 25 years later, it wasn’t a sequel. It was an essay collection. No Lenina. No closure. No answers.
Which is why I’d love a true sequel — one that tells us what became of the characters, and maybe what became of us.
And if you are the crazy lady from the grocery store, I’m sorry to call you out. I don’t actually dislike crazy. Crazy amuses me. But I still think I need a soma holiday. Anyone want to join? And if you didn’t catch the literary reference, don’t worry — I doubt the crazy lady did either.
Cover image is me thoroughly enjoying a smore … aka my “soma” … just enough to take me away from this crazy world for a little while : ) Today’s post inspired by the WordPress daily prompt: “What’s a book you think deserves a sequel?”
If this spoke to you, be sure to “like” and share it over social with someone who’d appreciate the flavor …
DISCLAIMER: These are my personal experiences and opinions. Nothing here is medical, nutritional, or therapeutic advice. Also, I’m a writer and an editor. And I try my best to make sure every post is articulate and free from errors. However, being that I edit my own work—and it’s next to impossible to properly edit your own work—I admit, occasionally there may be an error or two I miss. But doing so doesn’t make me an idiot so don’t be mean. Just smile, pat yourself on the back for finding an error and be glad you’re not the only one who makes mistakes sometimes … xoxox
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