Brave New World
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World has been a popular book for nearly a century now, but its television and film adaptations haven’t been very successful. I blame the source material. While it’s a fascinating book it doesn’t lend itself to being filmed because it’s talky, and disjointed in terms of its action. Huxley himself seems to have changed his mind about some of the characters as he was going along.
I don’t think Fred Fordham overcomes any of these difficulties. A lot of illustrated classics have a bland and generic look and I didn’t think this was much different, though it sort of fit with the Fordian state itself being founded on principles of blandness and the mass production of a generic form of humanity. I also figure that the publishers probably wanted a PG rating, so the novel’s violent and pornographic passages are softened. This was kind of disappointing to me, not because of any prurient interest on my part but because I think it’s important to show how the brave new social order controls our still extant animal urges by indulging them through various surrogates.
Overall this is a very literal adaptation. Almost too literal in places. The series of conversations the World Controller Mustapha Mond (suggested to be gay, or bisexual now) has with Bernard Marx, Helmholtz Watson, and John the Savage just get transcribed in fifteen pages of dialogue bubbles. That much talk really needs some better packaging. But Fordham wasn’t given (or didn’t give himself) a lot of latitude. Though some items I didn’t remember being in the book, like Bernard and Lenina wearing full spacesuits with glass helmets when they visit the Savage Reservation in New Mexico. And I also found Lenina’s face to be disconcerting. Was she supposed to have a mask of freckles? Because it just looks like she has a really unfortunate skin rash. Meanwhile, the figure of Linda, who is grotesque in the book, is presented as being just a little overweight.
So it’s faithful and pretty thorough, but I don’t think I’d recommend it as a crib or alternative to reading Huxley. Even if many of the problems with any adaptation go back to him too.
Alex Good 
I didn’t like the book and it was one of my rare DNF’s so I wouldn’t be bothered with this, not that I do other graphic novels anyway.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The book is strange and hard to adapt in any form. I don’t think you’d care for this.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Man, they’ll turn anything into a comic book nowadays, won’t they?
I hated every second of Brave New World when I read it in highschool and I suspect I would still feel that same way, which is why I’ve never even thought about trying a re-read as an adult. Filth is filth and filthy ideas and philosophies doesn’t make it any less filthy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve read filthier! And yes, they will turn anything into a comic book. Otherwise I’m afraid many classics would be lost.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Of course you have
I am not a fan of such pessimistic “classics”. BNW is a book I would have zero problems if no one ever read it again and it was forgotten in the dustbins of history.
Read the good stuff people, READ THE GOOD STUFF! Like Dickens, or Austen 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
And when you say Dickens and Austen you mean comic book Dickens and Austen, right? Because they’re available!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know they are. and when I die, I’m going to roll around in my grave knowing such things exist.
LikeLike
‘…so the novel’s violent and pornographic passages are softened. This was kind of disappointing to me, not because of any prurient interest on my part but…’
hahahah…was this the only book they’d allow in your cell? Was this all that was left on the reading trolley once they’d confiscated your comics? You protest too much…
LikeLike
At least we get books. Try turning pages wearing thumbscrews in Inveraray! Hahahahaha.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dude, if they’ve given you thumbscrews, just climb over the walls and be free….
LikeLike
I just realised (when wiki-ing the plot) that a- my DNF started before the end of chapter 1, (possibly actually page 1) and b- I saw the TV series they made and had totally forgotten about it, it was cancelled after season 1, which is no surprise.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t see the show, but my guess is that to make it successful they’d have to change it entirely and I’m not sure they did.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think by the sounds of it it was more tame, I don’t remember Booky’s filthy bits anyway.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I don’t know why Huxley even gets out of his acid-tinged deathbed to write this stuff.
Oh, Alex, the camera on your computer seems to be on, the image at the top of your Evil Dead Rise review seems to be a personal snap of yourself. Just sayin’
LikeLiked by 1 person
No good telling me!
LikeLike
I was having a good hair day and wanted to memorialize it.
LikeLike