Looking Backward (Barnes & Noble Digital Library): 2000-1887

More of a Blueprint

I read this book in high school expecting more of an adventure story. However, it reads as more of a blueprint for the author's own utopia as told through a series of lengthy dialogues. This format and the lack of a true storyline can make the book extremely dry at parts. Nevertheless, it did a wonderful job of showing how Socialism is supposed to be, and helped to open my eyes to some of the faults in the prevailing "free market is best" ideologies. A must-read for those interested in philosophy, sociology, politics, etc.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

very dated

Not a fun read

Excellent writing in the service of unworkable ideas

Edward Bellamy's "Looking Backward" is an elegant, passionate exercise in futility. Bellamy, a nineteenth century democratic socialist, imagines a man being magically transported from 1887 to the futuristic world of 2000, where all mankind's problems have been solved by-ta da!-government intervention.
Problem is, the book is a bit of a bait-and-switch. In the old(1887) world, people are ornery and greedy and sin-prone, and they suffer greatly for it. But in the fancy new world of 2000, people are all smiling cardboard robots. They obey the regime in every detail and not suprisingly all goes peachy. The author offers this as proof of the efficacy of socialism. The twentieth century-the real one- didn't go as well.
Basically, the trouble here is that Bellamy, as a liberal socialist, believed in human perfectibility, and disbelieved in original sin. The jury is no longer out on that question. Bellamy's naivete leaves him, well, looking backward.
It is an enjoyable book nevertheless. A fun part of the read is spotting the differences between the imaginary 2000 and the real present. They have radio in 2000, but no TV; no cellphones; no self-serve stores(goods are retrieved fom a central warehouse at the touch of a button but a clerk has to do it); no autos, trucks, or buses; woman are allowed to work but are otherwise fluttering butterflies; there's a black servant in 1887, but no minorities in sight in 2000; and everyone uses florid high class slangless nineteenth century language.
Don't take this book seriously and you'll enjoy it.

A bit boring

It was totally not what I expected. I was interested in the authors view of what he thought the year 2000 would be. He was only focused on one thing... the workforce. What a boring character Julian West made. The author didnt have much of an imagination when it came to other aspects of 2000. Another thing that made it hard to read was use of words and way of speaking that is no longer used. I understood most everything he was saying, but I needed to really focus to get what he was saying. Makes reading for leisure a little hard. :)

Hindsight...

What an adventure through time, society and personal self. The book is a conversation between one man who has been displaced in time, with the three family members who find him in this new time. The explanations of the changes in society are very interesting in a lot of cases and very frightening in others. I love the perspective of corporations, banks and religion in the new utopian world Mr. West finds himself in. However, the living, social and sexist perspectives were a little more than I can stomach. However, it is always good to hear both sides of an argument and the author definitely lays them out very thoroughly. A thought provoking and entertaining book, I can't believe how long ago it was written and it is still a delightful read. The author even manages to add a sweet and not pathetic love story to the mix, which a surprising and enjoyable side line.

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