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The majority of the book is a vehicle for Bellamy to expound upon his ideas about societal improvement. Americans in his year 2000 work fewer hours, retire early, and receive all they need from the government.
Entertaining and oddly prophetic in some ways, Bellamy's vision of the future from the perspective of the late
19th century is highly engaging.
American author EDWARD BELLAMY (1850-1898) also wrote Dr. Heidenhoff's Process (1880), Equality (1897), and The Duke of Stockbridge (1900).
Foreword
Preface
PART ONE: INTRODUCTION: EDWARD BELLAMY'S UTOPIA IN HIS TIME AND OURS
PART TWO: THE DOCUMENT
Author's Preface
Looking Backward
Postscript: The Rate of the World's Progress
APPENDICES
A Bellamy Chronology (1850-1898)
Questions for Consideration
Selected Bibliography
Index
TheNightTide
Posted June 11, 2009
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.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.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. :)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.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.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 13, 2008
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Posted October 15, 2009
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Posted January 26, 2010
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Posted November 26, 2010
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Posted October 14, 2009
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Overview
Originally published in 1888, Looking Backward is Edward Bellamy's most famous work. The story revolves around Julian West, a man who falls asleep near the end of the 19th century and wakes up in the year 2000. During the time he slept, the United States became a socialist utopia.The majority of the book is a vehicle for Bellamy to expound upon his ideas about societal improvement. Americans in his year 2000 work fewer hours, retire early, and receive all they need from the government.
Entertaining and oddly prophetic in some ways, Bellamy's vision of the future from the perspective ...