Utopia [NOOK Book]

Read This!!

I just finished this book and talked about it with my college philosophy professor. It is an amazing book that will force you to think on human nature. This book however can not be taken for face value it is not a suggested form of government it is a tale of a world that will never be. Many readers assume it is meant to glorify communism but it is not. In direct translation from latin "utopia" means a nonexistent place. Also, the narrator "Hythloday" means speaker of nonsense or liar. So do not think of government or face value think on the insight into human nature and what we long for but can never be and I promise this will be a true eye opener.

18 out of 18 people found this review helpful.

Misunderstanding

It is a fool who reads Utopia and thinks More a devoted communist. Analyze the names of those involved, the problems of Utopia, and More's as well as Erasmus' humanistic works and it becomes an analysis of the nature of man. The structure of poverty, the effects of property and patronage all create a cycle of despair. Most important of all, his relation to Plato's Republic. Does the philosopher advise the king, or is that a futile endeavor of compromise and corruption. Decide for yourself, but realize that Utopia is a staggering and insightful work, full of wit and humor. It should be read by all philosophers, historians and interested readers.

10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

Don't miss the point

I loved this book from begining to end. It is such an insightful look at the human spirt and desires. Moore wrights of a perfect world that is in truth, not perfect. Those that missed the point of the story, that this is a satire of human life, need to reread the story and discuss it with others. The point of the story is to show that even in a perfect world there are inperfections, and no matter how we justify them, someone will always be unhappy. Loved the book, definetly a story high school seniors need to read.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Wonderfully Written

In Utopia Thomas More inspired me in his descriptions of a perfect society, and how he later influenced such thinkers as Karl Marx and the Utopian socialist of the 19th century. It is my belief that some thinkers may have mis-interpreted Utopia as somthing it isn't, what it certainly is not, is an outline for goverment, and More attempts to tell us that with his outlandish names for the main characters. If u are not sure on weather or not to buy Utopia i highly reccomend it, for it tells us a story about a place we will never see, but i still dominates our imaginations.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Great book that makes you think.

One of the best I have read. It's funny but it is a catch-22 system.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Perfect World

The book, Utopia, by Thomas Moore, is a book of great interest to the knowledgeable reader. In order to fully understand the concepts of this book, you must understand the time period and have some notion of government. In some ways the country described is flawed in our sense of today's culture.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A book to turn America communistic.

An excellent book for one who wishes to surrender their mind and body.

1 out of 12 people found this review helpful.

BOGUS - NOT UTOPIA? RATHER IT IS KANT ON POLITICS

Kant is like gagging on a hair ball when expecting St Thomas More!

Easy Read

I must say the translation of Utopia by Paul Turner is the best out of all Utopia books out there. Very easy to read, not lengthy and manages to maintain some humor that the original author intended in his book. I would recommend this version of Utopia to anyone who would want to read it for the first time.

Not utopia book :(

I was not happy with this book. I was hoping to read a great book.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Wrong book

This is not Utopia!

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Not so impressed !

First i thought this was some kind of Robinson Crusoe. Not really. It's a philosophy book, but i don't agree with nothing in this book. I'll stick with Nietzsche or Redbeard. It has some good points, but...i am not impressed by this book.

0 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

My Favorite Book!

Thomas More's Utopia is my favorite book of all time. I love his use of satire and the description of his Utopian world is so vivid it came to life in my imagination. I enjoyed this book so much that I read through it rather quickly. I hope to have time to reread sometime in then future!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Satire

I hope people understand that this is book is a satire and is not to be taken for face value.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Maybe it is a distopia

Well after reading this book for the first time, studying it at A level, i found it very difficult to understand at first. But then it became clearer. I would say that it is a blue print to a perfect world but after studying its contents thoughly it became obvious that this world is not so perfect. For example if the world was so perfect why have bond men, i thought the world was perfect and all were equal. If so equal why have syphogrants and those higher than others. It was a good book i must admit but my main concern is why did sir thomas moore doubt that any of this is true at the end of the book he promptly says 'utopian weal public which in our cities i may rather wish for than hope foR' is he meant to say this because i think it puts a downer on the book he of all people doubts his friend hythloday.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Utopia

I didn't like the entire first book but the second book was exactly what I was looking for. I'd like to move there.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Nice Book to Dream About

I had to read this book for one of my English classes. Just by reading the title I knew the book would be something I would enjoy reading. Our professor shared with us that Book 2 of this book was written before Book 1 after we finished reading Book 1. So I thought that was very interesting. A Utopia is the kind of 'perfect world.' But even by the book, it is not a place I would like to live in. The author really does captures the imagination of his characters. When you want to really escape the world, you would want to enter this book 'Utopia' it really helps.

Dreaming Utopia

The first half of 'Utopia' is but a history lesson - teaching us 16th-17th century English laws and its obsurdities. The second half of 'Utopia' talks about... Utopia! A world where an idealist lives and an existenlist goes insane (again). To call 'Utopia' the 'best philosophical work ever written', as some other reviewers of this title did; I can't but wonder how many 'philosophical works' has this person actually read.

Utopia

This book has been a very insperation to my own writings and dreams. I only wish that everyone could enjoy this book the way that I have. Also,why can't this book become a reality?

Thomas More

Even though Utopia is far-fetched from today's society, More's beautiful and simplistic description of the 'good place' is only for those with the heart and imaginitive possiblities. It is true that nothing could compare to that today, if you can dream, read this. =0)