Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Short Summary
Aldous Huxley has spent much of his intellectual power conceiving of utopic societies, seeing before him the heights humanity could one day reach, before promptly tearing them down and exposed their impossible flaws. In his last novel, Island, he tells the story of a journalist, Will Farnaby, who shipwrecks on the island of Pala, whose inhabitants have formed a bizarre and yet seemingly-idyllic society. Nevertheless, the threat of the outside world always looms large.
Table of contents
Aldous Huxley Creates his Last Paradise
Utopian fiction will always be far less prominent than its counterpart, dystopian fiction, largely due to the fact it’s much easier to see things going wrong rather than right for humanity. Nevertheless, it can offer us unparalleled insights into the human condition, showing us our true potential while attempting to steer us away from pitfalls. Aldous Huxley has for long been seen as the master of the genre, and his last novel, Island, is heralded by many as being his most interesting offering.
The novel opens by introducing us to Will Farnaby, a journalist with a heavy past and on a sinister mission, shipwrecking on the coast of Pala, the island in question. Though his perilous adventure nearly sends him into the clutches of the grim reaper, through sheer providence, as well as the help of the locals, his life is saved.
Injured both physically and emotionally, Will is, for now, unable to leave the island, and being a journalist, takes a curiosity to its inhabitants. They struck him as a little strange and outlandish at first, but the more he gets to know them, the deeper he dives into their philosophies about life, society, interpersonal relationships, theology, and much more.
By spending his time speaking with many of Pala’s more prominent representatives and eminent figures, he sets foot into a world which almost seems mystical, counter-intuitive, and certainly scandalous by the standards of many. Nevertheless, he feels himself drawn further and further in, closer and closer to them, which begins to conflict with his real mission.
Will Farnaby didn’t end up on Pala by pure chance. The island is rich in oil, many foreign powers are looking to get in on the action, and Farnaby is acting as an agent of one such power. There are those who wish to modernize and civilize the place, to turn it into a truly modern society centred on consumption, greed, self-servitude and exploitation. There is no telling what the future holds, but while there is still time, Farnaby seizes it and becomes part of perhaps the most successful experimental society of all time, even if it might be doomed to fail.
The Philosophical Bombardment in Island
It seems to me that towards the end of his illustrious career, Aldous Huxley became less and less fixated on telling stories, instead switching his focus to exploring concepts and ideas. Moving the plot forward wasn’t nearly as important as delving into pressing questions surrounding human nature, and I think this tendency culminated spectacularly in Island.
Yes, the novel does have a plot, and yes, it does move forward in its own way, but we’ll look into that a little later. What really lies at the core of this book is a melting pot of philosophies and practices, where Huxley attempts to take the good and functional elements from various religions, political ideologies and ways of life, combining them into something cohesive which transcends its parts.
With Pala, it feels to me, Aldous Huxley essentially tried to make the perfect realistic society, using the playing blocks and elements actually available in the real world, with of course, a bit of mysticism thrown in there. Even so, the world he manages to create is not perfect, and it is admitted on many occasions by its residents. Nevertheless, it does seem like the best humanity could hope for at this stage in its development.
What sorts of philosophies are seen in this book? It would take a little too long to go through them all, but they do draw heavily from Buddhist and Indian practices and beliefs, at least when it comes to the island’s inhabitants inner searches for their own selves. Huxley often touts the untapped potential of the human mind and the immense power it holds, while tracing a rough path to unlocking it. How much of it he believed and how much he personally experienced, is difficult to say.
At the same time, Huxley doesn’t forget about the benefits modern science and technology have brought, and attempts to integrate those as efficiently and sparingly as he can into his society. As a result, he creates a strange combination: people who accept and shun the modern world in equal measure while spending their lives largely focusing on their community and the exploration of their inner worlds.
The Triumph of Humanity
As I’ve mentioned it before, the book does have a plot, and it’s essentially divided into two parts, or at least, that was how I saw it. On one hand, there is the part about the outside world peering into Pala, plotting its takeover in search of oil in the name of the ever-noble goal of “civilizing” it. The future of its residents is uncertain, and there is no telling what type of world future generations will grow up into.
This part of the story rears its head here and there, just enough to remind us that this impending doom exists and looms in the background, inching closer and closer to its destination. Nevertheless, it doesn’t take up a whole lot of space in the novel (contrary to what one might expect), and that’s largely because of the other part of the plot in Island: Will Farnaby witnessing the triumph of the human spirit.
His journey through the island and his encounters with its diverse cast of characters are what really occupy most of our time. As a matter of fact, Will himself happens to be little more than a vehicle for us to use on our own tour of the place, as well as an example of how a typically-minded Westerner could be influenced by the philosophies presented in this book.
Speaking of the characters, I wouldn’t exactly call the main ones realistic, but rather, they are here to serve functions and to shed light on various aspects of Pala’s existence. Most of them have some exaggerated traits and personality features, being either greedy and deceitful villains or profound thinkers of exceptional reason and sensitivity. On a grander scale, they represent the invisible war being fought between the people of Pala and the encroaching modernity of the world surrounding them.
Ultimately, no matter what fate might await them, we witness in the people of Pala the triumph of the human spirit, its ability to achieve the impossible, to face the worst and best of life while always making the most of it. Will we ever be able to achieve such heights? And if so, for how long? I think though it might not be probable, it is nevertheless possible, and thus, the strive for it should continue. After all, who knows where unlocking the potential of the human mind could really take us?
| PAGES | PUBLISHER | PUB. DATE | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 384 | Harper Perennial | Oct. 20 2009 | 978-0061561795 |
The Final Verdict
Island by Aldous Huxley is certainly one of his more notable efforts of literary fiction, presenting a relatively realistic utopia and taking us on a profound journey of self-realization within. Though its plot might not move in the traditional way, it remains enthralling from start to finish, all thanks to its wonderful cast of colourful characters and thought-provoking ideas.
If you’re looking to expand your literary repertoire with a moving and thought-provoking utopia book, or are a fan of Aldous Huxley to begin with, then I strongly urge you to give this novel a try, it’s worthy of all the accolades it has received, and likely more.
Aldous Huxley
(26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963)
