Advantages: A satire which can be applied to any society at any time
Disadvantages: More Huxley showing off than a well structured novel

...Whilst writing Brave New World Huxley was heavily influenced by society at the time. There is little doubt that Brave New World is a product of its time. However, there are some instances where Brave New World is almost a novel out of its time with almost prophetic properties. Brave new World is set in "this year of stability, AF 632". When Brave New World was first published in 1932 Ford had established a successful mass-production system using conveyorbelt assembly and specialised labour. This system is unsed in Brave New World with the mass production of embryo's. Yet, for all its hideousness the hierarchical, aseptic, colour-coded world of A.F 632 is not aeons away from the scientific utopia Huxley was promoting elsewhere after the Wall street crash of 1929. The Wall street Crash in October 1929 led to global depression... Read review

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Advantages: Fun reading for children
Disadvantages: small writing

...Mr Brave is a little yellow oval shaped character which wears a red and blue cap and round glasses. He is number 40 in the Mr Men collection. The cover of the book is white and has a picture of Mr Brave and the title above the picture in black lettering. The back cover of the book is also white and has smaller pictures of the other characters available in the collection. THE STORY The book starts by telling us about Mr Brave, we learn that he is not as tall as Mr Tall or as strong as Mr Strong but this does not stop him from being brave. The story then starts by telling us that Mr Brave was invited to tea by Little Miss Bossy who demanded that he was not late! When the day came for his to go to tea there was a very bad storm but Mr Brave knew that Little Miss Bossy would be very cross if he did no go so he was brave and set... Read review

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Advantages: Ok story
Disadvantages: Just plain awful

...Platform games are 10 a penny these days. Every video game company churns them out hoping to have the next Mario. Some times companies get lucky and produce the likes of Jak and Daxter or Ratchet. VIS didn't get lucky with Brave. In fact after Brave, VIS whet bust. So was Brave a lost gem that deserves its place up high? Brave is a young native American who after discovering his village turned to stone, must traverse the terrain in order to defeat the ghastly Wendigo and free his people. The story is actually quite well constructed for a kids game. Most people will see all the twists and turns of the plot coming a mile off, but its a passable attempt. As it is a kids game, the graphics have been tailored as such. Everything is big and bold, Characters have big heads and the enemies look more cuddly that dangerous... Read review

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Advantages: Back to classic, epic, adrenaline-charged Maiden
Disadvantages: Bruce's voice has aged noticably

...Hurrah! Reason was listened to, hatchets were buried, and Bruce Dickinson was back with Iron Maiden once again. It had to happen for Maiden to be a force once more, and everyone came out of it with their pride intact. Blaze Bayley was fondly said goodbye to, and the band reconvened. But what was this? Legendary guitarist Adrian Smith also wanted back in? What a dream team! So, with all the original 'dream team' members back, plus Janick Gers, Maiden now had an awesome triple-thronged guitar assault team. The writing for 'Brave New World' began in 1999, just before the dawn of the new Millennium, the 'brave new world' of the future. There was also a welcome return for artist Derek Riggs. He co-designed the cover art with Steve Stone, a foreboding image of Eddie's face forming in the turbulent sky over a futuristic cityscape. Fans... Read review

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Advantages: Thought-provoking; topical; prolific
Disadvantages: None

...If there was ever a book that could only be read at a certain time in a life, at a certain time in history, to give it’s full effects of meaning and ideology and poignancy, then reading Brave New World at this moment of this world’s history is that book. That, I know, is a very heavy statement, but try and consider these three questions. How do we define civilisation? What is happiness? How do we achieve world peace? THE PLOT Brave New World is set in 632 A.F. (After Ford – after the first successful mass-produced car built by Henry Ford). After several wars and advanced technology Huxley’s utopian state rejects the past, is controlled by ‘happy’ propaganda and promiscuity is the accepted moral. People are not born; they are hatched from bottles. The state is the parent figure... Read review

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Advantages: Fascinating vision/warning of the future, relevant to contemporary genetic technology, classic of the genre
Disadvantages: Not the best in terms of plot, characterisation, etc

...Sometimes I think that, for someone with an A level in English literature, I'm not very well read. Unfortunately I spent a lot of my time reading politics and philosophy books, so rarely get round to reading fiction for leisure. We did do Orwell's Animal Farm for GCSE and Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale in Sixth Form but, despite their relevance to someone studying political ideas, the likes of 1984 and Brave New World had sat too long on my Amazon wishlist. This summer, I decided to try to put that right. Perhaps part of the reason for my delay was the feeling already familiar with the societies described in each, though it occurred to me I was almost totally ignorant of the main characters or plot. Nonetheless, I chose Brave New World first, partly because I knew it involved genetic programming and such, and also because I... Read review

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Advantages: Original, captivating
Disadvantages: None really

...Marillion's concept album "Brave" released early in 1994 broke a fairly long hiatus for the band, following some criticism of their previous album, "Holidays in Eden" from 1991, which was thought of in some quarters as just a bit too poppy, and a triumph of chart-climbing attempts over substance. The result was "Brave", a long, deep and sometimes difficult concept album chronicling the journey in and out of loneliness and despair of a teenage runaway. The lyrics are intelligent and moving without resorting to any manipulative hooks, and the music is enticing. This is an album that sounds intriguing the first time you listen to it. The second time, you hear a few things you didn't quite pay attention to the first time, and ditto the third time, the fourth time... and so on. In short, this is one of those albums that tends to grow... Read review

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Advantages: Bruce is back!
Disadvantages: None

...Brief history of Iron Maiden: Paul leaves as singer and Bruce is hired, Maiden are massive everyone loves them. Bruce goes solo and Blaze comes along whom the fans hate despite the music being really good. Bruce's solo career bombs, Iron Maiden get fed up with fans slating Blaze so Bruce comes back. Brave New World is a success. Iron Maiden were my first metal band. I was at the time dating a lass in Liverpool and on the way up on the train my tape ran out so I listened to Radio 1 as I was pulling into Liverpool Station. Simon Mayo for some reason played The Wicker Man and I loved it. I immeadiatley bought the single and then had the album and the entire back catalogue. Brave New World has material on it left over from the Virtual XI sessions as well as some new stuff. The album is quite long and very well written... Read review

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Advantages: Great album in its genre
Disadvantages: Not immediately accessible for some- but well worth persevering with

...Katatonia are a Swedish rock band who, like many of their contemporaries, evolved from death metal through to increasingly melodic and accessible rock music. Today, their music is catchy, even poppy, and this is exhibited particularly well on their "Great Cold Distance" album released earlier this year. However, this album, "Brave Murder Day", is from their earlier incarnation. Dense, gloomy, and powerfully atmospheric, this is one of the top albums of its genre, and I feel compelled to tell you why... As the sleeve notes (written by band member Anders Nystrom) point out, it's not often that an album's title is comprised on the first three songs on the album itself. It's also not often that an album as diverse and groundbreaking as Brave Murder Day emerges. When it was originally recorded back in 1996, it was the album that first... Read review

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Advantages: essential reading for women diagnosed or concerned about breast cancer
Disadvantages: none at all

...mastectomy, Christine received a card from a close friend, inside he had written “Courage, Brave Amazon”; hence the title of her book. The story explores the depth of feeling between Pete and herself. He would always love her for herself, no matter what was happening to her body. He wanted her to be with him to enjoy doing the things they do together for the rest of their lives. The foe, breast cancer, would be defeated by them both as they stood firm together. There is also humour in the book like the time when she was in hospital and wearing a hospital gown, she tottered along the corridor chatting to people blissfully unaware that the gown had come undone at the back and she was showing her knickers. When a nurse tied the tapes on the gown, Christine could see the funny side of it and thought that it was fortunate... Read review

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