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the_freya's Reviews (216)
Note: the review will mainly refer to this particular edition.
More's satire of the "perfect society" was an interesting read. It is clear how it has been passed down the ages.
The book can be divided into two parts. The first More debates the negative aspects of early modern society. Aspects such as the harshness of the justice system, the inequality of wealth distribution and matters such as the taking of farm lands to be used for sheep grazing.
The latter half looks at the society of Utopia. The fictional character, Raphael Hythloday, discusses the culture of the Utopians. As one can guess is very different from early 16th century Europe. Gold and silver are not important to the Utopians to the extent that they have chamber pots made out of gold. There is freedom of worship. War is to be avoided at all costs.
The issue with the edition I had was that it was of poor quality. The translator and editor, who is only known as "H. M." didn't lay the book out well. There is a great lack of paragraphs. This made reading the first section of the book difficult to read as I had to keep going back on myself to double check who was talking. This edition could have done with detailed notes. The introduction was helpful, especially regarding context.
I plan on reading Utopia again in the future. However, I will be seeking a different copy.
More's satire of the "perfect society" was an interesting read. It is clear how it has been passed down the ages.
The book can be divided into two parts. The first More debates the negative aspects of early modern society. Aspects such as the harshness of the justice system, the inequality of wealth distribution and matters such as the taking of farm lands to be used for sheep grazing.
The latter half looks at the society of Utopia. The fictional character, Raphael Hythloday, discusses the culture of the Utopians. As one can guess is very different from early 16th century Europe. Gold and silver are not important to the Utopians to the extent that they have chamber pots made out of gold. There is freedom of worship. War is to be avoided at all costs.
The issue with the edition I had was that it was of poor quality. The translator and editor, who is only known as "H. M." didn't lay the book out well. There is a great lack of paragraphs. This made reading the first section of the book difficult to read as I had to keep going back on myself to double check who was talking. This edition could have done with detailed notes. The introduction was helpful, especially regarding context.
I plan on reading Utopia again in the future. However, I will be seeking a different copy.
