Looking Backward 2000-1887Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward (1888) is a thunderous indictment of industrial capitalism and a resplendent vision of life in a socialist utopia. Matthew Beaumont's lively edition explores the political and psychological peculiarities of this celebrated utopian fiction. - ;'No person can be blamed for refusing to read another word of what promises to be a mere imposition upon his credulity.' Julian West, a feckless aristocrat living in fin-de-si--egrave--;cle Boston, plunges into a deep hypnotic sleep in 1887 and wakes up in the year 2000. America has been turned into a rigorously centralized democratic society in which everything is controlled by a humane and efficient state. In little more than a hundred years the horrors of nineteenth-century capitalism have been all but forgotten. The squalid slums of Boston have been replaced by broad streets, and technological inventions have transformed people's everyday lives. Exiled from the past, West excitedly settles into the ideal society of the future, while still fearing that he has dreamt up his experiences as a time traveller. Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward (1888) is a thunderous indictment of industrial capitalism and a resplendent vision of life in a socialist utopia. Matthew Beaumont's lively edition explores the political and psychological peculiarities of this celebrated utopian fiction. - |
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able appeared army asked become believe Bellamy Bellamy’s better Boston called capital CHAPTER common compared course depended doubt dream Edith edition Edward effect equally experience eyes face fact feeling find first follow future give given going grade hand human idea individual industrial interest labor leave Leete less living Looking Backward means merely mind morning natural never night nineteenth century nowadays once organization perhaps period persons possible present published question relations remained replied Dr result seems sense sleep social society sort speak strange suppose sure tell things thought trade turn utopian waste West women workers young