
About this episode
Welcome to the Mere Mortals Book Review channel!
'Island' by Aldous Huxley is a utopian world set on the island of Pala. Will Farnaby is an embittered journalist who arrives to convince the ruler to sell the oil rights to his boss. As he stays longer he learns about the social setup and interconnected community of the inhabitants. The main themes focus on the interweaving of religion/meditation/psychedelics and how they play a part in the structure of the island.
I summarised the book as follows. "An intriguing creation of a better world .... that probably could never exist. As a utopian ideal it's nice but nothing of this fictional world convinced me that this sort of community would be sustainable. I found the tone to be really preachy in parts and highlights the bad parts of the western philosophy without highlighting the good parts either. Overall it was a fun read though and emphasises the complexity of life and the need for balance."
I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!
If you enjoyed this review and would like to support the team, feel free to use our referral link here!
https://amzn.to/3mUZsNW
Timeline:
(0:00) - Welcome to the channel
(1:25) - Synopsis
(5:46) - The three parts of the story
(11:07) - The religious & woo woo
(16:42) - Golden nuggets in a stream full of diamonds
(21:49) - Psychedelics and meditation
(23:45) - Summary
Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/
Support the showGet every episode summarized
Each time Mere Mortals Book Reviews publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Dario Amodei’s AI Warning: We’re Closer Than People Realise
Mere Mortals Book Reviews

This Book Predicts the Future (And It’s Terrifying) | Accelerando Book Review
Mere Mortals Book Reviews

The Habits of High Performers | Book Review (James Laughlin)
Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Tolkien’s Final Battle | The Return of the King Book Review
Mere Mortals Book Reviews