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Ivan's Reviews > This Perfect Day
This Perfect Day
by
I’ll admit right up front that I’m not a fan of dystopian fiction. However, I am a fan of Ira Levin (both his novels and his plays). “This Perfect Day” was published in 1970 – after his play “Dr Cook’s Garden” (1967) and before his novels “The Stepford Wives” (1972) and “The Boys from Brazil” (1978). I site these three works because they too deal with issues of creating the “perfect” society through euthanasia, genetic engineering or cloning.
Set far in the future the entire world is under the control of Uni – a computer programed with a mix of philosophical dogma based on Christianity and Marxism among others. Everyone is drugged with a lithium cocktail to ensure domestic harmony. No one ever gets too angry, horny or overjoyed, and everyone is equal. Docility is the objective. A society where no one lives past the age of sixty-two (the optimum age to die); everyone eats and drinks the same things, look basically the same (everyone’s complexion is the same and all are approximately the same height and weight) and has passionless sex once a week (hetero only). All needs are provided – shelter, food, and healthcare. All members of the family are classified to determine their vocation, and a pre-determined few are allowed to have children.
Anyone with a reasonable degree of intelligence will be able to guess where this story is headed. Yes, rebellion. Our hero “Chip” would rather think for himself, express himself…feel more. I’m not going to reveal more.
Of the four works mentioned above, “This Perfect Day” is my least favourite. It lacks the tight construction of the aforementioned works. The author falls into the narrative trap of needless reiteration; belabouring his points to the brink of tedium. I say brink because just when you’re ready to hurl the book across the room, its forward momentum kicks in again. Now, that sounds harsh…though I didn’t love the book, I did find the story interesting and thought provoking. So, is it worth reading? Certainly; especially to those who don’t mind protracted narratives, the redundant expression of ideas or who simply fancy dystopian stories.
by
I’ll admit right up front that I’m not a fan of dystopian fiction. However, I am a fan of Ira Levin (both his novels and his plays). “This Perfect Day” was published in 1970 – after his play “Dr Cook’s Garden” (1967) and before his novels “The Stepford Wives” (1972) and “The Boys from Brazil” (1978). I site these three works because they too deal with issues of creating the “perfect” society through euthanasia, genetic engineering or cloning.
Set far in the future the entire world is under the control of Uni – a computer programed with a mix of philosophical dogma based on Christianity and Marxism among others. Everyone is drugged with a lithium cocktail to ensure domestic harmony. No one ever gets too angry, horny or overjoyed, and everyone is equal. Docility is the objective. A society where no one lives past the age of sixty-two (the optimum age to die); everyone eats and drinks the same things, look basically the same (everyone’s complexion is the same and all are approximately the same height and weight) and has passionless sex once a week (hetero only). All needs are provided – shelter, food, and healthcare. All members of the family are classified to determine their vocation, and a pre-determined few are allowed to have children.
Anyone with a reasonable degree of intelligence will be able to guess where this story is headed. Yes, rebellion. Our hero “Chip” would rather think for himself, express himself…feel more. I’m not going to reveal more.
Of the four works mentioned above, “This Perfect Day” is my least favourite. It lacks the tight construction of the aforementioned works. The author falls into the narrative trap of needless reiteration; belabouring his points to the brink of tedium. I say brink because just when you’re ready to hurl the book across the room, its forward momentum kicks in again. Now, that sounds harsh…though I didn’t love the book, I did find the story interesting and thought provoking. So, is it worth reading? Certainly; especially to those who don’t mind protracted narratives, the redundant expression of ideas or who simply fancy dystopian stories.
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