I first read Brave New World, Aldous Huxley's classic science fiction novel, over 50 years ago, as an assignment for my high school English class. I have to admit, at the time the novel did not make much of an impression on me, and it was difficult for me just to finish the book. Even though I am thoroughly fluent in English (I have lived in the USA all my life), I just find it hard to read a book when it's written on paper.
After all those years, reading fiction for me has become even more difficult. I wanted to re-read the book because, even though it was published in 1932, over 80 years ago, many of the topics Huxley explores, many in such a controversial way that the book has been banned in many high schools in my country, that I wanted to re-read it. Huxley imagines a world where, from birth to death, all citizens are programmed to worship and practice consumerism (Henry Ford replaces God, "ending is better than mending"). Huxley's world is a one-state society, where babies are manufactured in test tubes, and the leaders (called Controllers) make sure everyone is happy. If you're not happy, you can always take a pill (called "soma").
Sound familiar? I think Huxley's vision describes the current world culture much more accurately than George Orwell's 1984, to which it is frequently compared.
I was delighted to find that there are many free audio books of the world's classics, such as Brave New World, on YouTube. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Huxley's imagined world, and I think you would enjoy it as well. I believe that anyone, whether or not English is their native language, would enjoy the experience as well. Perhaps you have been assigned the book in your English course, or if, like me, you would love someone fluent in English to read the book to you, listening to the free audiobook world work for you. It's exciting to know that anyone can enjoy this extraordinary novel for free.
I also include links to some free YouTube study guides for Brave New World, to enhance your experience.
Some short study guides that should give you some ideas if you need to write an essay or are merely curious about the basic themes of the book, which I found useful:
Video Spark Notes
Shmoop
Thug Notes:
Enjoy!