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Title: Facile Fable about Utopian Dream Turned Nightmare
Review: Lowry does a good job of writing a fast-paced dystopia novel where society, making a sort of deal with the devil, trades in their humanity--their choices, their capacity to error, their inclination for diversity and adventure--for a safe cozy womb-like existence where a false perfection kills the human spirit. Jonas, the main character, is a twelve-year-old boy who, like Jim Carey in the Truman Show, must re-evaluate what freedom is and act on his courage to change his destiny. A society that seeks to remain ignorant in the name of a utopia is a great theme that is explored effectively in this novel. For some companion pieces, I recommend H.G. Wells' short story In the Country of the Blind and two films: the aforementioned Truman Show and Pleasantville.
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