This Perfect Day // Ira Levin // Book 39 of 2020

I discovered this book after watching the Netflix series Travellers and for the first half I was enthralled. Levin immerses you into a disturbing dystopia, subtly demonstrating the violation of human rights that jar due to the characters’ unexpected apathy. Levin explores utilitarianism, the consequential suffocation of individualism, and the fallacy of gatekeepers free from self-interest and corruption. The objectification of women reduced my enjoyment of the book but I wondered if this was Levin’s way of portraying the detrimental impact of being drugged for so long, that inevitably reduced the characters’ ability to return to being human: one example being the raping of a character by someone who apparently loved them. In this way the characterisation also felt hollow at times but again I imagine this was intentional. A recommended read due to its reminiscence of classic dystopias. Goodreads 4/5 stars.

[@Seven-Planets-Sci-Fi-Tuber]

Very thoughtful review. Thank you. A novel that stays with you forever..

[@freddylmcd1]

I read this book as a child and have read it countless times since. I see it as much more prophetic than any other book, especially when you consider the rise of mood stabilizing pharmaceuticals and the rise of ultra pc culture.

[@andrewsteinberg7728]

Great book, people are drugged and everyone is being watched> would make a good movie, Christ, Marx, Wood and Wei led us to this perfect day,

[@landlordofyourbrain3394]

I always wondered why the book has not been made into a movie. It is not like he was a stranger to having his films turned into movies. Most of his works have been adapted into films. Many have become cult classic.
His film adaptations include:
A Kiss Before Dying (1956)
No Time for Sergeants (1958)
Critic's Choice (1963)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
The Stepford Wives (1975)
The Boys from Brazil (1978)
Deathtrap (1982)
A Kiss Before Dying (1991)
Sliver (1993)
Footsteps (2003)
The Stepford Wives (2004)
Rosemary's Baby (2014)

[@stephensinclair3771]

Just finished reading this. Thanks for this.
What struck me was the stuff about christ and marx. I've always thought communism was a kind of secular
Attemp to make the sentiments in the sermon on the mount come true. The scary thing is of course the meek inheriting the earth through coercion. In this case a chemical cosh. Its also conversely liberating that Levin points out that things that are usually seen as faults are what makes us human.
I don't think it objectifys women. One of the ironic things about sexual liberation is that it becomes no big deal. When the mystery taken away its just becomes prosaic lol. I think what happens shows how all the people have been degraded.
Maybe I'm being a brother fighter about that.

[@davidjones6389]

Made us humble, Made us good......all but Wei were sacrificed. A managed society, where only the masses make sacrifices and those in power use none violent methods to prune the herd. My favorite book, It would have to be re-shuffled for a movie.