Looking backward

Dover thrift editions

by Edward Bellamy

No cover — Edward Bellamy: Looking backward (1996, Dover Publications)

165 pages

English language

Published Sept. 6, 1996 by Dover Publications.

ISBN:: 978-0-486-29038-6

View on OpenLibrary

(8 reviews)

Bellamy's novel tells the story of a hero figure named Julian West, a young American, who towards the end of the 19th century, falls into a deep, hypnosis-induced sleep and wakes up 113 years later. He finds himself in the same location (Boston, Massachusetts), but in a totally changed world: It is the year 2000, and while he was sleeping, the United States has been transformed into a socialist utopia. The remainder of the book outlines Bellamy's thoughts about improving the future. The major themes include problems associated with capitalism, a proposed socialist solution of a nationalization of all industry, and the use of an "industrial army" to organize production and distribution, as well as how to ensure free cultural production under such conditions.

5 editions

Blind_Mapmaker reviewed Looking backward by Edward Bellamy

Review of 'Looking backward' on 'Goodreads'

1 star

One star for a piece of literature. Two-and-a-quarter if you consider the essence some of the long-winded political points Bellamy makes. Basically he outlines the benefits of a planned-and-constantly-adjusted economy, dressing them up in military uniform to appeal to Americans and adds the - hopelessly optimistic - twist that no world revolution was needed. Apparently everybody just agrees that this is the best way.

Some of the scenes set in the 19th century have a little literary merit, but everything else is in the lowest two percentiles of books I've read. There are boring textbooks on the minutiae of voting systems that are more fun to read. It's just one guy talking and one agreeing that his objections were obviously not weighty enough.

On the plus side, women work too and Bellamy pretty much predicted Amazon (without the web-based parts).

Cam reviewed Looking backward by Edward Bellamy

Review of 'Looking backward' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

It was a really interesting and very American imagining of a utopia. It's formed as a romance, but is mainly a very in-depth and mechanical description of a utopian society of the "future" of the year 2000.

Might have been the more enjoyable because I'm so freaking tired of dystopian stories.