The Utopia Reader

The Utopia Reader as edited By Gregory Claeys and Lyman Tower Sargent.

The Utopia Reader edited By Gregory Claeys and Lyman Tower Sargent tackles the Utopian literature – from the earliest stages to the present. Utopia Reader is a single-volume anthology spanning the whole gamut of utopian writing. The book provides an overview of the history of utopianisms through well known texts at the same time the little known but usually engaging selections.

Utopian Reader is a series of skilful, stimulating essays about historical and philosophical utopias. It also presents a superb compilation of illustrations and photos tracing the annals of utopia as far back as Plato. What makes it a cut above the rest is the broad range of disciplines, works and forces that are identified as utopic.

The book stretched as far back as before Thomas More’s “Utopia” then tackled Edward Bellamy’ “Looking Backward: 2000-1887,” Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”, Hesiod’s “Works and Days” to George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four”.

The Nineteenth Century Utopia is different from the rest of the section because it starts with the historical account of American communal utopias such as the Shakers, the Amana community, and Oneida. These communities were patterned on the ideals of utopianism.

Shakers, or United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, are the most enduring and successful of the many Utopian communities established in America in the 18th and 19th centuries. The first Shakers, led by Ann Lee, came to America from Manchester, England, in 1774. They established the foundation for a sect near Albany, New York, which has endured for more than 220 years. Shakers were united by their shared faith and a commitment to common property, celibacy, confession of sins, equality of men and women, pacificism and separation from the world.

Amanas left Germany in 1842, settling near Buffalo, New York to seek religious freedom. In 1855, the “Community of True Inspiration” moved west, forming their first village along the Iowa River. All land and buildings were owned by the community; families were assigned living quarters, and each person over school age worked at assigned tasks in the kitchens, fields, factories or shops. In 1932, the people voted to end the communal way of life.

Oneida Perfectionists was a religious utopian community founded by John Humphrey Noyes. They adopted a system of communism “included all property of family living and associations” as a way to live. Two years later, the community adopted Noyes’ teachings of “Mutual Criticism,” “Complex Marriage” marriage or pentagamy, where every male was declared married to every female (and vice versa) in 1879 and “Male Continence” where a “couple would engage in sexual congress without the man ever ejaculating, either during intercourse or after withdrawal.”

After discussing the utopian theories behind the three communities, the topic shifts to the writings of Butler, Bellamy, Marx, Engels and others.

Edward Bellamy was an American author, most famous for his utopian novel which was set in the year 2000 called Looking Backward. The novel waspublished in 1888.

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels co-authored the famous piece The Communist Manifesto in 1848. The pamphlet was based on Engels’ The Principles of Communism. The 12,000-word pamphlet was finished in six weeks. It aimed to make communism understandable to a wide audience. It was named The Communist Manifesto and was published in February 1848. Engels also edited several volumes of Das Kapital after Marx’s death.

Utopia Reader presents an extensive and substantial introduction to the utopian works, starting classics to our recent, contemporary times. It provides various essays and derives excerpts from the original texts. The editors’ commentary does not provide analysis to the work rather it provided sketchy historical and biographical background on the work and author.

Despite its broadness of scope, the collection however does not feature the works of authors that tackles utopianism in the context of science fiction. Among such sci-fi utopian authors include: Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451,” Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale, “Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Dispossessed” and Anthony Burgess’ “A Clockwork Orange”. Still, it does not diminish the fact that despite its limitation, Utopia Reader provides the most comprehensive introduction to the utopian tradition.

The quest for utopia or the perfect place has captured man’s fertile imagination for centuries. Perhaps the biblical account of the Garden of Eden must have spurred such quests. Through the years the ideas have evolved and grown such as finding utopia in the high-tech Biosphere. Utopia Reader presents an interesting chronology on the evolution of utopia. If making the world a better place is what interests you, this book will offer helpful insights. Beyond that, it also provides a compelling read. A perfect package fit for the idealism it preaches.