'Erewhon' by Samuel Butler is a satirical novel that critiques Victorian society by presenting a traveler's discovery of a backward kingdom. The story is filled with shallow allegories that reflect societal norms and values, such as the ban on machinery and the absurdities of the Erewhonian society. The book explores themes such as the fear of machines surpassing human capabilities, societal hypocrisy, and the consequences of extreme ideologies.

Characters:

Characters serve primarily as vehicles for satire rather than fully developed individuals, reflecting societal critique.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is characteristic of the Victorian era, often verbose and philosophical, which may challenge modern readers.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot of the book features a traveler exploring a fictional society with unique customs that invert typical societal norms.

Setting:

The setting of Erewhon is a fictional utopian society that reflects and criticizes the values of Victorian England.

Pacing:

Pacing is uneven, with engaging adventure scenes offset by slow philosophical discourses that can feel tedious.

IF the reader will excuse me, I will say nothing of my antecedents, nor of the circumstances which led me to leave my native country; the narrative would be tedious to him and painful to myself. Suffi...

Notes:

Erewhon is an anagram for 'nowhere', which reflects its satirical nature.

In Erewhon, illness is treated as a crime while criminals like thieves receive rehabilitation instead of punishment.

Butler critiques Victorian society by turning societal norms on their head in Erewhon.

The novel was published in 1872 and contains insights about technology replacing humanity, much ahead of its time.

Butler discusses the evolution of machines and their potential to become conscious, linking technology to natural selection.

Erewhon features a 'College of Unreason', where irrational logic is taught instead of common sense.

The story is narrated by a traveler, who is more of an observer than an active participant in the Erewhonian culture.

The culture of Erewhon satirizes Victorian attitudes towards morality and health, highlighting hypocrisy in societal norms.

Erewhon is considered a precursor to later dystopian works like Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World' and George Orwell's '1984'.

Butler himself was a polymath, studying various subjects including mathematics, art, and theology, and living in New Zealand, which inspired his setting.

From The Publisher:

In this novel, Butler satirically describes a utopian society, using the civilization of 'Erewhon' ('nowhere,' scrambled) to satirize beliefs popular in the England of his day. Butler wrote a sequel to the novel, Erewhon Revisited.

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About the Author:

Samuel Butler, the freethinking Victorian whom George Bernard Shaw deemed 'the greatest English writer of the latter half of the nineteenth century,' was born on December 4, 1835, at Langar Rectory near Bingham, Nottinghamshire. The son of an Anglican clergyman,…

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Erewhon

Samuel Butler

Book 1 in the series:Erewhon