I did not have to read this book as part of my high school/college education, and I am sad for that. There are a lot of interesting ideas put forth in this book. It's a good read, but mainly this is a book that makes you sit down and think. I knew this was the case, and so was not disappointed at the character or overall plot, in fact, I guess it reads like a book from those times rather than something written today. However, the themes and ideas were incredible and well ahead of their time. The world is presented as an utopia, but as you explore it you're not quite sure if that's the right word. This is a frightening world to live in and I can totally see the point in comparing it to other works like Orwell's 1984 or Moore's Utopia.