Looking Backward: 2000-1887

I read this for a class, and while I enjoyed it in that context, I wouldn't recommend it for pleasure reading. It was written in the late 1800s and very popular in its time, but it feels dated now. Really intended as a utopian political piece, Bellamy added a romance to appeal to a wider audience (it felt creepy to me). The main political part of the novel is not as dated–in that Bellamy addresses many issues we are still facing in society today. Bellamy gained many followers after the publication of this book, and they tried to implement some of his plans. It's easy to see why they found his vision appealing–his ideas are thoughtful and detailed, and for the most part, his story does depict a better place.