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Upon (short) reflection, this story is more complex than it seemed on reading. The two main themes are a malthusian nightmare that leads to food shortages & odd societal responses, & the the strands of history that guide the apparently unguidable. Must note that The Wanting Seed is not for those who insist on political correctness in their books, who can't deal with the rough & tumble of the "real" world. This is not for those who insist that a writer from the early Sixties write as if he was writing in 2019. At that time ZPG & overpopulation must've been overwhelming concerns -- something we hear much less than the current fears of climate change. For me it was interesting that some of the effects that Burgess predicted due to overpopulation (e.g., multiculturalism & the social acceptance & perceived advantages of homosexuality), have occurred, but not as threats to societal stability. Published the same year as his more renowned A Clockwork Orange, this is also a dystopian (is anyone getting tired of that word?) journey. Despite his immense vocabulary, this was an easy though not quick read, mostly linear & told with a light & comic tone until the last couple pages. During the read I was right there moving along, but looking back Burgess hits so many issues from religion & cannibalism (they overlap) to the fragility & resilience of family & society. Not quite the masterwork that is A Clockwork Orange, but a worthy companion. While reading it often reminded me of Brave New World, & while I don't think it's quite to the level of that one or the other early classics such as 1984, Fahrenheit 451, or The Handmaid's Tale, it certainly deserves a seat at the table & a place in the conversation.
