Help me find out the title of this book

September 22, 2006 7:05 PM

When I was a kid, I read a science fiction book. I'd like now to find out what its name was, but, since I didn't read it in English, and it was about 20 years ago, I would have not a clue where to look.

From what I remember of the book, it describes a futuristic dictatorship, where all the people are relegated into casts that are named after the english alphabet, and the 3 top casts (a,b, and c) are the ones who rule the world. It's a kind of a dystopia.
Any clues? I think the author was American, but I could well be wrong.

posted by bokononito to Writing & Language (8 answers total)

The would be Brave New World.
posted by jellicle at 7:11 PM on September 22, 2006

Most likely Brave New World.
posted by MadamM at 8:21 PM on September 22, 2006

castes

:)
posted by ab3 at 8:46 PM on September 22, 2006

the answer has been nailed
posted by edgeways at 9:00 PM on September 22, 2006

It was Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, no question.
posted by evariste at 12:16 AM on September 23, 2006

Response by poster: that's funny. i never read it in english, although i always hear the name said around. and yet, it was one of my favorite books when i was 8. i read it right next to 1984 (a forbidden book back there and then) and was very excited.
Thanks all!
posted by bokononito at 6:13 AM on September 23, 2006

Since the question has been answered: did you also read Zamyatin's We, often considered the source of the idea for the later two books?
posted by languagehat at 6:52 AM on September 23, 2006 [1 favorite]

Apparently Huxley had not read We (which is a stunningly brilliant novel, for its words as much as for its ideas), despite the obvious similarities of both books. But there is a short story/essay by Jerome K. Jerome which is thought to have been an inpiration for both We and Brave New World.
posted by jb at 7:59 AM on September 23, 2006 [1 favorite]