by Thomas More
First published 1516
Raphael Hythloday returns from his travels with tales of an extraordinary island he calls Utopia. Through conversations with Thomas More and his friend Peter Giles, Raphael describes a society where private property does not exist and all goods belong to everyone. On this island, both men and women receive education, citizens live without violence or want, and social harmony replaces the conflicts that plague European nations. Raphael explains how Utopians organize their work, govern themselves, and conduct their daily lives free from the fears that grip other societies. As he shares these revelations, tensions emerge between his idealistic vision and the harsh realities of sixteenth century Europe. More challenges some of Raphael's claims while wrestling with whether such perfection could ever exist in the real world. The conversations reveal both the appeal of this imagined paradise and the difficulties of achieving true social reform.
Genres: fiction, classics, historical-fiction, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Utopia, Europe
Period: Sixteenth Century
113 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics