it is in fact a great novel...i read it a couple years ago and have been meaning to re-read it (i leant it to a friend however)... the begining some people think is slow due to the fact that it starts off explaining the world and what has changed...how people are genetically engineered etc...its a great novel that speaks on how being a perfectly happy society (in the novel the government rations out a drug called SOMA which is a euphoria enducing pill) isn't so happy and perfect...