Crome Yellow

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Summary: Crome Yellow
Review: Crome Yellow was Aldous Huxley's first book. His best books are his early books that he wrote before Brave New World. The young Aldous Huxley was evanescent, fluid, and limitless in his potential. However, as he grew older, especially in his last decades when he lived in California, he became more calcified, his vision narrowed and he became mired by his own mystic obscurisms. And when Huxley 'got' Buddhism, he stopped writing novels and wrote Buddhis tracts, so to speak. Written when he was 27, Crome Yellow centers around a house called Crome hence the title, (like Wuthering Heights centered around a house - Abbey Grange). The house was a gathering place of artists who were vacuous, though in a brilliantly significant way. The main character is Denis Stone, a naive neophyte, much like Huxley must have been at the time. Consequently as Huxley himself grew more sophisticated, so did his characters. Huxley attacks the ennui and malaise existential of life with a kind of righteous indignation that is refreshing. And he uproariously endorses the sentiments of misanthropy that all refined and culture cynics must feel. Huxley spent most of his life playing the expatriate game. In his own words from Crome, Huxley was "one of those distinguished people, who for some reason or other, find it impossible to live in England." Huxley spent most of the 1920's in Italy. It is difficult to believe that Aldous Huxley was just 27 when he wrote this book, for it is written like a 50 yr. old. Crome Yellow is a great introduction to Huxley, as well as a great way to know him better. There could scarcely be a more potent, intense vanguard for the psychedelic revolution, for which Huxley must have been a precursor of.

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Summary: Essential e-book for your e-library
Review: The fact that this book is a superb read has already been established. Most notably the author and critic, Cyril CONNOLLY, rated this book as one of the 100 key books of the MODERN MOVEMENT.

Crome Yellow is perfectly suited to the e-book format. Great for reading on short trips, lunch breaks; in fact anytime you can grab a few minutes while on the go. The chapters are short and each stands alone as a complete and well-constructed scene.

Within the first few screens, you'll be captured by the story and wanting more - especially the bizarre instalments on the "History of Crome." Enough said - you'll have to find out for yourself.

This is an essential e-book for any well-stocked PDA e-library.

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Summary: not huxley's best
Review: this novel was, in my opinion, not very good. it smacks of aristocratic pretension. i did not like nor could i find my self sympathetic with any of his hollow, flat characters. which really bothers me very, because i'm a huge huxley fan.