Short and witty, if decidedly of its time
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Crome Yellow suffers somewhat from being slightly dated, not so much in language as in that the high society it lampoons no longer exists. Despite this, some of the mud still sticks, often with lovely lyrical twists. This belongs solidly to the Huxley period dealing with arty Englishmen struggling to discover their own truths (Eyeless in Gaza, Point Counter Point) rather than the speculative fiction that delivers more political punch (Brave New World, Ape and Essence). Nevertheless, the occasional glimpses into modernist ideology are both compelling and prescient (Crome Yellow was first published in 1921), the character of Mr Scrogan in particular foreshadowing many of the European political impulses that would define the coming years and give shape to Huxley's later dystopian visions. Short and witty, if decidedly of its time.
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Dissapointing
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I was very dissapointed in this book, and struggled to reach the end. If it is indeed a comedy satire as another reviewer suggests, (and I bow to what may be superior knowledge) I do not think it comes across as such in the early part of the 20th century. When it was written it may have been a comment on the pretentions of the upper class, but from this distance I found it was just boring. I am quite happy with a story where nothing much happens as long as the writing is good enough to justify that. With Crome Yellow this is just not the case, it bored me to tears.
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Critically acclaimed, but an ageing classic
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Although best remembered for his "Brave New World", Huxley first established himself in literary circles with his 1921 novel, "Crome Yellow". This is Huxley, if not quite the outcast, certainly the detached commentator, able to sit back and observe his society in action. Huxley would always be something of an outsider - though born into a wealthy family in 1894, his life would be disrupted, first by the death of his mother when he was 14, then by illness, when he was 16, which left him blind for over a year and seriously limited his eyesight for the rest of his life. The illness had enduring effects - Huxley did not serve in the First World War, so was distanced from the survivors of his generation who made it back. The illness also prevented him from entering a career in pure science. "Crome Yellow" is a charmingly cruel dissection of a society attempting to recover from the 1914-18 war, a war which had swept away the social fabric of Europe. Crome is a large country house which attracts the English upper classes and pseudo intelligentsia. We follow the experiences of young Denis Stone, a would be poet, as he watches the other guests. "Crome Yellow" is a comedy, a satire of class and the pretensions and lotus eating assumptions of a class which is losing its role and its function and growing increasingly out of touch with the modern world. It presents amusing portraits and enjoyable anecdotes about life in a country house. Stylistically, however, it is dated, and the reader may find many of its references and allusions are obtuse. An interesting rather than a captivating read.
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