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1Crome Yellow

By Aldous Huxley

<i>Crome Yellow</i>, published in 1921 was Aldous Huxley’s first novel. In it he satirizes the fads and fashions of the time. It is the witty story of a house party at ‘Crome’ where there is a gathering of bright young things. We hear some of the history of the house from Henry Wimbush, its owner and self appointed historian; Apocalypse is prophesied, virginity is lost, and inspirational aphorisms are gained in a trance. Our hero, Denis, tries to capture it all in poetry and is disappointed in love.<br /><br />The author, Aldous Huxley, was born in 1894 and began writing poetry and short stories in his early twenties; this was his first novel and established his literary reputation. (Summary by Martin Clifton)

Thomas Huxley, known as “Darwin’s Bulldog” for his championing and development of Darwinism, was perhaps the most important Victorian biologist after Darwin himself. This speech to the Metaphysical Society in 1870 is one of Huxley’s best known texts outside the sphere of his specialism, and remains read today by students of philosophy. In it, Huxley argues from the results of vivisection to metaphysics. (Summary by CarlManchester)

3Advance of Science in the Last Half-Century

By Thomas Henry Huxley

Thomas H. Huxley, an English biologist and essayist, was an advocate of the theory of evolution and a self-proclaimed agnostic. A talented writer, his essays helped to popularize science in the 19th century, and he is credited with the quote, "Try to learn something about everything and everything about something." In <i>The Advance of Science in the Last Half Century</i>, he presents a summary of the major developments in Physics, Chemistry and Biology during the period 1839-1889 and their impact on society, within the historical context of philosophical thought and scientific inquiry going back to Aristotle. Huxley’s clear and readable prose makes this subject equally enjoyable for both the student of scientific history and the casual listener alike. (Summary by J. M. Smallheer)

4Journals of Robert Falcon Scott; Vol 1 of 'Scott's Last Expedition'

By Leonard Huxley and Robert Falcon Scott

Capt. Robert F. Scott's bid to be the leader of the first expedition to reach the South Pole is one of the most famous journeys of all time. What started as a scientific expedition turned out to be an unwilling race against a team lead by R. Admunsen to reach the Pole. The Norwegian flag already stood at the end of the trail when Scott's party reached their target. All the five men of the Scott expedition who took part in the last march to the Pole perished on their way back to safety.<br><br> Robert F. Scott kept a journal throughout the journey, all the way to the tragic end, documenting all aspects of the expedition. The famous last words of the journal were: 'It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more. For God's sake look after our people.'<br> (Summary by Illiterati)

5Discourses: Biological and Geological

By Thomas Henry Huxley

Thomas Henry Hux­ley was an English biologist (comparative anatomist). He was the most effective supporter of Darwin's Theory of Evolution and had a strong interest in scientific education - in schools, universities, and for the general public . He has been described as "the pre­mier ad­vo­cate of sci­ence in the nine­teenth cen­tury [for] the whole Eng­lish-speak­ing world". This volume consists of popular lectures he gave on biology and geology and addresses he delivered on the same subjects to scientific bodies. (Summary by barbara2)

6Crome Yellow, Version 2

By Aldous Huxley

Fascinating and brilliant at many levels, Huxley's spoof of Lady Ottoline Morrell's famous bohemian gatherings is difficult to categorize. The ironic tone and caricaturish rendering of some characters makes it partly entertaining satire, but intertwined with the irony are a very human love story and much poignant social commentary. Denis Stone (Huxley himself) is a young poet hopelessly enamored of the languid Anne Wimbush, who comes to Priscilla Wimbush's Crome estate for several weeks of intellectual and artistic escape. Along the way of his love affair, he engages in or eavesdrops upon conversations with other guests about the War, about eschatology, about future society, about Sex, about Art, about Love. Several of these dialogues directly foreshadow themes of Huxley's later dystopian masterpiece, Brave New World. Others show a tragic prescience of another great European war on its way, an awareness that future tragedy might attempt to complete the unfinished business of the recent Great War. Huxley's first novel, Crome Yellow is well worth reading in its own right, while containing embryonic forms of so much of Huxley's later intellectual themes. - Summary by Expatriate

7Burning Wheel

By Aldous Huxley

Though Aldous Huxley is best known for his later novels and essays, he started his writing career as a poet. The Burning Wheel is his first work, a collection of thirty poems that pay homage in style to poets who wrote in the Romantic or the French symbolist styles. Many of the poems deal with themes of light, darkness, sight, music, art, war, and idealism vs. realism. Though the optimism in his early works waned as he became older, his characteristically optimistic and determined point of view shines through. - Summary by Mary Kay<br> The last poem was read collaboratively by ezwa, AlgyPug and Larry Wilson.

Though Aldous Huxley gained popularity from his novels and essays, he started his writing career as a poet. Jonah, his second compilation of poetry, is a collection of twelve poems (four of which are written in French). He published it, at the age of 23, for Christmas in 1917.<br /><br /> He stated his intention to stop writing poetry at the end of the volume, but actually went on to publish numerous compilations after Jonah. (Mary Kay)

9Defeat of Youth and Other Poems

By Aldous Huxley

Though later known for his essays and novels, Aldous Huxley started his writing career as a poet. Published in 1918, The Defeat of Youth and Other Poems is his third compilation of poetry. <br><br>The volume begins with "The Defeat of Youth", a sequence of twenty-two sonnets that explores irreconcilability of the ideal and the disappointing reality. Jerome Meckier called it “the century’s most successful sonnet sequence, better than Auden’s or Edna St. Vincent Millay’s.” In the rest of the volume, Huxley continues to explore themes started in The Burning Wheel, his first volume of poetry, including vision, blindness, and other contrasts. <br><br>The volume concludes with two English translations by Huxley of two French poems: Stéphane Mallarmé’s 1876 poem “L’Après-midi d’un faune" and Arthur Rimbaud’s (1871) poem “Les Chercheuses de poux,” translated as “The Louse Hunters.” Summary by Mary Kay.

Though he gained recognition for his later essays and novels, Aldous Huxley started his writing career as a poet. Published in 1920, <i>Leda</i> is his fourth compilation of poetry.<br><br> It begins with the passionate and slightly erotic poem "Leda", which recalls the love affair between Queen Leda, the mother of Helen of Troy, and her swan, Zeus in disguise. Some short poems follow. The book ends with two long sections. The first, "Beauty," is a short collection of vignettes where the author reflects on the concept of beauty through an ideal model of physical desire, Helen of Troy. The second, "Soles Occidere et Redire Possunt," or "Suns Can Set, and Suns Can Rise Again," is another long poem which reflects a day in the life of John Ridley, a deceased friend of Huxley's, who was mentally challenged throughout his entire life.. - Summary by Mary Kay

A series of six volumes of Wheels anthologies was produced by members of the Sitwell family between 1916 and 1922. The second volume, published in 1917, contains poems by the Sitwells and also Aldous Huxley, among others. - Summary by Algy Pug

A series of six volumes of Wheels anthologies was produced by members of the Sitwell family between 1916 and 1922. The fourth volume, published in 1919, contains several notable poems by the recently deceased Wilfred Owen. The other poets represented are Francisco Quevedo, Aldous Huxley, Arnold James, Iris Tree, Sherard Vines, and Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell Sitwell. - Summary by Algy Pug

The Fifth Cycle of the Wheels poetry anthology was published in 1920 and contains poems by Aldous Huxley, Alan Porter, Leah McTavish Coehn, Geoffrey Cookson, William Kean Seymour, John J. Adams, Sherard Vines, and Osbert, Edith and Sacheverell Sitwell. The book was dedicated to Mrs Arnold Bennett, who is described as “poetry’s greatest interpretative artist.” - Summary by Algy Pug

The sixth and final cycle of Wheels was published in 1921, and is much shorter than the preceding volumes. Apart from the three Sitwells, the poets represented are Aldous Huxley, Alan Porter, Sherard Vines, H.R.Barbour, Charles Orange (Brian Howard), Paul Selver and Augustine Rivers. - Summary by Algy Pug

15Antic Hay

By Aldous Huxley

The epigram to this work from Christoher Marlowe applies to the plot of this story: "My men like satyrs grazing on the lawns / Shall with their goat-feet dance the antic hay." The plot follows Huxley and his cohorts in a search for meaning and hope and love in post WWI London.

Those Barren Leaves is a satirical novel by Aldous Huxley published in 1925. It is the story of Mrs. Aldwinkle and her entourage, who are gathered in an Italian palace to relive the glories of the Renaissance. For all their supposed sophistication, they are nothing but sad and superficial individuals in the final analysis. (Summary by Krysti Paul, with the help of Wikipedia)

17Limbo

By Aldous Huxley

This is Aldous Huxley's first collection of short stories, which consists of 6 stories and a play.<br><br> Characters in the play, "Happy Families", read by the following LibriVox volunteers:<br> Aston: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/6754">ToddHW</a><br> Aston's Dummy: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16205">James R. Hedrick</a><br> Topsy: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/15806">czandra</a><br> Topsy's Dummy: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/15806">czandra</a><br> Sir Jasper: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/17156">Marvin Larson</a><br> Belle: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16957">Dawn Sutton</a><br> Henrika: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16979">Rachel Costello</a><br> Cain: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16999">Krista Zaleski</a><br> Stage Direction: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16999">Krista Zaleski</a><br> (Summary by Krista Zaleski)

18Mortal Coils

By Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley is best known as a philosopher and novelist – notably as the author of Brave New World. He also wrote poetry, short stories and critical essays. Most of his work is somewhat dark and mildly sardonic, partly because he came of age just after World War I, when all of Europe was in a state of cultural, political and social confusion. His novel, Crome Yellow, is a prime example. <br><br> Mortal Coils includes four short stories and a play, including one of the author’s most famous short works: "The Gioconda Smile." - Summary by Kirsten Wever

“There are many well-intentioned people to-day who will tell you that the conflict between science and religion is over. It is not so….The writing of this book has been no easy task. The chief purpose which I had in mind in doing so was to try to convince my readers of the essentially accidental and temporary nature of the present conflict between religion and science, and to bring them back to fundamentals—to remind them that science is fundamentally a method of interrogating and investigating nature, and religion fundamentally an attitude of mind.” - Summary by Author, preface

- Summary by BobR