Customer Reviews

Aldous Huxley

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A perfect biography of one of the most celebrated and most interesting figures of the 20th century. The panoramic range of Huxley's genius is magnificently brought to life in this book. Everything is here- his historic antecedents, his famous family, his 30 yr. marriage to the beautiful Maria, the creation of his books, and not a little as well about his "psychedelic" period and his book "The Doors of Perception." Of course, Huxley is a marvelously inviting subject, intelligence and temperament combined in a man possessed of extraordinary natural gifts. The keen intellect of novelist Bedford is the key element; a rich understanding of Huxley's singular dialectic and his notably uncanny inner aesthetics makes splendid reading. The whole book is warm and true; the affection of the writer toward her subject is clear, but never interfering, never common or cloying. Bedford generously lets the reader walk and talk, travel and sup with Huxley, and her narrative skills are perfectly honed for such a daring operation; after all, it's one thing to merely write a biography of note, and another to unsheathe someone down to pure gold. The latter would seem to be Bedford's forte in these pages; it is a miracle of literary biography and an extraordinary experience. Highest recommendation without reservation.

SB does a truly remarkable job of portraying Huxley as he really was; from the vantage point of a next-door neighbour who soon moved in with the Huxleys, SB slowly reveals the everyday life of a man who was regarded as a prophet in his lifetime and has now come to be acknowledged as one of the most erudite men of the last century while at the same time being a humanist to the core. The book could have crossed over to being an eulogy but manages to maintain its balance and objectivity through its length and provides us with a scholarly perspective on the man as now other book does. She has integrated the personal life and impressions of many of the people who figured in Aldous's life with the works of the man and analyzes how the various experiences of his life influenced his books. It continues to remain the definitive book on Aldous Huxley three decades after its first publication.