Crome Yellow

A social satire of the British literati in the years following World War I, Crome Yellow focuses on a comical cast of outlandish characters who have gathered in the small town of Crome on the country estate of Henry Wimbush. In addition to the party's host and his attractive niece, Anne, there's Mr. Scogan, who's planning a "Rational State," much like the one Huxley describes in his 1932 classic, Brave New World; Denis Stone, a sensitive poet haplessly in love with Anne; and Mr. Barbecu-Smith, who writes 1,500 publishable words an hour — an admirable feat under most circumstances. Berating post-Victorian standards of morality, Huxley's first novel is "intrinsically amusing and ingenious … a completely accurate piece of observation." — The Spectator "The merit of Huxley's comedy is that it becomes always more amusing as it grows." — The London Times Literary Supplement "Fine satirical writing … unflaggingly delightful." — Bookman