Annotated Bibliography for Crome Yellow by Aldous Huxley

Prepared by Keven Doan

Note: There did not seem to be a large amount of recent articles and books that I could locate that directly addressed Crome Yellow, but many of the older (1960’s to 1990’s) works were quite helpful and gave ideas for possible directions to follow concerning the novel.

Bowering, Peter. Aldous Huxley: a study of the major novels. distributed by Constable London,

1968. Print.

This deals in part with the role of science in early 20th century novels of Aldous Huxley. New theories were being published and Huxley wanted to consider them all, even if he did not fully embrace them yet. Huxley does not treat scientific ideas as heavily as in his later novels. In fact, the author calls Crome Yellow Huxley’s “happiest novel.” Bowering also proposes that the characters represent various attitudes that Huxley wants to expose, and that he artfully does so with satirical wit and skill. (pp33-45.) Brander, Laurence. Aldous Huxley: A Critical Study. Lewisburg: Bucknell University Press.

1970. Print.

This short article focuses on Huxley’s use of ideas in Crome Yellow that he was beginning to evaluate in his own life. The author calls this Huxley’s “world of ideas.” This is similar to what the author above mentions, so it might be a theme to pursue. Brander also sees the “lightness” of the novel and calls it a “gay little sketch.” (Like the author above and again providing a possible approach to try.) He believes the characters are caricatures of people who believe the ideas the characters are promoting by their dialog and sermonizing. He also mentions Huxley’s satirical approach. (pp 21-23.) Enroth, Clyde. “Mysticism in Two of Aldous Huxley’s Early Novels.” Twentieth Century

Literature. Vol. 6, No. 3 (October 1960). pp 123-132. Web.

This article takes a narrower view of Huxley’s intellectual development, focusing on his fascination with mysticism. Enroth says that mysticism is “much in evidence” in Huxley’s novels and is “well known and deplored on every side.” That it is deplored is debatable. The author of this essay proposes that contrary to the then (1960) popular view that Huxley was converted to mysticism, in Huxley’s early novels, including Crome Yellow, he was only “flirting” with mysticism and had not been converted yet. Enroth advances his argument by examining and comparing Crome Yellow with Antic Hay, which he says was written after Huxley was converted to mysticism. This is an interesting approach, but might be too narrow to pursue, as other reference works in the same vein might be hard to locate. Firchow, Peter. Aldous Huxley: satirist and novelist. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota 2

Press, 1972. Print.

Peter Firchow provides a nice analysis of several of Huxley’s novels including Crome Yellow. Of particular interest are his references to contemporary (to Huxley) reviews and comments about Aldous Huxley in general and Crome Yellow in particular. Notice T.S. Eliot’s comment on page 58 where he believes that real public figures were used by Huxley as models for his characters. He even gives specific examples, although some are not well known today. This further advances the theme that Huxley was a skilled satirist, and might be a fun approach to analyze the novel. (pp 52-58.) Henderson, Alexander. Aldous Huxley. New York: Russell & Russell, 1964. Print.

This author focuses more on Huxley’s style and technique, rather than an analysis of the text itself. Henderson relates Huxley’s ongoing growth and development as a writer, describing Huxley’s “developing skills.” Of particular interest is the theme of Huxley’s enthusiasm for psychology. Henderson says that Huxley was “fascinated by human beings.” He focuses on Huxley’s technique and acuteness of psychological description. This is a common thread in the analysis of Huxley that I found in these references: his psychological insight combined with his satirical skill. (pp 52-58.)

Holmes, Charles M. Aldous Huxley and the way to reality. Bloomington: Indiana University

Press, 1970. Print.

Charles Holmes agrees with the thought that Huxley used the attitudes of the different characters who have gathered at Crome Yellow to portray the real attitudes of people in that era and country. Holmes calls this “juxtaposition of approaches and attitudes to life” a pattern that Huxley carries on through his later novels, and traces Huxley’s development as a writer. He says the novel is “not serious,” which concurs with several other writers in this list. One interesting addition to the idea that Huxley used real people as models for his characters is where Holmes says that the character of the ineffectual poet Denis is actually a projection of Aldous Huxley himself! This is interesting, but this is the only place I found this thought. Perhaps with further research it might be an analytical theme to follow. Meckier, Jerome. “Aldous Huxley: Satire and Structure.” Wisconsin Studies in Contemporary

Literature. Vol. 7, No. 3 (Autumn, 1966), pp 284-294. Web.

Meckier says that Aldous Huxley characterizes many of his characters as escapists and eccentrics, which seems to be the case in Crome Yellow. The author of this essay sees Huxley as continuously presenting society as “a collection of parallel lines, none of which ever cross.” This meshes with the idea that Huxley was considering many philosophical avenues for his own philosophy of life when he wrote Crome Yellow. Meckier analyzes several characters in Crome Yellow, contrasting and comparing them with characters from several other of Huxley’s novels. He says that Huxley’s novels are full of eccentrics whose egoism is the target of his satire.

Paulsell, Sally A. “Color and Light: Huxley’s Pathway to Spiritual Reality.” Twentieth Century

Literature. Vol. 41, No. 1 (Spring, 1995), pp 81-107. Web.

Author Paulsell deals with Huxley’s lifetime search for ultimate reality, revealed to him through color and light. She calls it a “conscious-expanding search for ultimate reality.” According to the author, Huxley’s struggle to believe in the Divine Light can be traced as early as 1922 in his first novel Crome Yellow. The article references a lecture Huxley gave in 1959 where he discussed our (human) fascination with precious stones. Huxley traces this fascination back to Socrates and Plato. This takes a bit heavier approach than the other references but might be a nice theme to pursue since Huxley’s lifelong search seems a recurring idea.

Sion, Ronald T. Aldous Huxley and the search for meaning: a study of the eleven novels.

Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. 2010. Print.

This recent work does a nice job of combining analysis of the novels with an examination of Huxley’s own search for meaning and truth. He uses Huxley’s own letters, essays and interviews into the analysis of each text, Crome Yellow being the first. The way Sion traces Huxley’s own intellectual development and how it affected the novel he was writing at the time is quite helpful and interesting. Sion also believes that Crome Yellow was intended as satire. An interesting addition is Sion’s description of the popular and critical aftermath when the novel was published. (pp21-30.)

Watt, Donald, ed. Aldous Huxley, the critical heritage. London; Boston: Routledge & K. Paul.

1975. Print.

This is a collection of critical essays on Aldous Huxley and his works. There are several concerning Crome Yellow, some of which are contemporary with Huxley. One that immediately drew my attention was one by F. Scott Fitzgerald. His non-academic approach and language is quite pleasing. Fitzgerald says that Crome Yellow will “infuriate those who take anything seriously,” which reinforces the common thought in these references that Huxley intended Crome Yellow to be satire. Fitzgerald, however, takes a twist on the satire approach and suggests that Huxley was even providing a satire on satire, stating that Crome Yellow “mocks at mockery.” (pp58-76.)