| Although Aldous Huxley is now best known for his famous sci-fi novel, 'Brave New World', he lived such a varied life that he is always an interesting biographer. 'Along The Road' covers the experiences and sights of his time on continental Europe as he lived in Italy in the 1920s, and France in the '30s and travelled extensively. (Similarly, when he lived in California he wrote 'Beyond the Mexique Bay', which about the wilds of Central America.) This book is now remembered and quoted by books of science and philosophy for the one famous passage that starts, 'We have learnt...that science has 'explained' nothing; that the more we know, the more fantastic the world becomes...', which comes from part two, in the section 'Views of Holland'. At times he sounds strikingly like his older contemporary, G.K. Chesterton, here, and in his comments on H.G. Wells and G.B. Shaw. The other good Chestertonian section is found at the start of part four, 'A Night at Pietramala', a witty discussion of the earlier travels of the scientists Michael Faraday and Sir Humphry Davy in Pietramala (recounted from Bence Jones', 'Life and Letters of Faraday'), which casts light on the relationship between science and faith in such greats as Isaac Newton, James Clerk-Maxwell, and Faraday himself. | ||
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Plot & Themes Ethnic/Relig. of subject (inside) Ethnic/regional/gender Yes Period of greatest activity? - 1900+ Subject of Biography Gender - Male Profession/status: Ethnicity - White Nationality - British Setting Europe Yes European country: - France - Italy Misc setting - resort/hotel Century: - 1900-1920's Writing Style Book makes you feel? - encouraged - like laughing How much dialogue in bio? - little dialog How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 26-50% of book |
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