Those Barren Leaves by Aldous Huxley

Name: Those Barren Leaves
Author: Aldous Huxley

The novel follows the story of a young man named Maurice Hall, who is struggling to find meaning and purpose in his life after leaving university. He becomes obsessed with the idea of suicide and spends much of the book contemplating this option. Meanwhile, his friends and family are dealing with their own personal struggles, including his mother's infidelity and his friend's addiction to drugs. Throughout the novel, Huxley explores themes of alienation, disillusionment, and the search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. The book is known for its dark humor and its critique of modern society, which was seen as controversial when it was first published in 1927.

By Aldous Huxley · First published 1927 · Genre: Satire, Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction · 42 chapters · 148,735 words

First lines

The little town of Vezza stands at the confluence of two torrents that come down in two deep valleys from the Apuan mountains. Turbulently - for they still remember their mountain source - the united streams run through the town; silence in Vezza is the continuous sound of running waters. Then, gradually, the little river changes its character; the valley broadens out, soon the hills are left behind and the waters, grown placid as a Dutch canal, glide slowly through the meadows of the coastal plain and mingle with the tideless Mediterranean.

What this Textopian page supports

Those Barren Leaves is listed on Textopian as a novel by Aldous Huxley, dated 1927 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: Aldous Huxley
Date: 1927 CE
Language: English
Genres: Satire, Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Social Criticism, Philosophical Fiction
Length: 148,735 words
Structure: 42 chapters, 1,826 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Satire — Huxley uses his characters and their interactions to ridicule the pretensions and vanity of the intellectual high society of his time, characteristic of satire.
Literary Fiction — The book is stylistically complex with extensive use of intellectual and philosophical discourse, elements typically associated with literary fiction.
Psychological Fiction — The book includes a deep exploration of its characters' thoughts, feelings, and motivations, which aligns it with psychological fiction.
Social Criticism — Huxley's detailed critique of the societal norms, values, and issues of his time categorizes this work under social criticism.