A Book
Most readers know of Aldous Huxley of Brave New World fame. What I didn't know was just how many books the guy had written. It looks like 11 at least. I'm reading one right now. It's called Ape and Essence. It's a strange little book, but now that I'm about 50 pages into it, I'm really starting to like it.
It's weird, though. Two executives on a studio lot find a movie script called Ape and Essence. For no real reason, they drive to where the screen writer lives only to find out that he died. Then the book basically says, "but anyway, here's his script . . ." and then it launches into the movie script, which turns out to be the novel.
Far as I can tell, the story is post-apocalyptic. Survivors from New Zealand come to LA, only to find that others survived the nuclear holocaust, too. The LA survivors are more savage, less advanced, and committed to worshipping Belial.
Odd.
But, in its oddness, worth checking out.
It's weird, though. Two executives on a studio lot find a movie script called Ape and Essence. For no real reason, they drive to where the screen writer lives only to find out that he died. Then the book basically says, "but anyway, here's his script . . ." and then it launches into the movie script, which turns out to be the novel.
Far as I can tell, the story is post-apocalyptic. Survivors from New Zealand come to LA, only to find that others survived the nuclear holocaust, too. The LA survivors are more savage, less advanced, and committed to worshipping Belial.
Odd.
But, in its oddness, worth checking out.
posted by Jeff Vande Zande at 7:23 PM
2 Comments:
I think it was my high school English teacher who had us read this. I think it was the first Huxley I read. It blew my mind, and put Huxley on my list of authors who mattered to me. I can't say I fully understood it, but I understood enough to know it was meaningful, worthwhile stuff. Glad to see you're getting into it.
I have a copy around here somewhere that I've been hauling around for years. You make me want to read it, Jeff. I didn't realize it's a Hollywood story. I like reading about Hollywood and writers.
Have you read Some time in the Sun? It's about Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Nathaniel West and Huxley in Hollywood.
I think Fitzgerald in fact wrote a short story about running into Huxley during his Hollywood time. It's in Fitzgerald's Pat Hobby collection, the one about his time as a screenwriter.
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