Mortal Coils

More about the book

This version is not available in the US. Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), renowned for his literary vision, was the grandson of Thomas H. Huxley, a defender of Darwin. Born in England, he was educated at Eton and Oxford, and traveled extensively, spending time in Italy during the 1920s. Huxley started his career with poetry and critical essays before transitioning to novels. Although he missed participating in World War I, his early works, such as CROME YELLOW (1921), ANTIC HAY (1923), and POINT COUNTER POINT (1928), captured a sense of purposelessness that resonated with British society. A satirical tone emerged in BRAVE NEW WORLD (1932), leading to works with fantastic or speculative themes, including AFTER MANY A SUMMER DIES THE SWAN (1939) and APE AND ESSENCE (1948). His final work, ISLAND (1962), presents a utopian vision. In his later years, Huxley expressed disdain for Western society, exploring Eastern mysticism and psychedelic drugs, as detailed in THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION (1954). MORTAL COILS is a collection of short stories from Huxley's early period, featuring one of his most popular tales, "The Gioconda Smile."