Geniul şi zeiţa

I am sitting here with a USB stick I have just received from Australia, compliments of my mother, on which she has painstakingly copied hundreds of files from the floppy disks of my youth, amongst which I am convinced lies the key to my writerly fame and fortune.(The last said very much tongue in cheek - not that I'm not convinced, just that I'm a fool. For thinking that either the files are readable - most are not, we're talking files that pre-date even MS DOS - or that fame and fortune await i [...]

Aldous Huxley was at one time one of my favorite writers, about three or four decades ago. I still love reading him, because I never know when I will turn a corner and suddenly encounter myself as a young man. That young man was impressed by sheer portentousness, by the introduction of philosophical elements in essays and fiction.Now I see that Huxley was a dualist, deeply torn between the intellect and man's animal nature. This comes out most particularly in Brave New World, and also to a large [...]

A brief attempt at capturing human ecstasy - Huxley captures the difference between loving out of obligation and involuntary adoration. As much as we try to create the person we are and are to become, the deep-rooted elements of our personalities develop subconsciously and beyond our control. This novel may be short but is a holistic exploration of sensuality and sexuality and freedom and containment from the perspective of a man who tries to be more than just a man. Most quotable book, like, ev [...]

This book had a Lolita feel, only in reverse. You will see what I mean when you read it.The major themes, as far as i remember as this was a while ago, are the results of a sheltered lifeand dedicating oneself to education alone, neglecting personal experience. It is also about doingeverything in order to please someone else, namely your parents. I have never read anyone describe a sex scene in such a manner, but it is to be expected.

Absolutely loved this book. Beautiful examination of what it means to be human. Has taken the place as my favorite book I've ever read.

I love it when I accidentally stumble upon a piece of literary treasure that leaves me changed, for the better, in having read it.Huxley manages to capture the Grace of a Goddess, her husband, a Genius, the dynamics of their family unit and household and the unsuspecting guest (John Rivers) who is invited into their world and lives. Told conversationally and in recollection over the course of one evening, we learn of the impact made to John Rivers' life and universe when he experiences love, pas [...]

Aldous Huxley’ The Genius and the Goddess at 168 pages is more of a novella than a novel. It is tightly written without being spare. Narrator John Rivers tell the story of how he matured from a narrow hyper religious man child a modern man aware of but with no answers to the complexities of the larger world. This is intelligent writing. It respects the reader who is ultimately asked to judge the speaker who is not able to resolve the moral conflict thrust upon him. Highly recommended.In Huxley [...]

Am zis ca e timpul sa incep sa scriu cat mai repede despre romanele pe care le termin, altminteri se aduna prea multe, si e posibil sa uit amanunte relativ importante despre subiectele lor.E prima mea incercare cu domnul Huxley, desi am fost in scurta posesie si a Minunatei lume noi, asta-vara, dar n-am avut rabdarea necesara sa o parcurg. Intr-un fel, imi pare rau, dar, la acea vreme, traversam o perioada intr-atat de proasta incat chiar nu prea aveam chef de lectura, daramite de vreun fel de p [...]

Yet another devastating masterpiece by one of the greatest writers of out time. "The Genius and The Goddess" is vintage Huxley at his desolate best! A scarring tragedy where impiety jousts with instinct, petulance grapples with philosophy and rationality loses out to ravishing lust. A young and talented John Rivers arrives at the family home of the eccentric albeit enormously gifted Theoretical Physicist and Nobel Laureate Henry Maartens after accepting an offer to be his laboratory and teaching [...]

First thought as I closed this book: "I need to read this again."The theories were a bit tiring to read in the way they were fitted into the story. (It always shows when a non-fiction writer writes fiction, eg. Carl Sagan in "Contact".) Once the story started moving and the large theories gave way (a bit), it became more interesting. The story itself, universal and timeless, is plain and simple in the sense of every-day normality, no unnaturally dramatic twists or peculiar events. Even the awe-s [...]

beautiful book--huxley does a fantastic job of portraying the life of a young man and his growth over so eloquently and beautifully. because the whole story is told by the perspective of a young man recalling past events, it paints a wonderful image of the speaker's almost posthumous recollection of events. this also does a fantastic job of providing suspense in the subtlest way--the reader is kept at the edge of his seat wanting to know what comes next but also given the peace of mind that ever [...]

За щастие няма много общо с "Прекрасния нов свят", за която авторът сам признава, че би преработил, но се е сдържал. Пълна с референции, благодаря на преводача за уловените и обяснените, особено ми хареса тази за "блудния син, току що завърнал се от странстванията си и диетата � [...]

A psychoanalytic character study that finds its greatest achievements in moments of brute clarity, when the dross of the language of intellectual deconstruction, which the protagonist scorns and yet cannot help but use to explore the past, present and future, is cleared away to reveal the raw, naked emotions of fear, jealousy, and shame.

This is a rather short novella easily read in a single, highly enjoyable sitting. Over the course of less than 100 pages Huxley develops a very gripping tale of forbidden love and lust and delves deeply into human nature. This work is much more successful than his much-more-often-touted Crome Yellow at establishing character and exposing and exploring human passions and foibles.

Ich fand diesen Huxley Roman mehr als gelungen. Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass es sich so gut lesen lassen würde (nachdem ich die Schöne Neue Welt nach ein paar Seiten bei Seite legte) Huxley zeigt in diesem Buch Humor, Witz, schräge Charakterstudien und noch nen Plot, den ich mochte.

Very intense book. It mixes so well philosophy, psychology, remarkable characters that get stuch in your memory, out of the ordinary destinies

Inspirată de un citat din carte, care e notat și în quotes aferente acestei cărți în , citat despre consolările filosofiei, tot ce aș spune despre carte se poate rezuma în 3 cuvinte: e tare, frate.

This short novel was my first return to Huxley since studying his canonical dystopian text Brave New World, which, admittedly, put me off for a few years. But The Genius and the Goddess is a far cry from Huxley's straight-talking and somewhat laboured illustration of false utopia, which may not be a surprise since it is 24 years its senior. Despite the very traditional choice of narrative structure, oral storytelling, and the fact that this text is effectively a soapbox for Huxley's opinions on [...]

Esta obra nada tiene que ver con el estilo, género y temática de la conocida Un mundo feliz. Es una aproximación filosófica y psicológica a temas como el amor, el placer, las experiencias, el deseo, el arte y la ciencia con una prosa ingeniosa y divertida. A pesar de su estructura convencional (un personaje le cuenta la historia en orden cronológico a otro), y de que la historia en sí no terminó de seducirme, reconozco que tiene muy buenos momentos y que marqué varios pasajes durante la [...]

I have such a soft spot for vintage romance novels. The language in them is so much more capable of conveying adoration, so it really tugs on the heart strings. Whatever negativity I had been harbouring about Huxley's writing since reading Brave New World, this book dissipated it. The writing was rich with feeling and flair - it wasn't so obnoxious and correct that it didn't seem like a story was being told by one character to another, but was stylistic enough for me to notice and therefore admi [...]

Well, I picked this up for only RS 100 as a second hand book from a Mirza Ghalib Street hole in the wall second hand book shop in Kolkata, India. I thought it was too expensive as a paper back that originally sold only for 35 US cents back in 1956. The book was in a dilapidated condition and as I read it the brittle paper of the binding came loose. But what a rewarding read it was!! I enjoyed every page and every paragraph. Huxley is a genius. Full of insight and accurate observations on the pli [...]

Personajele care au cel mai mare impact asupra cititorului sunt Katy şi Ruth. Katy, femeia puternică la exterior, dar neîmplinită pe plan spiritual îşi înşală soţul, geniul care o iubeşte atât de mult încât se îmbolnăveşte din cauza ei, cu portejatul acestuia. John Rivers pare incapabil să se opună şi, nutrind pentru această "zeiţă" o dragoste platonică la început, carnală spre final, atrage gelozia lui Ruth, fiica familiei Maartens.Pe măsură ce Ruth îşi diversific� [...]

"Разказвайки за случилото се преди тридесет години, Джон Ривърс осъзнава, че то е променило живота му изцяло. Вмъкнатите в разказа му размишления за съдбата, живота, смъртта и всичко останало, превръщат книгата "Геният и богинята" не в поредната клиширана любовна историята, [...]

Of course the adulterous woman dies for her crimes, and the conniving young girl dies as well forwell, for being savvy to the (male) main characters's deceits. Language is beautiful, but the plot is lazy. Severely lazy.

!Tengo que leer todo lo que haya escrito Huxley! OMG hagan una película de este libro plis plis plis.

Ea era o zeita care se prabusise si-si gasea drumul inapoi spre Olimp pe calea senzualitatii.

Brilliant story-telling, captivating deep characters, and a great read. I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars; he really knows how to write characters in a way that you know exactly why they did what they did or said what they said because of their past and detailed but at the same time simple character development. I am a huge fan of Brave New World, and look forward to reading more Huxley in the future.

Aldous Huxley's The Genius And The Goddess was interesting to the point that I read it cover to cover in one day. Its language and plot was deep, thoughtful, and moving. Huxley has amazed me yet again with this terrific work of literature. Whoever is fond of the fiction of the late Mr. Aldous Leonard Huxley would be advised to pick up a copy of this book. I had absolutely no trouble whatsoever focusing on every last word contained in The Genius And The Goddess.

alles verganglichen, gleichnisSi está usted lo bastante acostumbrado al mondongo y la bazofia que nos sirven los que moldean la opinión pública, tendrá a contaminar sus impresiones en la misma fuente; recreará el mundo a la imagen de sus propias nociones y, desde luego, sus propias nociones son las de todos los demás. Pero la poesía original está siempre ahí; siempre- insistió.

Huxley refers to the Pickwick Papers in more than one novel, and its proto-Freudian tinge colors several more. Of course, he is not too logical or lockstep with the worldview, any more than Dickens, but a completely Freudian viewpoint would not make for a novel. Divine causes and effects cannot be eliminated, but they hardly require preachers either.