Those Barren Leaves

Although Those Barren Leaves is technically a novel, it has no central plot. It is a series of interconnected and interweaving stories that are only slightly developed. All are left hanging. The setting is Italy sometime between WWI and WWII. The characters are vacationing at the Italian villa, a castle really, of a wealthy English woman, Mrs. Aldwinkle, and all are upper-class British intellectuals. Nothing much happens, there is a bit of love play and romance; no violence, no intrigue or crime, many lengthy polite conversations. Typically the characters are referred to as Mr., Mrs., or Miss so-and-so throughout. Amusingly Mrs. Aldwinkle plays a central and dominant role in the book but Mr. Aldwinkle is never mentioned, not once. Is he dead? On vacation elsewhere? One never knows, on one asks or seems to care. And so life drifts on serenely in the Italian sun among the Roman and medieval ruins. I liked several things about this book. The characters are interesting and Huxley has a way of bringing them to life. There are interesting and evocative descriptions of Italy, Tuscany in particular. I found the fact that momentous and terrifying world events were hanging over the scene silently in the background added poignancy to the setting and conversations. I kept thinking as I was reading how this world would soon be wrought by such unthinkable upheavals as the holocaust and Hiroshima. This is a leisurely book with many lengthy conversations about intellectual and philosophical topics. It is an opportunity for Huxley to vent his many ideas and theories in an informal way and to explore various upper-class characters in a satirical but still sympathetic way. Usually I am impatient with lengthy philosophic musings in a novel, but Huxley is so interesting that I found myself less irritated than absorbed, although I must admit that I skimmed much of the discursive portions. This is early Huxley, like Chrome Yellow and Point Counter Point. Those Barren Leaves is not a book for those who want a fast-paced, exciting story.

Even better than the wonderful and somewhat similar CROME YELLOW, this novel of ideas can be alternately entertaining and exasperating. However, Huxley surprisingly drops mini-bombs of flashing insight here and there. In particular, the final chapter is a brilliant analysis (and prophecy) of the world-wide prevalence of suburban stupidity in place today. The fact that this book is out of print in the US in only one face of this stupidity.

A hard-to-find book--I came across it as a yellowed old paperback at a rummage sale, and I'm glad I did. Full of characters you're ready to hate, you end up loving nearly every one. Extraordinarily beautiful language, the writing is the cream of the crop. Not much of a plot, to be sure, as it is filled mostly with conversation that asks all of life's profoundest questions. He doesn't answer all the questions--no one can!--but gives you ample food for thought. The book is set in Italy after WWI, and abounds in beautiful scenery. Read it when you're relaxed and have time to chew on it.