Crome Yellow

By: Aldous Huxley

Narrated by: Robert Whitfield

One of the greatest prose writers and social commentators of the 20th century, Aldous Huxley here introduces us to a delightfully cynical, comic, and severe group of artists and intellectuals engaged in the most free-thinking and modern kind of talk imaginable. Poetry, occultism, ancestral history, and Italian primitive painting are just a few of the subjects competing for discussion among the amiable cast of eccentrics drawn together at Crome, an intensely English country manor.(P)1998 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Crome Yellow, Huxley's first novel, is famous for its technique, ideas, and acute psychological descriptions." (The Times, London)
"Robert Whitfield's unabridged reading of Huxley's first novel is a triumph of one man's vocal capacities....Whitfield's vocal acrobatics in portraying the cast of characters assembled at an English country estate for a summer vacation in the 1920's makes for dazzling aural entertainment. Otherwise fatuous goings-on become intriguing shenanigans, and the characters' psychological portraits are rendered accurately through the unique voices Whitfield assigns them." (AudioFile)
"Robert Whitfield does it full justice and proves that he is now one of the best narrators in the business." (Library Journal)

Promising in parts, but a bit of a mess

As I have struggled all my life with ADHD, listening to this book makes me wonder if Aldous Huxley had it as well. It starts out promising, albeit a kind of standard 1920ish British novel. There are quite a few characters, which is okay, except that a large chunk of the book is taken up by extraneous stories told by minor characters. Short stories inside books seemed to have once been very popular. This book is in good company with "The Count of Monte Cristo" and "Don Quixote". It didn't need the long story that introduced more characters and took up time and slowed the main story.

Considering that Aldous Huxley wrote "Brave New World" I was not surprised to see some political ramblings. I didn't hate this book, but it really is a bit of a mess. I hate to give such an esteemed author 3 stars on his first book. I'm sure he still did better than I could do. He could have used a better editor.

The narration saved it from being horrible

Excellent Reading of an intellectual book

Would you listen to Crome Yellow again? Why?

I certainly would. Aldous Huxley's manifold characters are vividly portrayed. The philosophical musings are interesting and situations are humorously described. Even the names Huxley gave to his protagonist are already signifying their characters, It was an edifying and entertaining read (or more correctly "listen").

Charming and eccentric

At Crome, an English country home, a young, visiting writer loves a socialite, and enjoys her peculiar family and their friends.
Nothing much happens, just full of characters I really enjoyed spending time with.
Terrific!

okey

the chapters need to be fixed. the book has 8nterest8ng characters. i liked the story about the little people having a normal sized son... it was entertaining.

ah! Aldous Huxley

The English manor, landed gentry after the Great War, idleness & longing & ennui.