Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley was a famous English writer and philosopher. Born on July 26, 1894, in Godalming, Surrey County (England) his bibliography encompasses approximately 50 books including novels, nonfiction, essays, tales, and poems.. His parents were Leonard Huxley, a well-known author and schoolteacher, and Julia Arnold, the founder of a private school.

As his parents had a literary background, their beliefs greatly influenced his early development. In 1908, he lost his mother, and his grandfather was Thomas Henry Huxley, a naturalist, agnostic, and controversialist.

About Aldous Huxley

Birth Date: 26 July, 1894

Full Name: Aldous Leonard Huxley

Born Country: England

Family of Aldous Huxley

Mother Name: Julia Arnold Ward Huxley

Father Name: Leonard Huxley

Spouse:

• Maria Nys (married in 1919 and passed away in 1955)
• Laura Archera Huxley (married in 1956 and passed away in 1963)

Siblings:

• Julian Huxley
• Margaret Huxley
• Trevenen Huxley

Children Name: Matthew Huxley

Education of Aldous Huxley

Aldous started his education in his father's well-equipped laboratory and later attended Hillside School and Eton College. His mother was his teacher after she passed away after that he faced challenges. During his formative years, his dream of becoming a doctor was dashed by the onset of Keratitis Punctata illness.

However, he later considered it a blessing in disguise. In 1913, he joined Oxford's Balliol College to pursue a degree in English literature. He completed his degree in 1916 and continued to edit Oxford Poetry, the campus journal, until then.

Early Life of Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley, the third child of writer and schoolteacher Leonard Huxley and his first wife, Julia Arnold, was born in Godalming, Surrey, England. He had two brothers and a half-brother.

His early education took place in his father's botanical laboratory. He later attended Hillside and Eton College. In 1908, he lost his mother.

In 1911, he fell ill with a terminal illness, which caused him to lose his sight for two to three years, which made him ineligible to serve in the First World War. After recovering from his blindness, he enrolled at Balliol College in Oxford to pursue his studies in English literature, and he graduated with first-class honors.

Career of Aldous Huxley

He spent a year teaching French at Eton College, where he could have been more effective, but his students appreciated his language skills.

During World War I, he briefly worked at the Air Ministry and performed farm labor at Garsington Manor, where he had meetings with notable figures like Clive Bell and Bertrand Russell.

During the 1920s, he worked at the Brunner and Mond chemical facility in Billingham, Teesside. His first book, "Crome Yellow," published in 1921, parodied the Garsington way of life.

In 1933, after his friend D.H. Lawrence died, he edited Lawrence's letters. He wrote a number of well-known books during this time, including "Brave New World" and "Eyeless in Gaza."

He moved to Hollywood in 1937. He spent a short time in Taos, New Mexico, writing "Ends and Means." The same year this book was published.

He first learned about the concept of "ahimsa" from his friend Gerald Heard. He actively participated in the Vedanta Society of Southern California, led by Swami Prabhavananda, from 1939 until 1963.

His writing of "The Perennial Philosophy," in which he explored the teachings of well-known mystics throughout the globe, was motivated by his acquaintance with the spiritual principles of "Vedanta."

His writings on psychedelic drugs, such as "The Doors of Perception" and "Heaven and Hell," are based on him. His writings on this drug gained popularity among hippies.

He continued to serve on the editorial board of The Vedanta Society of Southern California from 1951 until 1962. The CDs "Knowledge and Understanding" and "Who Are We" were released in 1955, including his lectures at the Hollywood and Santa Barbara Vedanta temples.

He declined the Macmillan government's 1959 offer of a Knight Bachelorship. He wrote "Island" and gave talks at the Esalen Institute on "Human Potentialities" the following year.

His writings on psychedelic drugs, such as "The Doors of Perception" and "Heaven and Hell," are based on him. His writings on this drug gained popularity among hippies.

He remained a member of The Vedanta Society of Southern California's editorial board from 1951 until 1962. His 1955 talks at the Hollywood and Santa Barbara Vedanta temples were recorded and made available on CDs under the titles "Knowledge and Understanding" and "Who Are We."

He declined a Knight Bachelorship offered by the Macmillan government in 1959. The following year, he wrote "Island" and delivered talks on "Human Potentialities" at the Esalen Institute.

Major Works of Aldous

In 1932, his book "Brave New World" was published. The novel, which the Modern Library has listed as one of the 100 greatest English-language novels of the 20th century, addresses topics including psychological manipulation and reproductive technology.

"Ends and Means," his novel, was released in 1937. The topics of war, religion, nationalism, and ethics are covered in this book. He openly expressed his opinion in it, criticizing people's ignorance of the pursuit of liberty, peace, and justice.

Prominent Works by Aldous Huxley

• 1962 Island (Novel)
• 1954 The Doors of Perception (Non-fiction)
• 1936 Eyeless in Gaza (Novel)
• 1932 Brave New World (Novel)
• 1928 Point Counter Point (Novel)
• 1923 Antic Hay (Novel)
• 1921 Crome Yellow (Novel)

Several Significant Aspects of Aldous Huxley's Life

1. In his late teens, he had nearly three years of blindness. For the remainder of his life, he was only partially blind in one eye.
2. The Oxford Dictionary lists him as the first user of the words Dadaist, bitchy, snooty, and nymphomaniacal.
3. He received several distinctions as a result of his works of literature, including the Companion of Literature, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize.
4. A number of TV series and movies have been made based on his works.
5. During his life, he had two marriages, the first of which had only one son.
6. On November 22, 1963, at the age of 69, he passed away.

Personal Life & Legacy of Aldous

In 1919, he wed Maria Nys, a Belgian. They had a son. After Maria passed away from breast cancer in 1955, he married writer Laura Archera the next year.

He received a laryngeal cancer diagnosis in 1960. He was 69 years old when he passed away. Unfortunately, President John F. Kennedy's assassination overshadowed the media's coverage of his passing.

Trivia

The famous author used the Bates Method to help his bad eyesight. He claims that for more than 25 years, this method allowed him to read without glasses. He even attempted to drive once his vision got so much better.

Death of Aldous Huxley

At the age of 69, Aldous Huxley succumbed to laryngeal cancer in Los Angeles, California, on November 22, 1963. His ashes were eventually buried in the Watts Cemetery in Compton, England, in the family grave.

Huxley's work-that is, "Brave New World" in particular-is still valued and studied today for its ideas on the perils of unchecked technological progress and the loss of particular flexibility. Over the years, Huxley's examination of Eastern perspectives, necromancy, and the use of hallucinogenic drugs in his later writings, such as "The Doors of Perception," has also influenced a number of artists and countercultural movements.

Aldous Huxley's innovative views on education and learning, ecology, and spirituality continue to be relevant today in addition to his literary accomplishments. Huxley is a towering figure in 20th-century literature and intellectual thinking, and his impact on his contemporaries and later generations is still evident today.

• Died On: November 22, 1963
• Died At Age: 69
• Cause Of Death: Laryngeal Cancer
• Ancestry: British American
• Place Of Death: Los Angeles County, California, United States

Conclusion

Aldous Leonard Huxley was a well-known writer, essayist, and screenwriter. He wrote his first novel at the age of 17, but it was never published. He lost his mother in 1908, and his grandfather was Thomas Henry Huxley, a naturalist, agnostic, and controversialist. He married Maria Nys in 1919 and Laura Archera Huxley in 1956. He had one son, Matthew Huxley. He died on November 22, 1963, at the age of 69, from laryngeal cancer in Los Angeles, California. His ashes were buried in the Watts Cemetery in Compton, England. He is known for his works such as "Brave New World," "The Doors of Perception," and "Eyeless in Gaza."