Crome yellow
“Crome Yellow” by Aldous Huxley; 1922 A young English poet, Denis Stone, is spending some time at Crome, an English estate and mansion of the Wimbush family. He is in love with Anne Wimbush, the niece of Henry Wimbush. The other guests include a few other writers, an artist, and it is in essence a small gathering of people who are also close friends. Denis has just started to write a novel. But he is going through a period of questioning himself as a writer. He is also unhappy that Anne does not love him. One particular evening he is feeling particularly miserable: “..........................Why had he climbed up to this high, desolate place? Was it to look at the moon? Was it to commit suicide? As yet he hardly knew. Death—the tears came into his eyes when he thought of it. His misery assumed a certain solemnity; he was lifted up on the wings of a kind of exaltation. It was a mood in which he might have done almost anything, however foolish..." Denis's train of thoughts is interrupted by Mary, another guest. He confides in her and she suggests that perhaps he should return to London, on the excuse of urgent business. But the next day, as prepares to leave Crome, has anything been resolved? The story ends on this note: “…..............Obediently Denis left the room. Never again, he said to himself, never again would he do anything decisive. Camlet, West Bowlby, Knipswich for Timpany, Spavin Delawarr; and then all the other stations; and then, finally, London.
Stats for nerds
1recommend
9mentions
5people
2011–2023years
11% recommend89% neutral
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- As a person who read and enjoyed Crome Yellow and Antic Hay, I'm glad Huxley didn't care what his friends thought of it
- A casual check says the quoted text is from Huxley's Crome Yellow (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1999/1999-h/1999-h.htm) and that the speaker is a character known only as Mr. Scogan, which some suggest is an analogue of Bertrand Russell.
- Huxley's second novel. His first, highly autobiographical, was published two years prior -- Crome Yellow. Discussed on HN a few days ago:
- > I don’t doubt your good intentions
I'm not sure this benefit of the doubt is merited. A lot of people participate in these shenanigans either performatively or because it gives them license to attack and feel good about it. Anecdotally, I've encountered far more people for whom the motivation is one of these two than I have for whom it's pure good intentions. Those few with genuine good intentions are usually also engaging in other good acts that actually matter and for which they don't get social credit for.
“The surest way to work up a crusade in favor of some good cause is to promise people they will have a chance of maltreating someone. To be able to destroy with good conscience, to be able to behave badly and call your bad behavior 'righteous indignation' — this is the height of psychological luxury, the most delicious of moral treats.”
― Aldous Huxley, Crome Yellow
- “The surest way to work up a crusade in favor of some good cause is to promise people they will have a chance of maltreating someone. To be able to destroy with good conscience, to be able to behave badly and call your bad behavior 'righteous indignation' — this is the height of psychological luxury, the most delicious of moral treats.”
― Aldous Huxley, Crome Yellow
- “The surest way to work up a crusade in favor of some good cause is to promise people they will have a chance of maltreating someone. To be able to destroy with good conscience, to be able to behave badly and call your bad behavior 'righteous indignation' — this is the height of psychological luxury, the most delicious of moral treats.” – Aldous Huxley, Crome Yellow
