Point Counter Point

Huxley's lifelong obsession with the dichotomy between passion and reason finds its fullest expression both thematically and formally in his masterpiece Point Counter Point. By presenting a vision of life in which diverse aspects of experience are observed simultaneously, Huxley characterizes the symptoms of the disease of the modern man in a manner that is both critical of and sympathetic toward his characters—themes and characters are repeated, altered slightly, and played off one another in a tone that is at once witty and critical. First published in 1928, Huxley's satirical view of intellectual life in the 20s is populated with characters based on such celebrities as D. H. Lawrence, Katherine Mansfield, Nancy Cunard, and John Middleton Murry.