Member: chmod007

Books970 books cataloged

Favorite authorsIsaac Asimov, Aldous Huxley, Henri Michaux, George Orwell (Shared favorites)

Favorite bookstoresAardvark Books, Antiquaria bok- och bildantikvariat, Black Oak Books - Berkeley, Builder's Booksource, Green Apple Books, John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller, Logos Books & Records, Serendipity Books

Also onAIM, eBay, ICQ, Last.fm, Skype, Twitter

Membership LibraryThing Early Reviewers/Member Giveaway

LocationSan Jose, CA

Account typeprivate, lifetime

Member sinceApr 26, 2009

I have started to collect Huxley. I grew up in Los Angeles and am familiar with sites mentioned in "After Many a Summer Dies the Swan". My excuse for owning 3 copies. I also get some of the ironic humor that requires a bit of knowledge of places like Forest Lawn Cemetery. It is difficult to find copies with dust jackets at all. Those that have them are usually very damaged. The copies that I have of "Doors of Perception" appear to have been used as a guide book to mescaline trips. My college had a Swan Hall (Occidental College, Los Angeles). I was told that Huxley's title was a play on words which concerned the donor of the building as well as bird that lives to be 100 years old.
I also collect Lafcadio Hearn. He died around 1905 -- before Mt. Pelee in Martinique destroyed the City of St. Pierre. His book "Two Years in the French West Indies" is fascinating and is thorough description of the City and the people that were completely destroyed within a few years. Both Huxley and Hearn had eyesight problems and yet turned out some beautiful prose dealing with colors and images.

posted by tobagotim at 8:52 pm (EST) on Sep 4, 2010

Member: chmod007

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