After the Fireworks

"After the Fireworks is a major work and a turning point for Huxley, leading directly to Brave New World." --Gary Giddins. In the title novella, set in Rome, a renowned novelist sets out on a walk down Via Condotti toward the Spanish Steps when he encounters a mysterious and beautiful young American admirer of his work. He discovers she shares a name, in addition to conspicuous personality traits, with a character from his most celebrated book. Both are irresistibly drawn into a dangerous affair set against the backdrop of the Italian capital. "Uncle Spencer" is the story of an aging World War I veteran's quest for his lost love he met in a prison during the war, and "Two or Three Graces" is the tale of a passionate and destructive writer's abusive relationship with an impressionable, bourgeois housewife. This extraordinary story collection reveals Huxley at the height of his literary powers.