Everybody strains after happiness, and the result is that nobody's happy. In music, counterpoint is the art of writing melodies that play in conjunction with one another, according to a strict set of rules, in order to emphasize the melody by contrast. In debate, point/counterpoint is a means of persuasion in which the speaker begins by conceding to their opponent's argument before refuting it wholeheartedly. Aldous Huxley follows these traditions in his masterpiece Point Counter Point. The polarity between passion and reason in the intellectual life of the 1920s is demonstrated both in form and in theme in Huxley's ambitious satire: This complex novel darts around points of view to portray the convoluted nature of perception versus reality, and it boasts a large cast of characters that come together, almost as an orchestra, performing separate melodies that come together in one great symphony. Not only do these characters serve such a musical purpose in the plot, but they also represent real life writers who were popular at the time, such as D. H. Lawrence, Katherine Mansfield, John Middleton Murry, and even Huxley himself (in the form of Phillip Quarles, the "novelist" within the novel).
Published in 1928, this accomplished novel of ideas is given a splendid narration by Golden Voice Stefan Rudnicki. His exceptionally clear enunciation and steady pace help listeners take in what is arguably Huxley's most complex work. Peopled with a huge coterie of musicians, writers, artists, military officers, and members of the British aristocracy--many of whom are based on real-life individual
