7. 'Ape and Essence' by Aldous Huxley (1948)

7th book in and the first repeat author. From a first look it doesn't seem like there are too many authors that have managed to get two books into the list, and Burgess has chosen another of Burgess' lesser known novels. Though beyond Brave New World and The Doors of Perception (are there really still people intrigued by Jim Morrison in 2012?) it appears that Huxley's books have little lasting power in book stores. This required another epic search, and was only found on a day of specific search round bookshops in west London, and the amazing Slightly Foxed bookshop on Gloucester Road, which is so fantastically organised and deeply cared for with friendly staff, had a well-conditioned hardcover copy for £6.

Anyways, I liked the book already in that it was less than 150 pages. After Durrell and Mailer's epics, it was nice to balance this with something more direct.

The book's structure is also unique, in that after the first 20 pages providing a context for the fictional deceased screenwriter, it presents his rejected screenplay over the next 100 or so pages without notes or additional context. I loved it, except I would say that Huxley has a very loose concept of a screenplay, with next to no dialogue and long passages with descriptive prose. It's a fascinating screenplay though, and hopefully some eccentric millionaire will finance it or at least some porn parodist will once visualise the mutant orgy season that part of the book focuses on.

I couldn't help but think that people responsible for Planet of the Apes read through this in some way, seeing as it covers some of the same concepts.

Anyways, it was an interesting premise and a satisfying read.

Ranking Burgess' 99 January 2012:

1. Another Country

2. Ancient Evenings

3. After Many A Swan

4. The Alexandria Quartet

5. Ape and Essence

6. The Anti-Death League

7. The Aerodrome