--- product_id: 10430653 title: "After Many a Summer Dies the Swan: A Novel" brand: "aldous huxley" price: "VT7791" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 10 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/10430653-after-many-a-summer-dies-the-swan-a-novel store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # After Many a Summer Dies the Swan: A Novel **Brand:** aldous huxley **Price:** VT7791 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** After Many a Summer Dies the Swan: A Novel by aldous huxley - **How much does it cost?** VT7791 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/10430653-after-many-a-summer-dies-the-swan-a-novel) ## Best For - aldous huxley enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted aldous huxley brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description After Many a Summer Dies the Swan: A Novel ## Images ![After Many a Summer Dies the Swan: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41m+VIDOdqL.jpg) ![After Many a Summer Dies the Swan: A Novel - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41OOC2Cm-AL.jpg) ![After Many a Summer Dies the Swan: A Novel - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41mZ0fZChdL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Short of epic, but well worth your time *by K***Y on Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2009* "After Many a Summer" is a rambling affair, more philosophical exercise than narrative, but beautifully written and rewarding for the reader who sticks with it past the first few chapters.The book, a rumination on greed and a statement against the suppurating wound that is Hollywood, concerns a moronic, self-loathing mogul hidden away in his Xanadu-like castle who nevertheless fears death and wants to live forever. With the help of his sex-crazed doctor, hilarity ensues involving carps that have been around since Napoleon was in his diapers, and a member of British nobility and his housekeeper who have devolved into ape-men -- all interspersed with a nearly nihilistic discourse between the mogul's sagacious neighbor and a naive research assistant: ("Pleasure cannot be shared; like Pain, it can only be experienced or inflicted, and when we give Pleasure to our Lovers or bestow Charity upon the Needy, we do so, not to gratify the object of our Benevolence, but only ourselves" or "In relation to Pain, that empty word, Infinity, comes near to having a meaning. This is not the case with Pleasure; for Pleasure is strictly finite and any attempt to extend its boundaries results in its transformation into Pain.")Huxley has turned in a great satire on the American Dream that is no less relevant or biting 70 years after it was first published. It's like "The Picture of Dorian Gray" without the beauty, or "Citizen Kane" without the grandstanding.If it were just for the ideas alone, "After Many a Summer" might not be enough to turn the pages, but Huxley's flair for weaving the tiniest details into startling prose are as evident here as in the more accessible "Brave New World." For example, this description of the naive research assistant in the midst of a sea change, after taking off his glasses in preparation for sleep: "Deprived of their six and a half diopters of correction, his eyes were instantly reduced to a state of physiological despair. Curved crystal had become their element; unspectacled, they were like a pair of jellied sea creatures, suddenly taken out of water. Then the light went out; and it was as though the poor things had been mercifully dropped for safe keeping, into an aquarium." ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Doors of Perception Open a Little More *by C***U on Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2015* This well told tale contains, in the voice of one of its characters, a philosophy that explains why human history is NOT also human progress and presents one of the ways this could change if only humans could change. If you have a strong religious philosophy, it would be a good idea to run Huxley's thinking by your own beliefs to see where you differ. If you have no particular philosophy that is paramount in your life, this may be a good book to see if you would consider having one. And for everyone there is an interesting novel with characters seemingly based on William Randolph Hearst and his paramour Marion Davies. While the comparison is not precise and the actions that the characters take are not, as far as I know, any actions that ever were taken by the two real persons above, the mental examination of that sort of wealthy life is very interesting. There are dark ironies that readers in the last three decades might well think are reminiscent of John Irving. You may find yourself laughing somewhat self-consciously at times because some of the things you are laughing at are disturbing. Once the philosophy was presented, I was expecting more towards the end of the book, but alas was left with just the concluding incidents of the story. You will nit your eyebrows thinking about this one long after the story ends. And it has a haunting way of making you look at and interpret events around you in light of his character's arguments. No other recent novel has done that for me. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Classic philosophical Huxley *by SS***Ô on Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2018* First if you haven't read Brave New World or Island, read those first.This is an interesting book. It's got lots of deep philosophy about what good humans are capable of, and why they're repeat past mistakes. In fact, it seems as the story takes a back seat to the philosophy. If you want a very entertaining story look elsewhere as this book is as much Immanuel Kant as it is an entertaining novel. The story that weaves through the philosophy is nonetheless captivating however.That said this has some of Huxley's deepest most poignant bits of philosophy. And the premise: the search for immortality at all costs is brilliantly discussed. The ending is quite hilarious as well. He also has some interesting ideas on gut health while not exactly correct are surprisingly knowledgeable for a man without formal scientific training. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/10430653-after-many-a-summer-dies-the-swan-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/10430653-after-many-a-summer-dies-the-swan-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-05-16*