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A review by simonmartin
The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley
3.0
this is regarded as a classic, but i'm not too sure how well it holds up to modern scrutiny. i found the prose challenging and quite poor at points, none more so than in huxley's tedious digressions into art interpretation. to paraphrase the old saying, writing about art is like dancing about architecture, and huxley by his own admission is not particularly adept at using language to craft a detailed image in his reader's head, which poses significant problems if you are trying to describe, say, a painting.
the rest of this - that is, the stream-of-consciousness, mostly chronological reporting of a mescalin trip - is mesmerising and overwhelming in its discussion of different ideas, concepts and potential applications of psychedelics. the last few pages are particularly enlightening and begin to approach a call to arms of sorts; the prose mirrors the effects of the mescalin, becoming more urgent and focused as huxley engages with the politicisation of substance use, the role of intoxication in human society, and religion. the comparisions made between the use of psychedelics and religious practice are bold, and i'm fascinated (if not always convinced) by philosophical approaches such as huxley's to schizophrenia. a valuable, if not always engrossing read.
the rest of this - that is, the stream-of-consciousness, mostly chronological reporting of a mescalin trip - is mesmerising and overwhelming in its discussion of different ideas, concepts and potential applications of psychedelics. the last few pages are particularly enlightening and begin to approach a call to arms of sorts; the prose mirrors the effects of the mescalin, becoming more urgent and focused as huxley engages with the politicisation of substance use, the role of intoxication in human society, and religion. the comparisions made between the use of psychedelics and religious practice are bold, and i'm fascinated (if not always convinced) by philosophical approaches such as huxley's to schizophrenia. a valuable, if not always engrossing read.