Antic Hay
(1923) by Aldous Huxley is a satirical novel set in post-World War I London, portraying a generation disillusioned by the war and seeking meaning through pleasure, art, and intellectual play. The story follows Theodore Gumbril Jr., a frustrated schoolteacher and would-be inventor, who creates "Gumbril's Patent Small-Clothes," trousers with inflatable cushions to ease sitting. As he drifts through London's bohemian and artistic circles, Gumbril encounters eccentric characters-writers, artists, and socialites-who embody the aimlessness, cynicism, and restless energy of the "lost generation."
The novel critiques the emptiness of modern urban life, the collapse of traditional values, and the futile search for happiness in fleeting indulgences. Through sharp wit and biting satire, Huxley paints a picture of a society caught between disillusionment and desperate hedonism.