Semi-autobiographical, Huxley‘s novel hops around philosopher Anthony Beavis‘ life in non-chronological vignettes to explore the evolution of his meaning of life through a mother deceased, boarding school, a betrayed friendship and tragedy, two loveless affairs with a mother and later her daughter and an ill fated expedition to Mexico. It‘s a sort of ode to Proust where details of Beavis‘ memories come together to argue that life isn‘t pointless.