An outstanding piece of literature - as a piece of fiction per se; as something that could help us understand (to some little extent, at least) the emotional and thought processes that drive geniuses.

This story, which I first read when I was about 14 years old was, along with E.T. Bell's "Men of Mathematics", what 'turned me on' to math in a big way. Though math is what I'd consider a 'main theme' in the story, there is not a great deal of *mathematics* within it except for a brief discussion of Pythagoras' Theorem. Anyone can read it and understand it, without math.

I liked this short story from the moment I read it. One of the things that Huxley made clear is the profound relationship between music and mathematics.

Although I have for long been an admirer of Huxley, I only recently discovered (and appreciated) this story. It is worthwhile pointing out that its theme — the untimely death of a potential genius child — is very close to the one of a short story by Anatole France, untitled "Le manuscrit d'un médecin de village", and published in "L'etui de nacre" (1892). In his story, A. France has a country physician stumbling on a precocious and promising young boy born in a poor and uneducated peasant family. The child will die precociously of meningitis, and the doctor will later recognize his striking resemblance with a portrait of Ampere as a child. It remains to find whether Huxley knew France's work (which would not diminish the literary quality of his work).