Antic Hay

"Antic Hay" is a brilliant and biting satire of the intellectual and social life of post-World War I London. Set during the early 1920s, the novel follows Theodore Gumbril Junior, a disillusioned schoolmaster who decides to abandon his post to pursue a "complete man" life in the metropolis. His journey is marked by the invention of "Gumbril's Patent Small-Clothes"-trousers with an inflatable pneumatic seat designed to provide comfort to the sedentary classes-a move that serves as a comedic centerpiece for his encounters with the city's eccentric bohemian circles.

Through a series of loosely connected episodes, the work introduces a gallery of vivid characters, including narcissistic poets, cynical intellectuals, and scientific dreamers. These figures navigate a world stripped of traditional values, seeking meaning through art, science, and hedonism, often with absurd and nihilistic results. "Antic Hay" stands as a foundational text of modernist literature, capturing the profound sense of aimlessness and cultural exhaustion that characterized the "Lost Generation." With its sharp wit and profound philosophical undercurrents, the book remains a provocative critique of the search for purpose in a fractured modern society.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1025275209
• ISBN13: 9781025275208
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 1.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.2"