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Modern Classics a Little Order Selected Journalism
Whether celebrating Hogarth or savaging Hollywood, mocking modern manners or defending traditional English architecture, inviting readers to 'come inside' the Catholic Church or expressing his contempt for modish Marxism and American-style religion, Evelyn Waugh's journalism is sparkling, sometimes vitriolic and always full of good sense. In this wonderful selection he explores his Oxford youth, his unexpected conversion, his literary enthusiasms (from P. G. Wodehouse to Graham Greene) and the perils of basing fictional characters on real people. Decades after their publication, these pieces still retain their capacity to delight, to surprise and to shock.
- GenresEssays
208 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 1980
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63 people want to read
About the author
Evelyn Waugh
339 books2,939 followersEvelyn Waugh's father Arthur was a noted editor and publisher. His only sibling Alec also became a writer of note. In fact, his book “The Loom of Youth” (1917) a novel about his old boarding school Sherborne caused Evelyn to be expelled from there and placed at Lancing College. He said of his time there, “…the whole of English education when I was brought up was to produce prose writers; it was all we were taught, really.” He went on to Hertford College, Oxford, where he read History. When asked if he took up any sports there he quipped, “I drank for Hertford.”
In 1924 Waugh left Oxford without taking his degree. After inglorious stints as a school teacher (he was dismissed for trying to seduce a school matron and/or inebriation), an apprentice cabinet maker and journalist, he wrote and had published his first novel, “Decline and Fall” in 1928.
In 1928 he married Evelyn Gardiner. She proved unfaithful, and the marriage ended in divorce in 1930. Waugh would derive parts of “A Handful of Dust” from this unhappy time. His second marriage to Audrey Herbert lasted the rest of his life and begat seven children. It was during this time that he converted to Catholicism.
During the thirties Waugh produced one gem after another. From this decade come: “Vile Bodies” (1930), “Black Mischief” (1932), the incomparable “A Handful of Dust” (1934) and “Scoop” (1938). After the Second World War he published what is for many his masterpiece, “Brideshead Revisited,” in which his Catholicism took centre stage. “The Loved One” a scathing satire of the American death industry followed in 1947. After publishing his “Sword of Honour Trilogy” about his experiences in World War II - “Men at Arms” (1952), “Officers and Gentlemen” (1955), “Unconditional Surrender" (1961) - his career was seen to be on the wane. In fact, “Basil Seal Rides Again” (1963) - his last published novel - received little critical or commercial attention.
Evelyn Waugh, considered by many to be the greatest satirical novelist of his day, died on 10 April 1966 at the age of 62.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelyn_W...
In 1924 Waugh left Oxford without taking his degree. After inglorious stints as a school teacher (he was dismissed for trying to seduce a school matron and/or inebriation), an apprentice cabinet maker and journalist, he wrote and had published his first novel, “Decline and Fall” in 1928.
In 1928 he married Evelyn Gardiner. She proved unfaithful, and the marriage ended in divorce in 1930. Waugh would derive parts of “A Handful of Dust” from this unhappy time. His second marriage to Audrey Herbert lasted the rest of his life and begat seven children. It was during this time that he converted to Catholicism.
During the thirties Waugh produced one gem after another. From this decade come: “Vile Bodies” (1930), “Black Mischief” (1932), the incomparable “A Handful of Dust” (1934) and “Scoop” (1938). After the Second World War he published what is for many his masterpiece, “Brideshead Revisited,” in which his Catholicism took centre stage. “The Loved One” a scathing satire of the American death industry followed in 1947. After publishing his “Sword of Honour Trilogy” about his experiences in World War II - “Men at Arms” (1952), “Officers and Gentlemen” (1955), “Unconditional Surrender" (1961) - his career was seen to be on the wane. In fact, “Basil Seal Rides Again” (1963) - his last published novel - received little critical or commercial attention.
Evelyn Waugh, considered by many to be the greatest satirical novelist of his day, died on 10 April 1966 at the age of 62.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelyn_W...
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 26, 2023
A captivation collection of adamant and powerful occasional nonfiction prose. Sections include Youth, Art & Aesthetics, Reviews, and defense oof Catholicism. His appreciation of fellow writers like Saki, Firbank, Wodehouse, and Cyril Connolly are alone worth the price.
May 7, 2024
Curation of Waugh’s journalism. Almost never boring; often humorous; occasionally moving, profound, etc. I particularly enjoyed the last few articles, about St. Helena Empress and Edith Stein.
May 24, 2023
On page 97, just over half-way through. Great. As expected. Interesting insight into Waugh's likes and dislikes, especially books, art, furniture.
Strong, strong hints at how he felt about pervasive Marxism and its inevitable results - echoes of Orwell, and nods to how certain institutions were already failing us - politicians, the BBC, newspapers.
If only I had read this years ago, I could have seen through the BS before I did. He even mentions peoples' lack of critical thinking skills! He would have loved the current wave of status quo criticism!
Strong, strong hints at how he felt about pervasive Marxism and its inevitable results - echoes of Orwell, and nods to how certain institutions were already failing us - politicians, the BBC, newspapers.
If only I had read this years ago, I could have seen through the BS before I did. He even mentions peoples' lack of critical thinking skills! He would have loved the current wave of status quo criticism!
May 3, 2017
Peter Kay once said the problem with Bullseye was that it managed to be shit and good at the same time. Evelyn Waugh was an almost complete tosspot and a great writer at the same time.
Waugh's refusal to let reality intrude, even for a second, worked wonders for his style: he always reads fresh, is never dull or wordy, and has a superb control of his instrument. His reviews impress also - I have never read a better appreciation of Henry Green's great novel Living than Waugh's here.
Waugh's refusal to let reality intrude, even for a second, worked wonders for his style: he always reads fresh, is never dull or wordy, and has a superb control of his instrument. His reviews impress also - I have never read a better appreciation of Henry Green's great novel Living than Waugh's here.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews