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Evelyn Waugh Series: a Handful of Dust

(uk) Evelyn Waugh

151K0

The title of the novel is taken from Eliot's "The Waste Land". The protagonist Tony Rust and his wife Brenda live together in an old Gothic building called "Hutton Manor", leading a quiet, comfortable, almost secluded country life. When Tony went to London on business, he accidentally met John Beaver, who could only be regarded as an acquaintance. Out of courtesy, Tony invited him to his home. John Beaver was a playboy who had nothing to do all day long and soon came to visit the manor. Beaver's visit ended the originally peaceful world of Tony and his wife. He talked to Brenda about all the lively scenes and anecdotes in London's social world. Tired of the boring country life, Brenda couldn't resist the temptation, so she rented a house in London in the name of study, returned to the long-lost social world, and gradually fell in love with John Beaver. The unexpected death of Tony and Brenda's only son, Andrew, led to the eventual breakdown of their marriage. In order to relieve his depression, Tony went to the Amazon forest with an explorer to find a buried ancient city. Unfortunately, he became a prisoner of the local indigenous people and was stranded in a distant land forever.

Decline

Decline

General Fiction

(uk) Evelyn Waugh

119K0

"Decline and Fall" is a novel by Evelyn Waugh, which made him get rid of the misnomer of "Miss Evelyn Waugh" and became a household name in the UK. Paul, a seminary student, was expelled from school for "indecent" behavior and was forced to work as a teacher at the public school Helanleba Castle. At a school sports meeting, Paul met Mrs. Bicester-Chitting, a beautiful, wealthy and widowed student parent, and soon fell in love and became engaged to her. However, he was imprisoned on suspicion of trafficking in white slaves. Just when we thought Paul was going to spend his whole life in prison, something unexpected happened and Paul turned out to be his distant cousin. More than any other novel of its time, "Decline and Fall" embodies the return of the comic-like novel form in 1920s literature, providing the most ideal way to deal with the collapse of values ​​and disorder in the postwar world. What we see in it is the victory of barbarism and the superficiality, hypocrisy and decline of order.

Hometown after the Storm

(uk) Evelyn Waugh

227K0

When Officer Ryder saw the manor, all the memories came back. He's been here, he knows everything here. Young Charles Ryder met Sebastian, the handsome son of a marquis, at Oxford University, and entered Brideshead Manor through Sebastian's introduction. Since then, the manor has left an indelible mark on Charles' life. He developed an unspeakable relationship with a brother and sister, and witnessed the disintegration of a family. Sebastian's father abandoned his family and lover and settled abroad; his religious mother became increasingly crazy and put heavy shackles on her children in the name of love. Young Sebastian longed to break away from the prison of his family but was unable to do so. He drank all day long and eventually left his hometown and lived in poverty for the rest of his life. The young and beautiful eldest daughter Julia also gave up her love and happiness early because she could not get rid of the shackles of faith.

Decline and Disintegration

(uk) Evelyn Waugh

112K0

"Decline and Fall" is Waugh's first full-length and famous work. Through a series of absurd encounters of an Oxford University student, it transcendently presents a series of unfair, immoral and audacious events, and offers sharp, profound, yet witty and humorous criticism of the pervasive decadence in society.

Revisit Old Places

Revisit Old Places

General Fiction

(uk) Evelyn Waugh

221K03

When World War II broke out, Charles's army was stationed in a vast snowfield. When the snow melted, he discovered that this was the place where the story took place more than 20 years ago - Brideshead Manor. It was a day in June when Charles followed Sebastian, an aristocratic boy he met in Oxford, to Brideshead Manor for the first time and walked into this Catholic family. His mother, Lady Marchmain, was in charge of the manor, while his father, Lord Marchmain, left his family and his mistress behind to live in Venice after the First World War. The father's deviant behavior brought shame to the entire family, and the children grew up in a distorted environment. Sebastian became addicted to alcohol, broke up with his family, and even disappeared from home like his father. Sister Julia married a snobbish politician despite her mother's objections, and her marriage was unfortunate. When Mrs. Marchmain was critically ill, she begged Charles to find her runaway son. However, Charles, who was already married, met Julia and fell in love... When Charles stepped into Brideshead Manor again, the former magnificence no longer existed, and the pastoral life was gone, leaving only infinite memories.

Evelyn Waugh Collection: Scoop

(uk) Evelyn Waugh

123K0

The book was inspired by Evelyn Waugh's experience as a war correspondent in Albania. The male protagonist of the novel, William Butt, is a columnist for "The Daily Beast". He lives in seclusion in the countryside far away from London, and lives a peaceful life without fighting against the world. Lord Copper, the owner of the newspaper, mistook William Butt for John Butt, a popular novelist who was eager to escape life in London. William was sent to the fictional East African country of Ishmaelia by mistake, as a war correspondent to report on the raging civil war there. Although William Butt knew nothing about journalism, he was lucky enough to always get blessings in disguise. His simple personality and wise and foolish way of doing things allowed him to deal with fellow reporters, first love girlfriend, consulates of various countries, President Ishmaelia, the Information Bureau, local celebrities and other forces with ease, and skillfully obtained "exclusive news" at the first time. William, who finally completed the mission successfully, transferred all the credit to his uncle Theodore and returned to his pastoral life.

Beloved

Beloved

General Fiction

(uk) Evelyn Waugh

62K0

The death of a friend introduces Dennis Barlow - Englishman, poet, pet mortician - to a world he has longed for: Whispering Woods Cemetery. Behind the golden cemetery gate is a Hollywood-style man-made paradise. American death is sold here like a vacation package. It was here that Dennis met his "great love": Amy, the funeral beautician who whispered in the forest, an American girl with an empty mind and poor knowledge, but spiritually yearning for beauty and poetry. The cunning British man cleverly exploited both weaknesses at the same time, preparing to capture the innocent American girl in one fell swoop. At the same time, an American man - the chief embalmer of Whispering in the Woods - is also expressing his love for Amy in his very unique (or weird) way, and is ready to take action. But the ending is beyond everyone's expectation... Comedy and tragedy, banter and heaviness, idealism and nihility are perfectly combined in this work, which can be called the ultimate in black humor. However, whether it is laughter or tears, they are two sides of the same world - a world of consumerism that reduces art and ideas to commodities. In this system where everything is clearly priced, reputation, love and death are extremely expensive.