This semi-autobiographical work tells the story of Gordon Caruthers' schooldays at the English public school, Fenhurst. From his confusion and isolation, through rebellious school escapades and relationships with fellow students, Alec Waugh reveals his own deep criticism of a system forcing pupils to conform to flawed ideals, and the inevitable consequences of thrusting thirteen year old children and eighteen year old adolescents together. The book caused a storm of controversy at the time and was banned in many schools. ...
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This semi-autobiographical work tells the story of Gordon Caruthers' schooldays at the English public school, Fenhurst. From his confusion and isolation, through rebellious school escapades and relationships with fellow students, Alec Waugh reveals his own deep criticism of a system forcing pupils to conform to flawed ideals, and the inevitable consequences of thrusting thirteen year old children and eighteen year old adolescents together. The book caused a storm of controversy at the time and was banned in many schools. Today it can be rightly seen as a controversial comment on public school life, and a classic.
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Seller's Description:
New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 276 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Trade paperback (UK). In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
This once-famous novel was written by a teen-aged officer in the British Army as he trained to go off into the insatiable meat grinder of World War I about his experiences at a public school in England when he was even younger. The book is a window into an existence which is a world apart from contemporary academic experiences for many modern readers. A lot of it is in completely incomprehensible language about football (soccer, but not soccer) and cricket and intramural and inter-school competitions. Athletics seem to have been central. Academics seem to have been faked except by a few such as the author. The novel is his coming of age tale as he realizes that literature has meaning for him after all and that at least some teachers are not just adversaries.
marcinski
Mar 6, 2008
Good old book about good old boys
This is a semi-autobiographical novel written almost 90 years ago. You are unlikely to find it at your local bookstore. It deals with life in a British Public (actually private and exclusive) School just before and during The Great War. The topic is a bit outdated, and the scandal it engendered in 1920 because of its homoerotic content is ho-hum boring by contemporary standards. The author was stricken from the old boys list at his actual public school, but seems not to have minded. In any event, he has been dead for several decades. Alec was Evelyn Waugh's brother, part of that remarkable family of writers. If you have a taste for obscure period pieces, especially with some significance as social history, you may enjoy this book, if you can find a copy. It's not exactly summer beach reading, but like all books written a century or so ago some of the linguistic usages and conventions of punctuation are interesting. The period attitudes which inform the text are occasionally fascinating, though comments regarding contemporary issues can be puzzling, and great fun to contemplate.
Alec went on to write a series of books, set in that sophisticated Art Decoish interwar period, some good, some not. He eventually became more involved with the Caribbean and South Pacific, and wrote "Island in the Sun", his most famous book, which was made into a hit film. This was about 50 years ago, so don't bother checking the schedule at your local multiplex.
