Waugh tells the story of the Marchmain family. Aristocratic, beautiful and charming, the Marchmains are indeed a symbol of England and her decline in this novel of the upper class of the 1920s and the abdication of responsibility in the 1930s.
Read More
Waugh tells the story of the Marchmain family. Aristocratic, beautiful and charming, the Marchmains are indeed a symbol of England and her decline in this novel of the upper class of the 1920s and the abdication of responsibility in the 1930s.
Read Less
Absorbing plot and so evocative of its age. Much better than the overblown screen versions. Though these are beautifully acted, directed and shot they lose the humorous elements that form a part of the novel. Waugh is a master of brevity in style and this is lost in the adaptations.
katheliz1938
Oct 23, 2008
Wonderful book
This is well-known to be an excellent novel - nothing I can say will add to its fame.
venti1
Sep 25, 2008
Brideshead Worth Revisiting
After many years, I enjoyed rereading Waugh's classic novel. With the added hindsight of having viewed the Masterpiece Theatre production, I appreciated Waugh's stinging indictment of, and appreciation for, this view of early 20th Century Britain. Clearly, while the video captured every nuance of the disfunctional Flyte family and Charles Ryder's fascination with them, rereading the book allows for a thorough saturation in the language and a renewed appreciation of the narrative structure. I also learned something that I forget from time to time: if it looks too good to be true, it is: the book I purchased was a first edition;first printing of a reprint series -- not the original as I had thought. Live and learn.
ghmus7
Nov 20, 2007
One of the Finest english Novels
A great novel that captures so many currents of English life during the early 20th century. The charachters are so believable, that when the PBS series aired, many viewers exlaimed: "That not what Sebastian looks like!" The depiction of privleged English life at Oxbridge, the statley houses, the parties and denial of the upper-crust world coming into war is sort of a camoflage over the underlying theme of the book, the importance of faith and the state of one's soul. That, as glorious or squalid as life can be, it does not last and each person ought consider his soul in light of eternity. There is a marvelous atmosphere and feeling to the book, a sense of regretfulness that "This was once what was so great about English life...but will never be again". Waugh is essentially writing as a exile in place - As a Catholic, he was a disciple of a religion that England has never been comfortable with, to say the least. Considered a literary masterpiece, it is undoubtably Waugh's best book, and certainly his most insightful. Quite funny at times, it encommpasses so much of life in it's economical length. A truly great book that you will read several times.
WhisperingWind
Oct 25, 2007
Destined to be a classic.
I've read it more than a half-dozen times. It is filled with incredible insight into the human condtion and is more enjoyable each reading.
