Finished ALL of Waugh's novels (6 total in April) Taking ?s (CharlesXII)
| Lascivious orchid plaza indirect expression | 04/13/18 | | Brindle spectacular indian lodge tank | 04/13/18 | | Irate Hell | 04/13/18 | | Lascivious orchid plaza indirect expression | 04/13/18 | | ruby trailer park striped hyena | 04/13/18 | | Lascivious orchid plaza indirect expression | 04/13/18 | | talented salmon candlestick maker | 04/13/18 | | Lascivious orchid plaza indirect expression | 04/13/18 | | glassy deer antler | 04/13/18 | | costumed learning disabled temple | 04/13/18 | | glassy deer antler | 04/13/18 | | Lascivious orchid plaza indirect expression | 04/13/18 | | charismatic white area | 04/14/18 | | Lascivious orchid plaza indirect expression | 04/14/18 | | Useless Piazza Affirmative Action | 04/13/18 | | Lascivious orchid plaza indirect expression | 04/13/18 | | Useless Piazza Affirmative Action | 04/13/18 | | Lascivious orchid plaza indirect expression | 04/13/18 | | Useless Piazza Affirmative Action | 04/13/18 | | Spruce exciting bbw dilemma | 04/13/18 | | Lascivious orchid plaza indirect expression | 04/13/18 | | lake tripping doctorate factory reset button | 04/14/18 | | Lascivious orchid plaza indirect expression | 04/14/18 | | nofapping antidepressant drug | 04/14/18 | | Lascivious orchid plaza indirect expression | 04/14/18 | | nofapping antidepressant drug | 04/14/18 | | talented salmon candlestick maker | 11/03/19 | | Arousing Black Mental Disorder | 04/14/18 | | Bateful Violet Philosopher-king Principal's Office | 04/14/18 | | Lascivious orchid plaza indirect expression | 04/14/18 | | Vibrant Shrine | 04/14/18 | | glassy deer antler | 04/25/18 |
Poast new message in this thread
Date: April 13th, 2018 11:51 AM Author: Lascivious orchid plaza indirect expression
Just polished off the last of Unconditional Surrender a few minutes ago. Sword of Honor was rather uneven and it often felt like Waugh was just cobbling together a bunch of scenes rather than a fully cohesive story. Sometimes it was an absurd farce, sometimes a biting satire, sometimes a thoughtful pseudo-memoir, and sometimes a reflection of the decline of an elite Catholic family and the old English elite more generally. Still, none of those facets were bad, and in the end I quite liked the trilogy.
Also, although I didn't make threads about them, I finished The Loved One and Gilbert Pinfold last week. The Loved One was massively 180. Pinfold was interesting, not so much for the mental illness stuff that filled the book, but more for how Waugh used it to frankly discuss his own curmudgeonly personality (and his brothel-going habits as a 20-something)
I still have a big collection of his short fiction to read, which I'm thinking of doing alongside a bunch of short-story collections by other authors in the next few months. I'm at 30 books for the year so I'm on pace to hit 100, I hope.
Final ranking of Waugh novels:
1. Vile Bodies
2. The Loved One
3. A Handful of Dust
4. Decline and Fall
5. Sword of Honor (Officers and Gentlemen > Men at Arms > Unconditional Surrender)
6. Brideshead Revisited
7. Scoop
8. Black Mischief
9. Helena
10. Put Out More Flags
11. The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3948226&forum_id=2#35832650) |
Date: April 13th, 2018 12:01 PM Author: ruby trailer park striped hyena
Have you read Ford Madox Ford’s Parades End? Very similar in theme to Sword of Honour. Seems like it must have been an inspiration.
The Loved One is too brutal for me.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3948226&forum_id=2#35832722) |
Date: April 13th, 2018 12:05 PM Author: talented salmon candlestick maker
Very good list. I applaud you for having read all of his stuff. I have not. The ordeal is on my short list. I am slowly working through his diaries a few pages at a time before I go to sleep. Very entertaining and you can see parallels with stories that appear in the novels. At times he lifts entire vignettes from what happened "IRL" in the diaries and you can recognize the parallel in the novels.
I like Brideshead much more. I "liked" the Sword of Honor trilogy but very much agree that it was cobbled together and had a lot of disparate stories and scenes that didn't always fit well. Also way too many minor characters to keep track of. Very good cynical reflections on military life that ring true which is part of the humor. I liked some of the parts of the Sword triogy though. I liked uncle Gervase and Ben Ritchie Hook. Also Jumbo trotter. The time when they were on the northern Scottish island for training was entertaining. Apparently there is a movie or tv series about Sword that has daniel craig in it. Not sure where to find it. The 1982 Brideshead production is a truly great production.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3948226&forum_id=2#35832761) |
Date: April 14th, 2018 2:56 AM Author: lake tripping doctorate factory reset button
Why the low Brideshead ranking?
I'd go:
1. Brideshead Revisited
2. Handful of Dust
3. Vile Bodies
4. Scoop
5. Decline and Fall
6. The Loved One
7. The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold
8. Black Mischief
Haven't read Helena, Put Out More Flags, or Sword of Honor trilogy yet.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3948226&forum_id=2#35838230) |
|
Date: April 14th, 2018 4:41 PM Author: Lascivious orchid plaza indirect expression
Calling it a "low" ranking feels off, as rankings 1-8 were all excellent novels. I just didn't like it as much as the others. My issues, I'd say:
-The religious element is only decently executed.
-Charles is a middling narrator at best, and it's not clear why he and Sebastian are such great friends in the first place.
-I really really enjoy Waugh's dark comedy and there isn't much of it in Brideshead. All the books above it are hilarious.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3948226&forum_id=2#35840738) |
Date: April 14th, 2018 3:05 AM Author: nofapping antidepressant drug
have you watched the brideshead revisited miniseries from 1981? you might enjoy it. sebastian's decline is well-acted and emphasizes the tragedy of the IRON CHAINS of his <><><>alcoholism<><><>.
oh, nevermind, i saw your other reply. but yes, it's a good show.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3948226&forum_id=2#35838237) |
|
|