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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Un olvidado corresponsal de provincias especializado en artículos sobre las costumbres de la fauna es confundido con un aguerrido novelista y enviado por error a cubrir la inminente guerra civil entre fascistas y comunistas en Ishmaelia. Un sutil humor inglés que no me encontraba desde "tres hombres en una barca" preside esta gran sátira sobre la profesión periodística. Un clásico del autor de Retorno a Brideshead.
There’s nothing more upsetting than when you find an author you love, and then you find out they’re a big fat racist. Like why Evelyn Waugh WHYYYYYY
The extremely problematic portrayals of Africans aside, I found this book to be quite witty and funny. When I discovered that Waugh wrote a novel ragging on foreign correspondents, I had to read it.
There are so many characters here that I feel get their fair share of space, however, I never really grow to care for any of them. I become exhausted by their exasperating personalities and quirks; I suppose that’s the point.
Overall, a silly story with silly scenes that served as a pleasant read for my five days in Virginia. But Evelyn Waugh you get a smack on the nose for being a racist.
The extremely problematic portrayals of Africans aside, I found this book to be quite witty and funny. When I discovered that Waugh wrote a novel ragging on foreign correspondents, I had to read it.
There are so many characters here that I feel get their fair share of space, however, I never really grow to care for any of them. I become exhausted by their exasperating personalities and quirks; I suppose that’s the point.
Overall, a silly story with silly scenes that served as a pleasant read for my five days in Virginia. But Evelyn Waugh you get a smack on the nose for being a racist.
In this diverting comedy of errors, Waugh satirizes African politics, British society, and world journalism. Retired country gentleman William Boot, through a series of misunderstandings, finds himself suddenly bound to Ishmaliea as a foreign correspondent, but he doesn't know quite how to invent the news. Somehow, he manages to bumble his way to journalistic stardom, while falling in love and being played a fool. This short novel is an easy read, and will inspire, if not outright laughter, a number of silent smiles and soft chuckles.
I could not finish this. The whole premise is no longer funny. The premise is that mostly landed gentry have positions at newspapers where they have no real training or knowledge and so highjinks like sending someone to a war zone accidentally happen. This is so completely unrelated to modern journalism there is nothing funny in it. This is apparently how Waugh himself became a war correspondent, not an accident, just handed to him because he came from money.
But the racism! How can anyone read this book now?
But the racism! How can anyone read this book now?
I'll admit, I enjoyed it on the whole, although I did expect it to be better. I don't mean to be narrow-minded when I say this but I didn't want to like it giving Waugh's awful political views. Although I'll admit, some scenes granted a half smile.
Some people claim this is funny (even "hilarious"?!), but I found it to be only mildly, situationally funny. In fact, the fun is far outweighed by the racist and imperialist attitudes all though out the book. All the satire of journalism stuff is alright, but it's not worth the ugliness.
Evelyn Waugh was a pretty vile human being (even for his time) and unfortunately, "Scoop" contains elements of his racism and anti-Semitism, which mar an otherwise decent novel.(I put this book on my list after reading and loving Waugh's "Brideshead Revisited" -- before I had read anything about the author's life.)
"Scoop" is the story of a newspaper columnist named Boot, who gets sent overseas as a foreign correspondent to Ishmaelia, where a war is expected to break out despite his lack of qualifications, because his name is similar to someone else more qualified.
As a recovering reporter, there were elements of this book I found amusing and that still ring true today-- especially the pack mentality, which is still present in reporting today.
"Scoop" is the story of a newspaper columnist named Boot, who gets sent overseas as a foreign correspondent to Ishmaelia, where a war is expected to break out despite his lack of qualifications, because his name is similar to someone else more qualified.
As a recovering reporter, there were elements of this book I found amusing and that still ring true today-- especially the pack mentality, which is still present in reporting today.
Pretty racist, but I can also see how people still refer to it as a seminal satirical work about Western journalism....
I imagine this was hilarious when it was published, but I found myself speed-reading huge portions. I admit there are some very funny moments, but for me it was just too dated.
This book was rather silly. It also probably only deserves three stars, but I picked it up the day after I finished my finals, and it provided a wonderful diversion. It also reads in the blissfully relaxed way a good British novel should.