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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Scoop shows its age in its attitudes toward race, and it does very much jar on that account. That said, it reflects the attitudes of the time, and thankfully and rightly, times have changed.
The underlying story, a satirical comedy of errors set in the world of journalism, specifically Foreign Correspondents, however, is humorous, and seeing the way some of our modern journalists are behaving, in some ways it feels quite relevant
The underlying story, a satirical comedy of errors set in the world of journalism, specifically Foreign Correspondents, however, is humorous, and seeing the way some of our modern journalists are behaving, in some ways it feels quite relevant
If this book hadn't been so horribly racist, I'd have enjoyed it a lot more. I stopped reading it for 8 months because it was so offensive. It's a shame it's so influential still today.
Back in England, William Boot comfortably pens a weekly column on agriculture and nature, surrounded by maiden aunts and other eccentric relatives and servants. But due to a confusion of names, he gets sent off to cover an African country and becomes the equivalent of Grahame Greene’s Our Man in Havana. Waugh throws off racist and antisemitic epithets the way my cat sheds fur, and yet this book is stills wonderfully funny satire.
Loved some of the jokes (particularly the horrors of the country) but hated the racism. Was unaware ahead of time
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
ganske morsom til tider, og noen ganger litt forvirrende
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It’s never my favourite when miscommunication is at the forefront of a plot but sadly this was the case when a journalist being sent to report on a fictional state in east Africa but someone with the same surname, Boot, is sent instead. Yes it is a satire and there is quick wittedness throughout but probably my least favourite Waugh
Scoop is a pretty hilarious parody of wartime correspondents. A young serious novelist in need of money is recommended to a newspaper in England by a high class woman about town. His name is similar to a man who lives with his extended family in the country who sends in a botany column to the paper . The botany columnist is sent to a fictional African country as the war correspondent and hilarity ensues. Quick read and really funny.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I don't get along well with many classics and this is no exception. The language and supposed humour do not appeal to me. Didn't find this funny despite it supposedly being a comedy. Not for me.
A nice parody on journalistic practices, British colonialism, the backwardness of the British country side, and so much more. This is written in quite a different register in comparaison with the dead-serious [b:Brideshead Revisited|30933|Brideshead Revisited|Evelyn Waugh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1438579340l/30933._SY75_.jpg|2952196]. Entertaining and funny; take the name of the newspaper involved for instance, 'The Deadly Beast'. Or the definition an arrogant journalist gives of the news: "News is what a chap who doesn’t care much about anything wants to read. And it’s only news until he’s read it. After that it’s dead." You could look at Waugh's representation of the media as a caricature, but lets face it: it still is relevant (and I know what I'm talking about)!. Of course, it's not a ground breaking novel, but I really loved this one.