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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
The satire of foreign/war correspondence was very enjoyable, save the condescending racism of the author.
The satire of British upper class, especially at the book’s end, was tiresome and more of the same but far more tedious than the start of the story.
The satire of British upper class, especially at the book’s end, was tiresome and more of the same but far more tedious than the start of the story.
Read my full thoughts on this book and hundreds more over at Read.Write.Repeat.
This is the third and final Waugh novel on the list. In general, I have enjoyed his sardonic approach to his era. A Handful of Dust was good and I really quite enjoyed Brideshead Revisited. For me, Scoop was not as good as its two brothers, but I still enjoyed it. It had a very different approach, focusing on journalism of the era rather than a romance of any kind. I liked the departure, but had a harder time following and enjoying the story.
This is the third and final Waugh novel on the list. In general, I have enjoyed his sardonic approach to his era. A Handful of Dust was good and I really quite enjoyed Brideshead Revisited. For me, Scoop was not as good as its two brothers, but I still enjoyed it. It had a very different approach, focusing on journalism of the era rather than a romance of any kind. I liked the departure, but had a harder time following and enjoying the story.
Quite enjoyable, despite the subtle racist and misogynistic undertones (so prevalent in literary Britain during the time that the book was written). For me, the book was about the toxic ambitions of corporate professionals. It the story, these were high-profile newspaper correspondents in the pre-mass media era, but similarities can be found with many other (even more modern) professional settings.
"'No, I tell you who I want; Boot.'
'Boot?'
'Yes, Boot. He's a young man whose work I'm very much interested in.'"
No-one questions the demands of newspaper magnate Lord Copper and so with these words Lord Copper sets in motion the unlikely rise to fame of retiring countryman William Boot rather than launching the newspaper career of aspiring novelist John Courtney Boot.
Sent off to the wilds of the African Republic of Ishmaelia, Boot is clueless and well out of his depth among the cut-throat world of international reporters. Fortunately he has a knack for making friends and being in the right place at the right time: The only question is whether he is able to spot the scoop that is in front of his face! Dodgy ethics, famous reporters, bribery, secret police and international politics all play a roll - no-one is interested in what good for the people as long as they get their scoop!
While the story shows it's age in the way Africans are treated the slipshod way international powers treat poorer countries when resources are involved hasn't changed at all.
This is a commentary on news, the hunt for a story, the fight to grab the audience, and journalism, that is just as relevant in today's internet age as it was when it was written. There is still a very interesting story here - this is one book I would love to see a contemporary version created. Not that I'm usually keen on remakes but i'd love to see an insider's view of internet age reporting with the same style and humour.
'Boot?'
'Yes, Boot. He's a young man whose work I'm very much interested in.'"
No-one questions the demands of newspaper magnate Lord Copper and so with these words Lord Copper sets in motion the unlikely rise to fame of retiring countryman William Boot rather than launching the newspaper career of aspiring novelist John Courtney Boot.
Sent off to the wilds of the African Republic of Ishmaelia, Boot is clueless and well out of his depth among the cut-throat world of international reporters. Fortunately he has a knack for making friends and being in the right place at the right time: The only question is whether he is able to spot the scoop that is in front of his face! Dodgy ethics, famous reporters, bribery, secret police and international politics all play a roll - no-one is interested in what good for the people as long as they get their scoop!
While the story shows it's age in the way Africans are treated the slipshod way international powers treat poorer countries when resources are involved hasn't changed at all.
This is a commentary on news, the hunt for a story, the fight to grab the audience, and journalism, that is just as relevant in today's internet age as it was when it was written. There is still a very interesting story here - this is one book I would love to see a contemporary version created. Not that I'm usually keen on remakes but i'd love to see an insider's view of internet age reporting with the same style and humour.
Funny, but incredibly racist, but still kinda dumb and funny.
Kinda like the Andrew Dice Clay of Pre-WW II British Lit.
The plotting through the first half is slow, but the second half makes up for it with some tightly wound mouse traps that deliver pretty big laughs. I'm not one to start slapping my knee while reading but I did get some pretty good chuckling in in the last third of this book.
Kinda like the Andrew Dice Clay of Pre-WW II British Lit.
The plotting through the first half is slow, but the second half makes up for it with some tightly wound mouse traps that deliver pretty big laughs. I'm not one to start slapping my knee while reading but I did get some pretty good chuckling in in the last third of this book.
Brilliantly observed and written. This is only the second novel by Waugh I've read. He is quite possibly one of the sharpest writers I have ever read.
funny
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Violence, Cannibalism, Car accident, Deportation, Pandemic/Epidemic
Like a 1930s version of a Wes Anderson movie. I don't really care for Wes Anderson movies...
This one was a bit of a bumpy ride. We meet some truly fun characters in the beginning of the book but they are quickly dismissed and all action moves elsewhere. After this change of scenery, the plot drags on with little interest for a while, before picking up again towards the end. It's inconsistent, but when it's good it's really quite good. 3⭐ overall.