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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Knowing that this book is satirical, I was half expecting that it would go over my head. Identifying satire is not my strong suit--I didn't figure out that "The Importance of Being Earnest" was satirical until I had both read it and watched the movie.
I was happy to find that I understood a lot of the satire, and although the book is dated and a little bit esoteric to the world of journalism, I think its lighthearted message endures even today: people do illogical, silly things for shallow or lazy reasons. They always have and always will, and laughing about it is a healthy way to handle it.
I was happy to find that I understood a lot of the satire, and although the book is dated and a little bit esoteric to the world of journalism, I think its lighthearted message endures even today: people do illogical, silly things for shallow or lazy reasons. They always have and always will, and laughing about it is a healthy way to handle it.
It is not unusual, especially when reading older novels, to encounter attitudes of the time. A bit of racism here, some sexism there, maybe a wee bit of homophobia. You almost have to expect it. But this novel really goes the extra mile when it comes to racism. And it’s not just that the characters are racist, which would be one thing, but it is very clear the author is racist too. The inhabitants of this fictional African nation are portrayed as a homogeneous lump of barbaric fools.
I should say that the stupidity attributed to the people of Ishmalia might be excused as every single other character in the book is also an idiot. But the barbarism is uniquely African. There is also anti-semitism as well.
There’s no getting around the fact that these attitudes do make it harder to enjoy. Otherwise there is a lot in the book that is rather good.
The buffoonery and immorality of the press is a lot of fun. I loved the character of Katchen, who I found to be a brilliant comic creation. The plot is basically a farce, and pretty well executed and there are some pretty good, laugh out loud moments in here.
If, like me, you love satire and reading about the press, then there is much to enjoy. You just might have to hold your nose occasionally.
I should say that the stupidity attributed to the people of Ishmalia might be excused as every single other character in the book is also an idiot. But the barbarism is uniquely African. There is also anti-semitism as well.
There’s no getting around the fact that these attitudes do make it harder to enjoy. Otherwise there is a lot in the book that is rather good.
The buffoonery and immorality of the press is a lot of fun. I loved the character of Katchen, who I found to be a brilliant comic creation. The plot is basically a farce, and pretty well executed and there are some pretty good, laugh out loud moments in here.
If, like me, you love satire and reading about the press, then there is much to enjoy. You just might have to hold your nose occasionally.
BOOK 30 (OF 100) OF THE 100 PENGUIN CLASSICS TO READ BEFORE YOU DIE
A tale of mistaken identity - 3*
Honestly, this sort of thing makes me cringe.
I saw the funny side but honestly I was also cringing at the whole idea of it. I do find cringey things hard to read so I sort of skim read it quite fast to get through.
I thought the ending was humorous.
A tale of mistaken identity - 3*
Honestly, this sort of thing makes me cringe.
I saw the funny side but honestly I was also cringing at the whole idea of it. I do find cringey things hard to read so I sort of skim read it quite fast to get through.
I thought the ending was humorous.
I wonder how this book hadn't read if I hadn't seen it described as one of the funniest books of all time, if it weren't on lists of the 100 greatest novels, and if it weren't by Evelyn Waugh. Which is to say, it might have seemed like a better book if it wasn't such a crushing disappointment.
Biting satire that errs on the side of biting, "Scoop" isn't really much fun until its slightly less relentless final third act. Journalism and journalists are the primary target, but Waugh saves plenty of punches for everybody and everything else. There are lots of good lines. His treatment of Africa and Africans, based on his personal experiences as a reporter in 1930s Ethiopia, is more interesting as the record of an attitude than it is funny per se; there are certainly moments when it seems shockingly racist, but I think really Waugh was remarkably successful here at pissing on all of humankind equally, regardless of color or creed. Good for him, I guess.
Biting satire that errs on the side of biting, "Scoop" isn't really much fun until its slightly less relentless final third act. Journalism and journalists are the primary target, but Waugh saves plenty of punches for everybody and everything else. There are lots of good lines. His treatment of Africa and Africans, based on his personal experiences as a reporter in 1930s Ethiopia, is more interesting as the record of an attitude than it is funny per se; there are certainly moments when it seems shockingly racist, but I think really Waugh was remarkably successful here at pissing on all of humankind equally, regardless of color or creed. Good for him, I guess.
Even though this book made me laugh out loud a couple of times, I just didn't love it. It's about a hapless nature writer who through a mistake gets sent to Africa as a war correspondent, and it makes fun of journalism in a way that is still relevant.
You know what I think it is? I don't really get into books if characters aren't really "real." These characters are funny, but they are they way they are for comedy and making a point about journalism. There's no wondering about their motivation.
Still, it was a quick read, and I enjoyed it.
You know what I think it is? I don't really get into books if characters aren't really "real." These characters are funny, but they are they way they are for comedy and making a point about journalism. There's no wondering about their motivation.
Still, it was a quick read, and I enjoyed it.
I enjoy a satire of the print media as much as the next person, and parts of this novel were very funny, especially the almost Cold Comfort Farm parts set in the English countryside. Unfortunately, much of this book is set in a fictional African country, which gives Waugh plenty of opportunity to express his horrendously racist and anti-semitic views and language.
Not Waugh's best. Certainly no Handful of Dust. Often racist. But still an insightful satire of colonialism, war journalism, and the intersection of the two.
William Boot never aspired to much. He's content to live with his extended family at the family estate, writing occasional leisure columns. So when a case of mistaken identity lands him in an African country, Ishmaelia, as a war correspondent, he is seriously in over his head. And yet, everything seems to simply roll off of him. This is wicked satire of 1930's era print journalism. It reminded me of a lot of stuff I read in high school and college. At first glance, Scoop feels a bit past its prime in the internet era. But even in the 1930's, Waugh showed that being the first to print was seen as more important than the accuracy of the story. Scoop starts slowly. I was unsure about it until about 1/3-1/2 way into the book. But by the end, I had laughed a lot. I would like to be able to give this 3.5 stars. I don't give it 4 stars, though, because I'm not sure how well it will stay with me.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Scoop is a satirical novel about journalism, with cases of mistaken identity, ineptitude and a scathing insight into the news industry from Evelyn Waugh, someone who worked as a journalist for many years. Although I did chuckle half-heartedly a couple of times, I would say that calling it 'comedic' is a bit of an exaggeration.
The racist, anti-Semitic and misogynist language made for very uncomfortable reading. Other critics will inevitably say it's all about context, which I can appreciate, but for me personally, this significantly detracted from my enjoyment of the novel. I'm also aware that, even in the time of writing Evelyn Waugh's views were considered controversial (George Orwell called his opinions 'untenable').
Moreover, I just found it utterly, utterly boring. I had convinced myself that the pace would pick up once they reached the fictional country of Ishmaelia, but I was sorely disappointed, as, if anything, it became even more tedious. It didn't have anything particularly to contribute to my perception of journalism that I didn't already know.
The plot was very farcical, but if it's a farce you're looking for, I would direct you immediately to Jeeves and Wooster, which is far, far funnier and less offensive. Overall, not for me and I won't be in a hurry to pick up any more of Waugh's work in the near future.
The racist, anti-Semitic and misogynist language made for very uncomfortable reading. Other critics will inevitably say it's all about context, which I can appreciate, but for me personally, this significantly detracted from my enjoyment of the novel. I'm also aware that, even in the time of writing Evelyn Waugh's views were considered controversial (George Orwell called his opinions 'untenable').
Moreover, I just found it utterly, utterly boring. I had convinced myself that the pace would pick up once they reached the fictional country of Ishmaelia, but I was sorely disappointed, as, if anything, it became even more tedious. It didn't have anything particularly to contribute to my perception of journalism that I didn't already know.
The plot was very farcical, but if it's a farce you're looking for, I would direct you immediately to Jeeves and Wooster, which is far, far funnier and less offensive. Overall, not for me and I won't be in a hurry to pick up any more of Waugh's work in the near future.