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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
A little hard to get into because if the writting style, but once i got 50 or so pages in it was funny and I just wanted to keep reading.
A satirical, at times absurd, look at journalism from the late 1930s, yet still incredibly relevant.
A satirical, at times absurd, look at journalism from the late 1930s, yet still incredibly relevant.
I am a big fan of Evelyn Waugh. There is something of E M Forster in his delicacy of prose and accuracy of observation, and something of Oscar Wilde in his wit. 'Scoop' is a story of how ridiculous people can be, and how stupid people can end up in positions of power. It is also a story of how luck can sometimes be far more important to success than skill or talent.
This book had me squirming with embarrassment and stunned at how naive and stupid the main character, William Boot, was. The plot was basically a long list of all the ways in which a sheltered country gentleman is completely unsuited to life where initiative, ingenuity and shrewdness are all key. And yet, somehow, everything works out better than expected, so his complete ineptitude is forgiven and perpetuated.
It was classic Waugh: full of excellent satire and irony. It didn't quite have the heart-wrenching awkwardness of Vile Bodies, which is why I'm not giving it a higher rating. The characters were not as sharply in focus as some other books of his. But it was a charming, easy, funny read.
This book had me squirming with embarrassment and stunned at how naive and stupid the main character, William Boot, was. The plot was basically a long list of all the ways in which a sheltered country gentleman is completely unsuited to life where initiative, ingenuity and shrewdness are all key. And yet, somehow, everything works out better than expected, so his complete ineptitude is forgiven and perpetuated.
It was classic Waugh: full of excellent satire and irony. It didn't quite have the heart-wrenching awkwardness of Vile Bodies, which is why I'm not giving it a higher rating. The characters were not as sharply in focus as some other books of his. But it was a charming, easy, funny read.
Scoop is in a lot of “greatest novels” lists; it made it onto my ‘Core 24’ list this year because I had it on my to-read list for a long time. I have mixed feelings about it... here are my reflections.
The book is a satire, so the ludicrous plot is just an engine to send up all manner of things...British class structure, the world order of the 1930s, journalism, and city versus country prejudices, to name a few. Coming to this book in 2020, the attitudes towards African people, colonialism, and women in general were distasteful to me, to say the least. This book is a period piece and not in a good way, in my opinion.
However, what Waugh has to say about perception versus reality and about political power wears very well. He demonstrates that much of journalism is slanted, and his observations on power and it’s impact on society were spot on. I also observed a connection between the ruling Jacksons of Ishmaelia and a certain family regime in power in another country today. Also, Waugh’s breezy tone makes the novel easy to visualize as a prolonged Monty Python skit. So, 3 stars out of 5 for the good aspects of this book.
The book is a satire, so the ludicrous plot is just an engine to send up all manner of things...British class structure, the world order of the 1930s, journalism, and city versus country prejudices, to name a few. Coming to this book in 2020, the attitudes towards African people, colonialism, and women in general were distasteful to me, to say the least. This book is a period piece and not in a good way, in my opinion.
However, what Waugh has to say about perception versus reality and about political power wears very well. He demonstrates that much of journalism is slanted, and his observations on power and it’s impact on society were spot on. I also observed a connection between the ruling Jacksons of Ishmaelia and a certain family regime in power in another country today. Also, Waugh’s breezy tone makes the novel easy to visualize as a prolonged Monty Python skit. So, 3 stars out of 5 for the good aspects of this book.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There a lot of parts of the book, where you smile and think "yes, this is funny". On the other hand, I don't think I actually ever laughed while reading this. It's all very amusing and fun, a lot of situations that made me think "oy yoy yoy, how will they get out of this??" And I mean that both as a compliment and an insult to the book. Likewise, though some of the characters are interesting, most of it is a little pointless and the premise starts to drag a little. Overall mostly harmless.
funny
medium-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
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Insider's expose of how the press and politics work. It's also very funny as well as on occasion patronising and racist, in part a product of its author, but also of its time. Some have suggested this is a satire. Don't be fooled. It's all true.
3.5 stars. Many hilarious moments and reminders that while some things change, so many stay the same.
Not into this one at all. Silly and hard for me to read, but it’s on many “100 books to read before you die” lists and that’s why I chose it. Being a journalist there were some kernels I enjoyed, but generally did not enjoy it.