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travelsandbooks 's review for:
Scoop
by Evelyn Waugh
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.