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june_englit_phd 's review for:
A Handful of Dust
by Evelyn Waugh
This is a book of many emotions which I really enjoyed, so much so that I finished it in one sitting. At the centre of the novel is Hetton Hall, a large stately home, and its upper class owners Tony and Brenda Last and their young son, John Andrew. The other main family is that of Mrs Beaver and her son, John - further down the social scale than the Lasts. John Beaver is initially not well esteemed in society, often being the only 'spare man' in London (in not a good way!). In a narrative that echoes Evelyn Waugh's real-life marital situation with his wife, Evelyn Gardner (that must have been confusing for their friends!), the novel follows the degrading morals of English society in the first half of the 20th century and its savagery. There is comedy, there is poignancy, there is tragedy; at times you can't believe the gall of the characters (one in particular who shall remain nameless to prevent spoilers).
The final chapters read more like a short story than a part of the preceding text; I was interested to read that Waugh actually started writing this novel backwards, starting with the ending and then working back. The imagery reminded me very much of another author's work (again I won't say which one, because it would give the storyline away).
It's so hard to extol the virtues of this book without giving away spoilers or launching into a PhD type analysis, but what I will say is that I absolutely loved it, and highly recommend anyone to read it. Some of the terminology within the novel is nowadays deemed as being 'offensive' or 'not politically correct', (especially in the final third of the book) but while uncomfortable to read, it is worth remembering that in Waugh's day, it was not seen to be such.
The final chapters read more like a short story than a part of the preceding text; I was interested to read that Waugh actually started writing this novel backwards, starting with the ending and then working back. The imagery reminded me very much of another author's work (again I won't say which one, because it would give the storyline away).
It's so hard to extol the virtues of this book without giving away spoilers or launching into a PhD type analysis, but what I will say is that I absolutely loved it, and highly recommend anyone to read it. Some of the terminology within the novel is nowadays deemed as being 'offensive' or 'not politically correct', (especially in the final third of the book) but while uncomfortable to read, it is worth remembering that in Waugh's day, it was not seen to be such.