Scan barcode
A review by ryanofmaryland
Helena by Evelyn Waugh
5.0
Fantastic.
The narrator brilliantly moves from exterior events into the inner workings of the mind of the Empress Helena, mother of the fabled Constantine, and then back out to exterior events. The reader will get a reasonably accurate exploration of the life, times, and aspirations of Roman civilization at the cusp of radical changes through the perspective of an intelligent and thoughtful, passionate and longsuffering woman, who experiences those same aspirations and changes in her own personal life. The reader will get beautiful prose. The reader will get drawn into meditative reflections on life and purpose and limitations and beauty and joy.
I can see why Waugh considered this his most important work.
The narrator brilliantly moves from exterior events into the inner workings of the mind of the Empress Helena, mother of the fabled Constantine, and then back out to exterior events. The reader will get a reasonably accurate exploration of the life, times, and aspirations of Roman civilization at the cusp of radical changes through the perspective of an intelligent and thoughtful, passionate and longsuffering woman, who experiences those same aspirations and changes in her own personal life. The reader will get beautiful prose. The reader will get drawn into meditative reflections on life and purpose and limitations and beauty and joy.
I can see why Waugh considered this his most important work.