A review by lola425
A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh

4.0

Recently rewatched Brideshead Revisited and got to jonesing for some Waugh. Waugh revisits a number of themes and ideas in this novel, but manages to give them a new twist. I will say that I did not find Brenda Last's descent into adultery quite convincing, and John Beaver hardly a worthy or compelling partner, I suppose that was the point. Boredom & ennui making even John Beaver seem like a good distraction. The endings were interesting. Personally, I liked the alternate ending better (the one used for the serialization), thematically. The "jungle" ending was quite chilling, but I resented

Spoiler

Brenda getting rewarded for her behavior. I much prefer the thought of Brenda getting hers. Either way, Tony loses. In the jungle ending, Tony's life is almost a literal hell, being forced to read Dickens aloud at gunpoint for an eternity. In the other ending, he is still in hell, it is just a little more civilized. TOny still loses himself.