Goodreads | Brideshead Revisited

J rated it:

05/16/08

One of the great pleasures of my college years was the discovery of Evelyn Waugh. There are a great many authors and books from that time period that shine with a transcendent memory so lasting that to encounter the works in later years is to be just a little disappointed. Part of what made them so effecting was the immediacy and constancy of the feeling one has in one’s early twenties that your mind is a flower always bursting open. The right book in those years can alter your life in a way t...more

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Kelly rated it:

(review of isbn 0141182482)

04/23/08

bookshelves: brit-lit, fiction

It is difficult to encapsulate a book which strives to reach for so much over the course of its pages. I'm sure I will miss some things, but perhaps that's best with a book like this. An epic style classic, I mean. There's always something more to dig out of it.

The writing style is one of the most striking things about the book, let me just put that out there. This is due to the hodgepodge nature of the thing. The beginning of the book has quite a bit of high Romanticism, of a style more app...more It is difficult to encapsulate a book which strives to reach for so much over the course of its pages. I'm sure I will miss some things, but perhaps that's best with a book like this. An epic style classic, I mean. There's always something more to dig out of it.

The writing style is one of the most striking things about the book, let me just put that out there. This is due to the hodgepodge nature of the thing. The beginning of the book has quite a bit of high Romanticism, of a style more appropriate to the 1840s than the post WWII era- to the point where its utter cheesiness seems out of place, which often gives way to Madox Ford type of prose- unobtrusive, mild, wiltingly despairing, Lost Generation feelings. Towards the end of the book, you get some very modern, intentionally shocking bits and some existentialism. The Romanticism has entirely died. Obviously the choice of styles illustrates the journey of the main character/the main Flyte family through the novel, but I thought it was also an interesting way of encapsulating popular styles of writing that prevailed at the time, particularly in Britain in the interwar era. One of the major points of the book is to give a reading of the English character, and the styles covered many sides of it, I think.

As to the story itself, it is a long metaphor for the death of the old way of life in England. A powerful English Catholic family, the Flytes, slowly crumbles from the inside as member by member by member they are struck down into death or into irrelevancy, doomed to live out their days as shadows of their former brilliance, unable to let go of the past or work with the future. The narrator, Charles Ryder, is not one of the family, but he is perfectly placed to see each demise as it occurs. It is a superemly heartbreaking piece as we get to see the crushing of each character's hopes and dreams in excruciating detail. I found myself becoming attached to the family, in spite of how awful and distancing that they could be, so well done to Waugh for that one. It does endow one with a sense of helplessness, though, just like the characters, that there is nothing that really could be done for them, prisoners as they are of ideology, centuries of history, societal expectations, family dramas, repressed (or not so repressed) sexuality, rand of course, and most of all, religion.

The Catholic yarn of the novel burns perhaps the brightest of all. It is continually present, even under circumstances that one would believe had no call for it. Which is the point of it. Waugh paints a Catholicism that is everywhere, in everything, allows its followers no freedom, no room to grow and change, nothing entirley of their own, of a Big Brother type God/Church who sees everything. It is an ideology of no escape, which we see several characters- most notably the tragic Sebastian- struggling against. It is a condemnation of the stranglehold that the Church places on human beings, or being human at all. It is the Church, in the end, despite all the helping factors of society, the past, the changing-too-fast present, that ultimately destroys the hopes and dreams of all the main characters. Charles, Sebastian, Julia, Lord Marchmain, Lady Marchmain, all of them. They cannot escape it. Not even Charles, who isn't even a Catholic, but is merely in love with this family infused with it. One of the most constant questions by Charles is, "Do you always talk about religion so much?" or "Why bring God into it?" totally uncomphrending that the family can't get God /out/ of anything.

Lady Marchmain stands in for God on Earth, while Sebastian is the hugely flawed Christ character. He's actually something of a cross between Christ and a Drowning Ophelia, but really, in terms of action, is there much difference? Especially since Sebastian is really a Christ of the Jesus in the Garden variety, that is of the "let this cup pass from me," variety. It is said over and over again that he has a calling, that he is holy yet rather heathen, and even he ends up in the embrace of the Church. A pathetic embrace it may be, yet he ends in serving it despite whatever he might have willed or tried to forget through his drunkenness and wandering. Sebastian is the most heartbreakingly beautiful pieces of the story, though he fades out of view in the second half. He still manages to drive the motion, to keep Charles' reluctant love.

In the way all the characters end and the total presence of belief, despite not wanting to, I was reminded very strongly of Graham Greene. He made a lot of similiar points (if perhaps more passionately) in The End of the Affair. The final cry of, "God, just leave me alone!" at the end of that novel is echoed on page after page here. I do think that it is done better and with more finesse by Greene, but I will grant that Waugh had a lot more to deal with and probably had to be a bit more crude on this topic.

I should also probably mention that there is a very strong homosexual element to the story. Charles spends the first half of the book in love with Sebastian, and the second half chasing the shade of him, his sister Julia. It is presented as a platonic love (at least Waugh mentions nothing about them actually having sex) but nonetheless an obsessive one. He does deal in rather surprisingly explicit detail with other gay relationships in the person of Anthony Blanche, Sebastian's German lover, etc. They even visit gay clubs and there is a lot of very open talk about people being gay. I was surprised by that in a novel published almost 50 years ago, especially one with such a strong Catholic element to it. A lot of people's sexuality is questionable, and the idea of being in love with a person, an idea, more than being sexually attracted to either gender is brought up again and again. Rather progressive for its time, I thought.

... okay, I've rather rambled on, haven't I? In sum, very well written, epic, handles a lot more than one would think it could, and I recommend it wholeheartedly. Though, I won't lie, being an anglophile helps to get you through the slower bits and through the rolling your eyes at the cheesy Romanticism and crazy Ophelia characters.

Right. Really done now!

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19 comments

Paul rated it:

06/25/08

bookshelves: novels

Read in June, 2008

One's head is rather spinning, there are so many terribly good things and likewise so very much abject wretchedness it's hard to begin. Let us try.

1) This book is the twisted story of a homosexual affair, which I was truly not expecting it to be. It's famously set amongst the upper classes, firstly in Oxford, so you get pages of blissed-out descriptions of life amongst British aristocratic students in the 1920s and how many plovers eggs they eat and which claret they guzzle. That part is wha...more

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Gina rated it:

11/16/07

Read in November, 2007

I finished last night, and while I had been hoping for a happier ending, I was very pleased with the book. I mentioned in an earlier post that I kept comparing it to Wodehouse, and while that might have been foolish to a degree, it’s not exactly unfair. Both Wodehouse and Waugh were looking at British upper class/nobility at around the same period of time. And I think both authors both admired and disdained the people and the lifestyles they chronicled.

Wodehouse, to my knowledge, neve...more I finished last night, and while I had been hoping for a happier ending, I was very pleased with the book. I mentioned in an earlier post that I kept comparing it to Wodehouse, and while that might have been foolish to a degree, it’s not exactly unfair. Both Wodehouse and Waugh were looking at British upper class/nobility at around the same period of time. And I think both authors both admired and disdained the people and the lifestyles they chronicled.

Wodehouse, to my knowledge, never made Catholicism as issue, and Waugh certainly does that. I don’t think I can remember reading about so many Catholics since The Thornbirds, a million years ago. I’ve been thinking about my own Catholic roots a lot lately, so it was interesting to see how the Catholic Flytes were portrayed, and even more interested to see how the non-Catholics—mostly in the forms of Charles Ryder, the narrator, and Rex Mottram, the know-it-all Canadian social climber.

Charles seemed more caught up in the rituals and symbolism of the Church, while Rex had to deal with the nitty-gritty of the rules and papacy throughout his half-hearted conversion. I was surprised to find myself identifying more with Rex than Charles here, because I honestly like the rituals and arcane practices and symbols that are woven throughout the Catholic faith. The thing that really gets me is papal (and to a lesser extent, priestly) authority. Rex was honestly puzzled by the notion that his previous marriage mattered at all when he was planning to convert and marry Catholic Julia. His ex-wife, “after all, meant nothing to him,” so he couldn’t see why the fact of her existence mattered to anyone else—especially the Catholic officials.

Like Rex, I like the “show” the Catholics put on, but I get bogged down by the rules. (That’s not entirely true—I find meaning in the “show”, whereas Rex just took its pomp as a tribute to his own elevated view of himself.) Charles seemed to find the rituals baffling and aggravating. I can see things from his point of view, but I don’t agree with him. (Surely this should have made me more moved than I was by his praying at the end of the book, but I didn’t care much. Why? Because I am unhappy when stories that involve love don’t end up with either love or death. I’m like that.)

Then again, I was kind of happy that Charles didn’t end up gloriously happy with Julia. I wanted Julia to be happy, but the part of the book that found Charles so incidentally married and a father made me annoyed with him. I know it wasn’t atypical of that time, but it rankles that men could be so unattached to their wives and children—they honestly meant nothing to him. I know Celia was unfaithful to Charles long before he found himself in love with Julia, but the lack of emotion, especially in regards to his children, made me think he didn’t deserve a chance to love Julia—especially as she had planned on having children with him.

Okay, this isn’t an English paper, so I’ll wrap up with quick thoughts:

-Did Charles and Sebastian have a physical relationship?
-I wanted to beat Sebastian with his stupid teddy bear. Ick.
-I wish we could have spent more time with Cordelia.
-I wish I could travel and dress for dinner and have “an allowance.” That’d be dreamy.
-I requested the TV movie from the library, and I can’t wait to see it!
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Tricia rated it:

(review of isbn )

04/29/08

Read in April, 1987

I made an effort to find the exact edition that I read with the cast from the PBS TV series on the cover because it was pivotal in my seeking out the book and reveling in every fine sentence it has to offer.

Brideshead follows the story of a sharp young man, Charles Ryder, who befriends a wealthy yet troubled English aristocrat, Sebastian Flyte, during his stint at Oxford University in the late teens and early 20s of the twentieth century. Charles struggles to reconcile his love for Sebastian...more I made an effort to find the exact edition that I read with the cast from the PBS TV series on the cover because it was pivotal in my seeking out the book and reveling in every fine sentence it has to offer.

Brideshead follows the story of a sharp young man, Charles Ryder, who befriends a wealthy yet troubled English aristocrat, Sebastian Flyte, during his stint at Oxford University in the late teens and early 20s of the twentieth century. Charles struggles to reconcile his love for Sebastian and his chaotic, dangerous yet vivid lifestyle with his own ideals, values and future goals.

Also taken with the status and aura of the entire Flyte family, Charles finds himself inexorably intertwined with them over time in numerous incidental ways, although he runs in quite different social circles (artist rather than patron). Most notably and sweeping, he reenters their lives later in life through Julia, Sebastian's younger sister. Rich daydreaming and heartrending material here for many a young woman ;-)

The page-turning events of the novel follow Charles through to World War II, letting the reader experience how friendship and love ultimately shape our life's choices.

Oddly, this is apparently Waugh's ode to Catholicism, after he converted in his adult life. If anything, I find the story itself a lambast of this sect of Christianity. However, I did read a commentary on the novel years later and could see the argument that it actually holds Catholicism as a saving grace. Be that as it may, any religious overtones merely seem to support the story rather than seem preachy or laborious.

If you're not convinced to read this yet, here's what the New York Times reviewer wrote upon the novel's publication in 1945:
"'Brideshead Revisited' has the depth and weight that are found in a writer working in his prime, in the full powers of an eager, good mind and a skilled hand, retaining the best of what he has already learned. It tells an absorbing story in imaginative terms. By indirection it summarizes and comments upon a time and a society. It has an almost romantic sense of wonder, together with the provocative, personal point of view of a writer who sees life realistically. It is, in short, a large, inclusive novel with which the 1946 season begins, a novel more fully realized than any of the year now ending, whatever their other virtues....'Brideshead Revisited' is Mr. Waugh's finest achievement."

Read it. Savor it.
Or watch the 1980s PBS series—with young steamy Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews, and gorgeous Dame Diana Quick, not to mention Sir Laurence Olivier—if a classic book isn't your cup of tea....less

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Jason rated it:

08/03/07

bookshelves: favorites

recommends it for: the well-read and those who claim to be

An English novel dating from near the end of World War II, Brideshead Revisited is an elaborate and fascinating reminiscence of a time passed. A novel told in reverie by eyes looking back.

At the core of the novel is the friendship between Oxford classmates Charles (the narrator) and Sebastian. One thing separates Charles and Sebastian. Class. A ubiquitous theme in the best English novels, portrayed here as well as it is in any counterpart in English fiction. One thing unites them. Affection....more

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Tori rated it:

07/15/08

Read in June, 2008

If it can be avoided, you should never read a book or watch a film with preconceived ideas about it. Preconceived ideas are always trouble, or at the least, likely to make you feel stupid.

I had thought, based on second-hand intel and generous praise from other authors I've enjoyed (including, ironically given the tenor of this particular novel, Richard Dawkins), that Waugh was a humorist. I picked up Brideshead Revisited thinking it would be funny and put it down feeling slightly confused. I...more

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April rated it:

(review of isbn 0141182482)

07/22/08

bookshelves: 2008, classics

This is a thinking book. Initially my first reaction, upon completing the book, was this: "What a bunch of assholes."

After further reflection, I stand by that statement, but I can see how each of the characters was flawed, and how the individual failings of each character were exacerbated by relationships with the others'.

For me, most of the book seemed to be an attack on Catholicism, which caused so many rifts in the Flyte family. Throughout, both Sebastian and Julia strug...more

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Sarah rated it:

10/20/07

Read in January, 1987

recommends it for: Everyone

This is one of the two books I tend to read at least once a year (the other one is Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov). I've probably read it at least 25 times and I get something new from it every time. He's one of those writers who makes the English language sound decadent and beautiful.

It definitely contains the single best passage about food that I've ever seen - the scene with Charles Ryder and Rex Mottram eating pressed duck and caviar blinis in a little restaurant in London. The way he write...more

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Adele rated it:

06/27/08

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in June, 2008

I'd never read Evelyn Waugh before, but when I saw a preview for the film version of Brideshead, with Emma Thompson in it, I knew I wanted to read the book, and then see the movie. Let's get one thing straight: I'm a sucker for the kinds of themes in a book like Brideshead Revisited. I love Merchant Ivory, studies on class/aristocracy/breeding/elitism in British society, basically all things British even though I could never live in England because it's cold, cloudy, and smells funny. Still, ...more

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Robin rated it:

06/15/08

bookshelves: classics

Read in June, 2008

recommends it for: my fellow alumni

After having unsuccessfully tried to read The Loved Ones, I wasn't sure how this Waugh would sit with me. But there's a reason this is considered his best work. His use of metaphor alone won me over. His characterization of university (see excerpt below) in the first half of the book resonated with me. His treatment of purposeless upperclass young Englishmen between the Wars was much more eloquent than Messud's treatment of purposeless upperclass young Americans post 9/11 in Emporer's Childre...more

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Lauren rated it:

09/25/07

bookshelves: favorites

Read in March, 2001

this book hit me, hard. i read it for a course in 'catholic literature' which was the same course in which i read 'diaries of a country priest,' and 'le grand meaulnes.' it was an excuse for my favorite professor to teach a small group of students about his all-time favorite books. he made up the name so he could teach it as a theology/literature course.

we read brideshead, then watched the film version with jeremy irons. growing up immersed in an anglophile household, i was amazed i'd w...more

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Melissa rated it:

(review of isbn )

06/20/08

Read in June, 2008

All this time I've been reading a pro-Catholicism treatise? What a trick!

**SPOILERS**

The first half of the book does such a good job of portraying how the Marchmains' strict Catholicism has created a sort of prison for Sebastian, particularly in regards to his mother, who uses her piousness like a weapon to force people to do what she wants. The narrator, Charles Ryder, a confirmed agnostic, peppers the Marchmains with questions about their religion trying to understand the significance...more

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Lindsay rated it:

07/22/07

recommends it for: pretty much everybody

"Sentimental" seems to be the word forever branded on Brideshead Revisited, especially in comparison to Waugh's other books. And it's true, it is a "sentimental" book, but in the best way possible. Evelyn Waugh, who I had never read before, writes like a kind-of-fruity version of F. Scott Fitzgerald with the occasional spurt of Oscar Wilde-esque wit. And though he's great with the florid, ornate stuff, the plaintive sentences in this book seemed to be the ones that absolutely...more

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Jeffery rated it:

04/15/08

Waugh's descriptive abilities are formidable, whether used to describe a scene, a taste, a personality, or an emotion. The only other writer I can think of who so effectively and beautifully employed modern English was Fitzgerald. Waugh adds to his narrative abilities a wicked sense of humor, the kind that gives the reader a sly, knowing grin. Somehow Waugh even manages to infuse the novel with "the operation of divine grace", which he says is its major theme. Perhaps the quality o...more

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Kripa rated it:

05/27/08

I think this book is Waugh's masterpiece..although he certainly didn't think so. Waugh, I belive was rather dissappointed with the book when he read it a few years after it was published and chided himself for having been enamoured with the lifestyle of the British nobility.
For my part, I loved it.

A love affair between two college friends, Sebastian: the aristocrat who seems intent on running away from the life of privilege that he looks upon as chains that bind him to a way of life, and...more

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James rated it:

06/24/08

I guess I enjoyed this book. It was, for the most part, absorbing but I definitely had no trouble putting it down.
I really enjoyed most of the book, but the end irritated me a great deal. Waugh used religion to neatly wrap up the story and, at the end, I felt like I'd been force-fed C.S. Lewis. How can there not be a god and all that crap.
It's not that I'm against people writing about their religion and, especially in fiction, writing stories wherein religion plays a role... While I don'...more

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Camille rated it:

08/18/07

Read in June, 2007

I prefered the first half of the book to the second. Is this because I am young, and can relate more to young love, than I can to the passions of an affair? In the "Sebastian" sections, I loved the details, the recreation of the world of Oxford, life at home with dad, and of course, at Brideshead. But the second half of the book never felt as wholly conceived. Was this done on purpose, to reflect the bitter, empty, brittle world inhabited by the cheating lovers? Also, the the Cath...more

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Claire rated it:

07/25/08

Read in July, 2008

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