From the Bookshelf of Constant Reader…

Brideshead Revisited

Evelyn Waugh

Start date: April 1, 2013

Finish date: May 1, 2013

Discussion: Classics Corner

Discussion leader: Ann D

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What Members Thought

Sep 28, 2015 Rosana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio-books, 2015

I really enjoyed this book, but I do wonder that had I “read” it as opposed to listened to it, as I did, if I would have enjoyed it as much. The audio version I listened was narrated by Jeremy Irons and his voice made the first person narrator so very personal. Therefore be advised that this review is about the audio version of this book, as much as it is about the book itself.

I should start by saying that Evelyn Waugh is a MALE author. I was ten minutes into the book when I wondered about it, s I really enjoyed this book, but I do wonder that had I “read” it as opposed to listened to it, as I did, if I would have enjoyed it as much. The audio version I listened was narrated by Jeremy Irons and his voice made the first person narrator so very personal. Therefore be advised that this review is about the audio version of this book, as much as it is about the book itself.

I should start by saying that Evelyn Waugh is a MALE author. I was ten minutes into the book when I wondered about it, so I googled it and sure enough, Evelyn’s first name was Arthur. I think I was expecting a female contemporary of Daphne du Maurier but Brideshead isn’t Manderley, and definitely Brideshead Revisited is not Rebecca.

For quite a while, the whole first part of the book to be precise, I thought it was about male homosexuality, which it was by a large degree, but not overall. Then, on the second part, I thought it was about finding redemption through love – heterosexual or not. Of course, all along I thought it was also about social class, and the rapid decline of such high class during the period between the two world wars. It is certainly a great social commentary of the period and of the people on the “upstairs” part of the house/society.

I ended it by thinking that I was lead through a religious book and that I never realized it until the final pages/narration. The Wikipedia page where I learned about Arthur Evelyn also mentioned his conversion to Catholicism in his late 20’s.

I am afraid to call this book a religious book, or catholic book, and drive other readers from it. The religiosity in it is not heavy handed, and it is never evangelizing. But I think it is at the heart of this story, a search for the divine which would raise our lives above the ordinary. It is almost incongruent in a book that portraits homosexuality and adultery in such a detached way – it was first published in 1944, let’s not forget it – that I finished it by thinking of sin and forgiveness.

Somewhere I read that this book was about loss, of course now I can’t remember where I read this and I can’t give proper credits. But the reviewer alluded to the loss of a generation on WWI, the loss of love (Sebastian and Julia), the loss of a way of living for those in such a privileged class, even the loss of the Brideshead manor.

It is not a simple book, too many layers and not enough conclusions. Like life itself, I would say.

PS: Here is the review by Lydia Kiesling that I so poorly paraphrased. ...more

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Jun 27, 2008 Kelly rated it did not like it

Requried reading for morality during junior year of HS. Really did NOT enjoy it at all, but I can't remember why. It was one of Mr. Costa's favorite reads, and I remember him asking me why I didn't like it, and not really being able to pinpoint exactly why that was. Can't remember much about the plot - probably because I didn't want to. ...more

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Dec 29, 2014 Jessica rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: england, classic, 1001

Beautifully written and quite on-the-nose in describing a certain historical moment, but I agree with a friend's review that Charles Ryder is a huge gaping hole in the center of it all. As an almost entirely dispassionate observer, the reader is left to fill in a personality and motives for him in ways that may or may not be consistent with Waugh's ideas. Worth the effort, but so open-ended that it's hard to grasp. ...more

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Jun 01, 2009 Kit rated it it was amazing

Shelves: salmon

I want to re-read this.... The Kermode intro cites Waugh, saying the decisions he made in revising this were to highlight the book's core, which was, according to Waugh, to write about grace. I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did -- its moments and its whole. ...more

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