Evelyn Waugh Books

It's well written with many illuminating insights but is a scholarly work aimed, I suppose, at people who have read, or thought they had read, all of Waugh. Actually,for those who wept that there were no more Waughs to conquer,he uncovers some obscure writings and some differences between editions that are more radical and more interesting than such textual variants usually are.
Only the first section and the bits about the early novels live up to the promise of the title by relating Waugh to contemporary writers of his time. I had always been puzzled by the way that in "Decline and Fall" a taut, ironic, detached, witty style emerged suddenly in 1928 from the unreadable tomes of the early century when humor was arch and ponderous, description long-winded, and plots melodramatic. Genius is the primary explanation of course but Davis puts it into context and I shall be scouring the used book areas for some of the avatars and exemplars he mentions.
Later on he loses track of this theme of relating Waugh to his contemporaries. Just every now and then he reminds us that that is what he is supposed to be doing. There is a discussion of "Brideshead Revisited" in relation to "All the King's Men." Warren did not read Waugh and Waugh did not read Warren. At the outset Davis says "any thread of external evidence linking them is rather tenuous" Well - yes.

Briefly, readers keen on African travel anecdotes, and on Waugh's particularly keen social observation, will enjoy this book. It starts off stiffly, with Waugh in England, but you would do well to get beyond his haughtiness - throughout the book he continues to surprise pleasantly - at times, on senses, despite himself. This is essentially a travel piece, written in somewhat conversational style, in which Waugh both describes a voyage from the UK, through the Suez Canal, and along the East African coast to South Africa and his perspectives on the voyage and his fellow passangers. He is entertained along the way, particularly in Kenya and Zanzibar, and otherwise entertains himself - and us, his readers along for the ride. There are interesting references to the 'Happy Valley' crowd of the Kenyan Highlands, among whom Waugh played. This book is up there with other great travel narratives and naturalist perspectives: DH Lawrences' "The Sea and Sardinia", Andre Gide's "Travels in the Congo", and Graham Greene's travel work ("Journey Without Maps", and his novel "Travels With My Aunt"). Whether the book has great literary merit is for others to decide - it is entertaining, human, and describes an area (Africa) and an epoch (post-colonial) through the eyes of one of the century's most visceral - if haughty - writers. Includes insight into what it is like to travel single and long in years. I recommend "A Tourist in Africa".

ericwiberg@worldnet.att.net

Mostly just a plot summary and list of characters. A few essays describe topics that should be largely self evident to an adult reader. I was hoping for more explanations (footnotes) on Waugh's many culural, social and historical references to supplement my reading of the book.

Anyone considering a purchase of this product should know that it is very heavily abridged. It's difficult to give a realistic assessment of how much has been lost, but to me it sounds as though about half of Waugh's writing has been cut out. Most of the dialogue is there, but the narratives have been omitted. Whole characters, such as Hooper and Charles Ryder's father, have been truncated, leaving the book really an empty shell.

I was really disappointed by this product: Nowhere on the CD itself does it say "Abridged," nor is it obvious in the product description. I guess I just have to assume that if it does not say "Complete and Unabridged," it's been mutilated.