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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
This novel is heavy with guilt (both the Catholic and the repressed homosexual kind) and the majority of the characters are motivated by a deep sadness that they hardly dare name, from Sebastian's drinking to Charles's and Julia's doomed affair. The novel is a feat of writing for its exploration of repression alone; for the way its narrator is so adept at avoiding the truth about his relationship with Sebastian while recording, with surprising frankness, the behaviours of the men around him. It's simultaneously expansive in its scope and spare in its writing; it's beautifully written and remarkably insightful. It also features Waugh's own political and religious sensibilities casting an undeniable shadow over the text which left me deeply puzzled by the ending. Waugh described this as a "Catholic novel" and yet Catholicism seems to function as a curse on the Marchmaim family, and it appears to genuinely mourn for the decline of the British empire and the aristocratic lifestyle. Ultimately, it's strange and frustrating, and demands rereading because of it. I'm sure I'll revisit it again and again. I'm not sure I'll ever make up my mind.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Not as gay or as interesting as I hoped - this was a re-read that I last read in Sixth Form so I wanted to see if I was missing anything back then. It is wittier than I remember but still not as amazing as my English Lit teacher made out.
I liked this one! A glimpse into a way of life that soon ended. Or how to make an act of contrition that really means something.
To me this book seemed a little slow and meandering. The entire time I was reading it I was thinking to myself "Okay, I'm interested, but where is this going?" In the end, I still didn't feel quite like I understood what the point was. I think I'll have to give it another read with fresh eyes before I can give a solid opinion.
Some parts were quite funny, but I was overall unmoved by the main themes of the book (of course, I would be...)
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is one of those classics that I don’t feel like I am sophisticated enough (or British enough) to appreciate fully.
The language is so beautiful and paints a vivid picture of each character and place. I was somewhat adrift with the social and political references.
It was moving and sad and sometimes frustrating. A fascinating story.
The language is so beautiful and paints a vivid picture of each character and place. I was somewhat adrift with the social and political references.
It was moving and sad and sometimes frustrating. A fascinating story.
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have an absurd fascination with stories like this and I’m not sure what that says about me. I definitely see a lot of the parallels this story/the characters have with The Secret History, Saltburn (of course) and even Succession?
I love affected, slightly whimsical, characters who have a tendency towards behaving badly, which Brideshead Revisited has in droves. I also enjoy stories that languish in descriptions of absurd wealth and the Marchmains are clearly a family both charmed and cursed by their privilege. There is an undercurrent of queerness, which I found surprising for a book of its time, as Charles loves, above all else, beauty, whether that’s the beauty he finds in Sebastian or in Julia. Go off pan king!!
I was debating between a 4 and a 5 for this book because I was really swept away by it and I can see the characters staying with me for a while. However, I hold to the principle that if you are debating a 5, it cannot truly be a 5 in your mind.
I love affected, slightly whimsical, characters who have a tendency towards behaving badly, which Brideshead Revisited has in droves. I also enjoy stories that languish in descriptions of absurd wealth and the Marchmains are clearly a family both charmed and cursed by their privilege. There is an undercurrent of queerness, which I found surprising for a book of its time, as Charles loves, above all else, beauty, whether that’s the beauty he finds in Sebastian or in Julia. Go off pan king!!
I was debating between a 4 and a 5 for this book because I was really swept away by it and I can see the characters staying with me for a while. However, I hold to the principle that if you are debating a 5, it cannot truly be a 5 in your mind.