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| Waugh |
1928
4/5 stars
Paul Pennyfeather is, by no fault of his own, sent down from Oxford for indecent behavior. His only recourse is to get a job teaching at a less-than-prestigious boarding school. While there, he meets the widowed mother of a student, Margot Beste-Chetwynde, with whom he falls in love. This starts a chain of events leading to his decline and fall.
This, Waugh's first published novel, shows him already a master of black humor, satire, and the absurd. The plot is unpredictable, the prose excellent, and the entire book truly funny. While it's not perfection, it is a great, quick read that will have the reader laughing out loud.
