Thursday, June 7, 2018

Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh

Decline and Fall
Waugh
Evelyn 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.

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