Evelyn Waugh

Evelyn Waugh was an eminent British author who wrote many novels that are still widely read and admired today. Born in 1903 in London, England, he is most well-known for Decline and Fall (1928), A Handful of Dust (1934), and Brideshead Revisited (1945). His work is known for its scathing wit and satirical tone, often commenting on society’s cruelties and hypocrisies. He is considered one of the foremost authors of the twentieth century, having had a profound influence on post-war British literature and culture.

Throughout his career, Waugh wrote novels, short stories, and journalistic pieces; today though, he is best known for his novels. His first novel, Decline and Fall, established him as a writer of great comic talent and drew on Waugh’s own experiences of a teaching position at a progressive school. The novel is an exposé of school life and its power structure and was an immediate success. It was quickly followed by Vile Bodies (1930) and Black Mischief (1932). These three novels are often referred to as “The Trilogy of Youth” and offer a caustic insight into the world of high society in inter-war Britain.

In 1934, Waugh published his most famous novel, A Handful of Dust. The novel follows the disintegration of the marriage between Tony Last, a landed gentry, and his wife, Brenda. It is a bleak exploration of the disintegration of British society and was an immediate success. Waugh’s next novel, Scoop (1938), drew on his own experiences of being a foreign correspondent in Ethopia, although the work is a parody of the British press rather than a straightforward narrative.

The second phase of Waugh’s writing career began in 1945, when he published Brideshead Revisited. The novel follows an aristocratic Catholic family in decline, some of the characters of which appear in other works of Waugh’s such as Vile Bodies and A Handful of Dust. Brideshead Revisited is perhaps Waugh’s best-known work and is often cited as one of the greatest British novels of all time.

Throughout his life, Waugh was known for his acerbic wit and satirical gaze – although later works such as Helena (1950) and Men at Arms (1952) revealed a more generous and sympathetic side. He remained a defender of Christian values and tradition, and his Catholicism was a continuing theme throughout his life and works.

Evelyn Waugh died in 1966 at his home in Somerset, England. His works continue to be read and admired by novelists and readers alike, and his stylistic approach has greatly influenced contemporary writing. He will be remembered as one of the best and most influential writers of the twentieth century.