Brideshead Revisited in a complex and beautifully written tale of nostalgia for a faith and aristocratic...

Brideshead Revisited | Brideshead Revisited | Evelyn Waugh

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	• Brideshead Revisited Evelyn Waugh Back Bay Books, 1999 - 351 pages average customer review:based on 105 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A read-again to Revsited

I first read this book over 30 years ago but wanted to return to it because of the quality of Evelyn Waugh's writing. There is enough detail to get a clear picture of each character, scene and location but it still moves along well and keeps ones interest page to page. I will always remember the prayer, "O God, if there is a God, forgive this man his sins, if there is such a thing as sin."
I have used that many times with friends and co-workers since it covers a wealth of beliefs or un-beliefs. I highly recommend this work.

Brideshead Revisited in a complex and beautifully written tale of nostalgia for a faith and aristocratic way of life

Brideshead Revisited was published in 1944 and has won its place as the most famous and beloved work of its prolific author Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966). Waugh was a British aristocrat, alcoholic and a devout Roman Catholic. He was a conservative and a snob. The man could, however, write with power, passion and keen skills of observation.
The 300 page novel is narrated by Charles Ryder. Ryder is a middle class chap who aspires to be a painter. His father is distant and dull; his mother was killed during World War I. Charles enters Oxford quickly becoming acquainted with a bohemian set. Homoeroticism is normative in this group led by the outre Anthony Patch. Charles becomes acquainted with Sebastian Flyte wealthy and spoiled son of Lord and Lady Marchmain
During a summer recess Ryder and Sebastian visit the latter's ancestral home Brideshead. The Marchmains are Roman Catholics who have had the faith instilled deeply into their psyches by the formidable Lady Marchmain.
Charles is drawn closer to the Marchmains as time passes. In addition to Sebastian he meets and eventually has an adulterous relationship with Juia. Brideshead the oldest son is a snob and ninnyhead who collects matchbox boxes and weds a fat, fortyish and fatuous widow. The youngest child is Celia who enters a convent later emerging to do nursing work.
The glorious springtime of hope for the family comes a cropper. Sebastian drops out of school, becomes an alcoholic and lives out his life in a monastery in Tunisia. Julia weds the obtuse and greedy Rex Mottram but ditches him for Charles. After her mother dies her Catholic teaching keeps her from marrying Charles. Ryder is an agnostic who cannot persuade Julia to leave God for him. Ryder is a sad sack of a man despite his fame in the art world. He and all of the characters are lonely seekers for love which they find elusive.
Charles becomes a captain in the British army in World War II. It is in this capacity that he and his squad camp out at the deserted Brideshead estate. Memories flood his nostalgic soul for a lost dawn when life was just beginning and the drab life of wartime England was not even imaginable. At age 39 the divorced Charles pines for the love of Julia dreaming of a happiness which will never be fulfilled.
Waugh is adept at using symbolism. Sebastian was an early Christian martyr slain with arrows. Sebastian the Marchmain son is also slain by the slings and arrows in flight which destoy his fragile pesona. Sebastian clutching his teddybear Aloysius is also a fragile toy who cannot escape the Roman Catholicism faith. Sebastian is alwas in flight but never finds a perch in this world. Charles Ryder rides with the Roman Catholic aristocracy but never feels he is really a part of that close knitted group. Ryder becomes a famous artist but is unfaithful to his dull and amorous wife. Lady Marchmain marches forth carrying high the banner of Catholic orthodoxy. The death scene of the old roue Lord Marchmain finds him returning to the faith in a touching death scene. Waugh is a Christian writer in our secular age.
None of the characters are lovable and all are deeply flawed. They do live and breathe and become human for us as we are enveloped by the rich prose of Mr. Waugh.
Brideshead Revisited has had a big revival due to the new movie and the reissue of the series on DVD which was broadcast by the BBC years ago. The book is very British, slow moving and more character centered than plot driven. It is a novel which will make you think on everything from snobbery to social class to faith. No wonder it is a modern classic.

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Brideshead Revisited

When Charles Ryder arrives at Brideshead after an absence of many years, he loses himself in reminiscences of the once grand home and residence of the intriguing Flyte family. Charles shares the story of his all-encompassing and complex relationship with the Flytes, which germinates with his college relationship with the eldest son, Sebastian, at Oxford. While sharing his opulent college days with Sebastian, the two become connoisseurs of fine food, good conversation, and especially in Sebastian's case, alcohol. Charles becomes unwittingly seduced by the luxurious lifestyle Sebastian leads, and although Sebastian tries to avoid the intrusion of his family into the friendship, Charles becomes enmeshed with them, growing increasingly entangled with their religious proclivities and emotional adversities. Eventually Charles moves past his friendship with Sebastian, who is on a course of self-destruction. Although he tries to leave Sebastian behind, his ties with the stifling family remain strong, and his ardor focuses on more accessible targets. As the glamor and artifice of the Flytes begins to fall away, Charles discovers his own moral awakenings, leaving him to reconcile the differences between himself and the Flytes as well as the similarities.

This book is a stunning piece of literature. From the rich language to the captivating story it tells, it is easy to understand why this book remains a classic today. Though the story is arguably about one young man's immersion in a very unique family, there exists, parallel to the plot, the subject of divine grace and the examination of Catholicism as a moral compass which may shape even those who are not of the faith. The book also deals with the nostalgia for the British nobility, the disillusionment at the passage of youth, and speaks specifically about the many forms of love that assail us as human beings throughout life. The remarkable thing about all of this is that it is not done in a heavy-handed and cardboard way. It is not pounded into you with antiquated and stuffy language or sentimental observations that render the story artificially affected. Instead, there is a constant pushing and pulling of ideas, and a honest portrayal of relationships, religion, and youth that is not afraid to show the entire truth, warts and all. Aside from liking this book for the story that it told, I found it was engaging and entertaining in other aspects. The prose was lyrical while still being a little snarky and standoffish, giving it an offbeat charm and a knowing voice. When I had finished reading and closed the book, I found that there was so much more to think about and explore within the world presented to me. I looked back at scenes that were poignant, and was able to see that besides the obvious emotional impact there was a great deal more hiding within the narrative. Later, I found concepts that hadn't initially occurred to me, and I mused about the authors intentions with the direction of the story, and if indeed there was a subtle agenda. The book had a wonderful mood about it as well. The atmosphere was one of somberness, but it was not overwhelmingly dark and depressive. Things seemed to have the perfect gravity, neither too comedic nor too dismal. This is not to say that this was an entirely dark book; there were some perfectly comedic and witty moments, but overall the tone of this book was more serious, lending it the ability to become profound. This may give the perception that this is a deep book. Yes and no. I would say that on one hand it is a very deep book, but it depends entirely on how you read it. If you are reading it for the pleasure of an interesting story, that is what you will get. If on the other hand you are reading it for a deeper meaning, that is there as well. What I find interesting is that these elements exist completely in harmony with each other, while also remaining separate entities.

I think the true measure of the success of this book is the fact that, although I have moved on to other books, I still find myself thinking about it. In quiet moments, I find myself plundering the depths of the story, eager to make more connections and relishing the moments and situations I found within the covers. The book had a powerful voice and message, and it was the ability of the author to show, not tell, his message that impressed and amazed me. The mechanics and eloquence of his ideas were equally impressive. Though the author's opinions may not be popular with every reader, and may even be contrary to those who are not particularly religious, the story and the execution are truly brilliant. This book was an exceptional and unexpected prize. Highly recommended.

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An Exquisite Novel

Brideshead Revisited in one of those masterpieces that your find you love more each time you re-read it. It's funny, sad, serious and poignant. It shows the power and the weakness of religion. Waugh's characters are vivid and his language and imagery is masterful.

Twitch upon a thread

There are several really good reviews of this book including those by Gary F. Taylor and Mary Whipple, so I'll just comment on the book as a Catholic conversion story. It has been said that "Brideshead Revisited" reflects in some sense Waugh's own conversion to Catholicism. If that is why you are interested in this book, know that it is a subtle story. On the surface Waugh paints a picture of Catholicism through the Marchmain family that is not very attractive. The Marchmain family is rather split between those who remain devout Catholics and those who are rebelling against it, and for the most part those who are rebelling are painted in the more positive light. That is rather oversimplifying it a bit because the characters are not one dimensional stereotypes. Still, it gives you a general sense of the family dynamics and the surface portrait of Catholicism, and this remains the general tone throughout the book. Don't expect some dramatic conversion to suddenly paint Catholicism as all perfect and rosy and right. It's not to be found. Yet Waugh still manages to somehow give one a sense of the power and importance of faith and grace in each of his character's lives. It is not the same for every character, and it is not a neat tidy package for any of them, yet it seems always to be there. For me, this quote from the book sums it up best:

"'I caught him with an unseen hook and an invisible line which is long enough to let him wander to the ends of the world and still to bring him back with a twitch upon the thread.'"

This is a memorable book and well worth reading.

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Evelyn Waugh's best-loved novel and the basis for the PBS television production, Brideshead Revisited, the epic story of a great Catholic family in a doomed aristocratic age.