http://startnarrativehere.com/2010/02/a-handful-of-dust-by-evelyn-waugh-1934 a journal of bibliophilic tendencies Mon, 07 May 2012 22:59:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://startnarrativehere.com/2010/02/a-handful-of-dust-by-evelyn-waugh-1934/comment-page-1#comment-1299 REVIEW: A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh « Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:44:28 +0000 http://startnarrativehere.com/?p=1115#comment-1299 [...] Start Narrative Here: “Whereas the social comedy is largely written in sparkling dialogue, but when Tony ventures to avoid all divorce proceedings and familial manipulations by taking an exotic trip overseas the tone significantly changes. Rather than relying on conversations to drive the narrative forward, it takes on a very different, more reflective and descriptive tone once Tony is abroad. Here the novel lost me a bit. Tony’s travels may have been interesting in their own right, but to become so involved in the inner workings of the social circles of the Lasts and then to be torn right out of it had a somewhat jarring effect.” [...] [...] Start Narrative Here: “Whereas the social comedy is largely written in sparkling dialogue, but when Tony ventures to avoid all divorce proceedings and familial manipulations by taking an exotic trip overseas the tone significantly changes. Rather than relying on conversations to drive the narrative forward, it takes on a very different, more reflective and descriptive tone once Tony is abroad. Here the novel lost me a bit. Tony’s travels may have been interesting in their own right, but to become so involved in the inner workings of the social circles of the Lasts and then to be torn right out of it had a somewhat jarring effect.” [...]

]]> http://startnarrativehere.com/2010/02/a-handful-of-dust-by-evelyn-waugh-1934/comment-page-1#comment-1102 Phillip Routh Tue, 14 Dec 2010 22:23:16 +0000 http://startnarrativehere.com/?p=1115#comment-1102 The ending came first. Waugh wrote the short story "The Man Who Loved Dickens" and then began thinking about how his character got into that predicament. I believe, like you, that he's illustrating various forms of savagery -- or selfishness. You detected the not-so-perfect fit between the ending and the rest of the book. But, for me, it works. <i>Decline and Fall</i> may be his most innocent novel, but it was his first. He had some permanent scars when he wrote <i>Dust</i>. A complex man, a brilliant author. The ending came first. Waugh wrote the short story “The Man Who Loved Dickens” and then began thinking about how his character got into that predicament. I believe, like you, that he’s illustrating various forms of savagery — or selfishness.
You detected the not-so-perfect fit between the ending and the rest of the book. But, for me, it works.
Decline and Fall may be his most innocent novel, but it was his first. He had some permanent scars when he wrote Dust.
A complex man, a brilliant author.

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