Wednesday 4 March 2015

Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder by Evelyn Waugh"


"Their passion frightened her, and she came back from the confessional one day determined to put an end to it."

So this is one of those rare occasions where I've watched the movie before reading the book  and look how appropriate, my copy of the book is a movie tie-in.This one has been in my to read pile for an absolute age and going on my previous love of Waugh's other novels like Vile Bodies, I think I'd been saving it to savour.
That being said my praise is not completely effusive here. There are moments that are sublime, but it lacks the bite of some of his other works. This is more sad and reflective as, during the war, Captain Ryder revisits the scenes of his youth through his station at Brideshead as per the title.

As in Vile Bodies, Dipsomania raises its ugly head in the persona of Sebastian and his tragic story. My recollections, perhaps tainted by the cinematic excursion were more around the romantic tale and indeed the interlude of Julia and Ryder is rather fleeting but memorable.
For me this one seemed more about faith and love and relationships and frustration and guilt seeped out of the pages.

I think this one is a slow burn.

5 out of 5 memories fade.


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