The Independent newspaper has published a list of its top 23 recommendations for a book to be read conveniently in a single weekend. It has included Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited in its selections. This seems odd, given that it is one of Waugh’s longer books and one that is more densely written (and is preferably read more slowly) than his others. The Loved One might have been a better choice. Others on the list from writers of Waugh’s generation are Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (both short) and Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises (rather longer).
Meanwhile, Waugh’s May 1942 letter to his wife describing the embarrassing commando misadventure with tree removal has been included in a collection published in the U.K. and entitled More Letters of Note. This letter was read out by actor Jude Law to much comic effect at this year’s Hay Literary Festival and subsequently on a video read by actor Geoffrey Palmer. See earlier post.
