Category Archives: A Handful of Dust

Two Essays: Orwell’s Comic Novels and Waugh’s Oxford

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

There are two well written and interesting essays this week relating to Waugh. The first is by Jonathan Clarke and appears in the quarterly City Journal. This is entitled “Orwell’s Humor” and relates mainly to his two 1930s comic novels … Continue reading →

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Mid-May Roundup

Posted on May 14, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

—The Guardian, apparently in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the serialized publication of Waugh’s diaries, has posted a brief introduction by Chris Hall. Here’s an excerpt: The year 1973 saw a big serialisation of the private diaries of Evelyn … Continue reading →

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Mother’s Day Roundup

Posted on May 7, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

–Nicholas Lezard writing in the New Statesman calls on Basil Seal to explain why asparagus (now coming into season in northerly climates) is the most sexy vegetable: … like all things sexy, it trembles on the edge of exploitation. In … Continue reading →

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Derek Granger: This Sunday in Eastbourne

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

Derek Granger, producer of the Granada TV series Brideshead Revisited will appear this Sunday, 24 April at 2 pm in Eastbourne College. He is 101 tomorrow, Saturday, 23 April. He will be in conversation with David Grindley at Eastbourne. Here … Continue reading →

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Roundup: Divorce, Cults and Lost Cities

Posted on April 9, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

—The Guardian recently posted a selection of books on difficult marriages in its “Top 10s” column. It is not surprising that a book by Evelyn Waugh on this topic made the list. Here’s the entry by Elizabeth Lowry: 3. A … Continue reading →

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Avoidance of Class

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

Novelist Philip Hensher has posted an essay on the website UnHerd.com that discusses the disappearance of social class distinctions as a topic in contemporary novels. He begins by noting that his students show reluctance to use class as a character … Continue reading →

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End of March Roundup

Posted on March 26, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

–Alexander Larman writing in The Spectator marks the 75th anniversary of Waugh’s 1947 trip to the USA with the article “Waugh in Hollywood”: …in early 1947, [Waugh] was forced to confront the modern world and do something out of keeping … Continue reading →

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Middlemarch Roundup

Posted on March 12, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

–The Financial Times recently considered the revival of the sleeveless sweater–a/k/a tank top or V-neck: “As far as I know, the history of the tank top starts from the 1930s, where men would wear a V-neck slipover that was often … Continue reading →

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Modernism’s Centenary Marked: Essay and Lecture

Posted on February 18, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

There have been several stories in the papers recently about the major events in the history of modern literature that occurred in 1922. A recent article by John Self in The Critic magazine does an excellent job of bringing them … Continue reading →

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BBC Radio 4 to Rebroadcast A Handful of Dust

Posted on February 9, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

Tne BBC will rebroadcast its two hour, two episode radio adaptation of  A Handful of Dust. This will be transmitted on BBC Radio 4 Extra on Thursday, 24 February at 1000a and will be available thereafter on BBC iPlayer. Here … Continue reading →

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