Category Archives: Decline and Fall

Summer Bank Holiday Roundup

Posted on August 27, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

–D J Taylor in the latest issue of Literary Review has written a review of the new biography by Patrick Donovan. This is entitled Arnold Bennett: Last Icon. It was mentioned in a previous post.  Here’s an excerpt from the … Continue reading →

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Gerhardie, Waugh and Boyd

Posted on July 25, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

Novelist William Boyd has written an essay for The Spectator about the influence of William Gerhardie’s novels on several British novelists of the interwar period. It is entitled “Evelyn Waugh’s sincerest form of flattery.” Here’s an excerpt from the beginning: … Continue reading →

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Harold and Robert and Evelyn

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

The latest issue of Valet magazine (No. 4) has an article by Waugh biographer and Waugh Society member Duncan McLaren entitled “An Oxford Cartoon”. As he explains in the introductory paragraphs, it is inspired by a drawing that accompanies the … Continue reading →

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Arnold Bennett Revival ?

Posted on July 14, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

Simon Heffer writing in the Daily Telegraph reconsiders the career and reputation of Arnold Bennett (1867-1931), an early supporter of Evelyn Waugh. The article opens with this: Despite the literary achievement of Arnold Bennett, generations have now grown up unaware … Continue reading →

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Roundup: Changing of the Guard

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

–The main story of the week is of course the fall of Boris Johnson. Veteran journalist Max Hastings writing in The Times brings a Waugh character into his assessment of Johnson’s career: Herein, I suggest, lay much of the extraordinary … Continue reading →

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Flag Day Roundup

Posted on June 13, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

–Author Irvine Welsh (best known for his novel Trainspotting) was interviewed in advance of an appearance at the Beyond the Pale Festival at Wicklow, Ireland, 10-12 June. This appeared in the Irish Examiner. Here’s an excerpt: I’ve always admired writers … Continue reading →

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Roundup: Mostly Books

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

—The Times has an article describing a re-reading of Henry Green’s peculiar 1939 novel Party Going. This is by Claire Alltree and opens with this: I think of Henry Green’s 1939 novel every time I walk across Victoria station, which … 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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Roundup: Book List and Bullingdon

Posted on April 23, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

–Charles Moore writing in the Daily Telegraph has a story entitled “Not even the Queen’s Jubilee is safe from BBC preaching: There are good writers all across the Commonwealth, but Auntie insists on telling us that it knows best”. He … Continue reading →

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Amis (Pronounced “Ames”) Centenary

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Jeffrey Manley

The Daily Telegraph has posted an article by Jake Kerridge marking the centenary of Kingsley Amis. This will occur later this month. The article is entitled “Why misogynist Kingsley Amis is too good to cancel” and opens with this: In … Continue reading →

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