Tag Archives: Spectator

Novelists Review Powell Biography

Posted on September 29, 2017 by Jeffrey Manley

In yesterday’s papers, two novelists review the new biography of Anthony Powell by Hilary Spurling. Philip Hensher in the Spectator declares that Powell has finally received the biography he deserves. He also discusses the relationship of Powell and Evelyn Waugh: … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Newspapers | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Novelists Review Powell Biography

Lost Children and Losing Margarine

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Jeffrey Manley

The Guardian has published an article by Alex Clark about the theme of lost children in literature. The prime example is Ian McEwen’s Thatcher-era novel The Child in Time whch has been adapted for television by BBC/PBS in a 90-minute … Continue reading →

Posted in A Handful of Dust, Academia, Adaptations, Newspapers, Television | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Scoop Abides

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Jeffrey Manley

The Spectator has reviewed the latest novel by Ned Beauman with a nod to Evelyn Waugh. The title of the novel (Madness is Better than Defeat) itself implies a certain amount of irony and the remote foreign setting will resonate with … Continue reading →

Posted in Evelyn Waugh, Newspapers, Scoop | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Scoop Abides

New Novels with Wavian Undercurrents

Posted on August 15, 2017 by Jeffrey Manley

Two new novels have been credited in reviews with having been influenced by the writings of Evelyn Waugh. In the Spectator, Elizabeth Day’s fourth novel The Party is described in a review by Helen Brown as beginning with the hero’s Arriving at … Continue reading →

Posted in Evelyn Waugh, Fiction, Interviews, Newspapers | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on New Novels with Wavian Undercurrents

Waugh and Lodwick and Ludovic

Posted on July 27, 2017 by Jeffrey Manley

D J Taylor in this week’s Spectator reviews a book about the life of a post-war British writer named John Lodwick. This is A Forgotten Man by Geoffrey Elliott and depicts a prolific writer of over a score of books whose … Continue reading →

Posted in Newspapers, Sword of Honour, World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Waugh and Lodwick and Ludovic

Decline and Fall of the Bullingdon Club

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Jeffrey Manley

This week’s Spectator has a feature article and podcast by Harry Mount on the parlous straits of Oxford’s Bullingdon Club. He confesses to having been a member himself but seems open minded about its likely demise:  It isn’t quite dead — … Continue reading →

Posted in Brideshead Revisited, Decline and Fall, Humo(u)r, Newspapers, Oxford, Television | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Decline and Fall of the Bullingdon Club

Shades of Black Mischief

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Jeffrey Manley

A recent “Wild Life” column by Aidan Hartley in the Spectator describes how the new British High Commissioner to Kenya has snubbed the few white farmers who remain in that country: I realised I had fallen from grace when we … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Mischief, Newspapers | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Waugh and the McCarthyites

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Jeffrey Manley

A blogger posting on a community news weblog for West Berkshire has been inspired by reading The Letters of Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh to pronounce her assessment of Waugh’s life and work (Penny Post, 29 Sept-9 Oct). After declaring Waugh a … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Letters | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Waugh and the McCarthyites

Waugh’s Upper Lip in Poetry Competition

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Jeffrey Manley

In this week’s Spectator, Lucy Vickery posts the results of a competition she set for a poem relating to an author’s body part. This was inspired by John Sutherland’s recent book entitled Orwell’s Nose. Several entries are displayed but, with one … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Newspapers | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Waugh’s Upper Lip in Poetry Competition

Saga Louts and BYPs

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Jeffrey Manley

This week’s Spectator reports on the growing problem arising from the increase in the population of “Saga louts.” These are people in their 50-60s who have refused to grow up. They can frequently be observed misbehaving in pubs from which … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Humo(u)r, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Saga Louts and BYPs