Sent down from Oxford in outrageous circumstances, Paul Pennyfeather is oddly surprised to find himself qualifying for the position of schoolmaster at Llanabba Castle. His colleagues are an assortment of misfits, rascals and fools, including Prendy (plagued by doubts) and Captain Grimes, who is always in the soup (or just plain drunk). Then Sports Day arrives, and with it the delectable Margot Beste-Chetwynde, floating on a scented breeze. As the farce unfolds and the young run riot, no one is safe, least of all Paul.
Decline and Fall (Penguin Modern Classics)
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.30
Trade in Decline and Fall (Penguin Modern Classics) for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.30, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Learn more
|
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Review
* ...a corking production. Rik Mayall displays a finely tuned enthusiasm and a range of voices that convey, one imagines, just the effects Waugh was after. The Sunday Times
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
About the Author
Evelyn Waugh was born in 1903 and was educated at Hertford College, Oxford. In 1928 he published his first novel, Decline and Fall, which was soon followed by Vile Bodies (1930), Black Mischief (1932), A Handful of Dust (1934) and Scoop (1938). In 1945 he published Brideshead Revisited and he won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1952 for Men at Arms. Evelyn Waugh died in 1966.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
'I think you ought to find some work,' said his guardian thoughtfully. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
'I think you ought to find some work,' said his guardian thoughtfully. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 49 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is one of the books that made me love english litterature. It is so wonderfully absurd and at the same time accurate in it's description of british society and education around 1930. When I sometime tires of Wodehouse and the constant mix-ups of his (otherwise wonderful) tales about Jeeves & Wooster, Psmith or Blandings Castle, Waugh is my choice. It is down to earth, but extremely funny.
Young man Pennyfeather is expelled from Oxford due, through no fault of his own, to indecent behaviour. He becomes schoolmaster at a school in Wales which, frankly, is not very good. He falls in love, and the rest of the plot is for you to find out.
I can tell you, however, that in this book Waugh covers so diverse subjects as prisons, religion, education, architecture (at this point, one might rightly wonder if it's Bentham I'm reviewing instead of Waugh, but no!), glamour, greed, insanity, worldwide cooperation, Welsh music, teenage boys and alcohol. And even if you like or dislike some, or most of these things, Waugh makes them seem so absurd that you can't help but smile at his descriptions of everyday life in those very specific circles.
Go on and read it - it's cheap, it's a classic and it is one of the most entertaining and clever books I've ever read.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Evelyn Waugh was a grumpy old so and so. In his lifetime he was very vocal about his dislike of all manner of things particularly those which he considered 'modern'. In this, his first novel, he takes every opportunity to mercilessly satirise such diverse subjects as prison reform, architecture, psychology, the behaviours of modern women and with a little less subtlety... The Welsh. In the hands of lesser authors some of this could be a little clumsy and offensive but Waugh's wit, literary dexterity, lightness of touch and ability to reflect the attitudes and mores of his time easily pull him through. There are some fantastically funny passages. The section detailing the inadequate clergyman Prendergast's musings on marriage for example, is comic genius as is the description of the school sport's day.
However, unlike Wodehouse, Waugh was always about more than knockabout comedy and he ably makes some serious points about the changes fast occurring in England between the wars. Perhaps the most powerful impression he conveys is that of the powerlessness of his main character Pennyfeather. All manner of malign influences come to bear on his life at one time or another and he seems incapable of doing anything about them. He drifts from the aristocratic buffoons at Oxford to the pseudo-scholarliness of the pubic school headmaster to the self-serving cruelty of a wealthy woman to the ludicrous pseudo-psychology of a prison warden. He is indeed a feather, blown helplessly from one powerful person to another.
A wonderful book and a great starting point for anyone wanting to get to know one of England's finest writers a little better.
However, unlike Wodehouse, Waugh was always about more than knockabout comedy and he ably makes some serious points about the changes fast occurring in England between the wars. Perhaps the most powerful impression he conveys is that of the powerlessness of his main character Pennyfeather. All manner of malign influences come to bear on his life at one time or another and he seems incapable of doing anything about them. He drifts from the aristocratic buffoons at Oxford to the pseudo-scholarliness of the pubic school headmaster to the self-serving cruelty of a wealthy woman to the ludicrous pseudo-psychology of a prison warden. He is indeed a feather, blown helplessly from one powerful person to another.
A wonderful book and a great starting point for anyone wanting to get to know one of England's finest writers a little better.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By John Davison
Format:Paperback
Evelyn Waugh was for a long time my favourite writer and I still think this [early] book is his best. The taut, brittle humour is consistent from beginning to end, and the pace never lets up.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 56 reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
ok but a but dated
Not as good as other books by the same author and contained some racisim. Liked tthe pace of the novel.
Published 1 day ago by fiona mackenzie
5.0 out of 5 stars
The beginning of 20th century
Very funny portrait of last twenties that fascinated me. It is writen in a way that makes you feel part of that society, a light yet profound approach of the values of a certain... Read more
Published 15 days ago by natercia lourenco
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very much representing social history
Very much a product of its time - a classic parody of the upper class. I felt really uncomfortable reading some of it - it was gratifying to know that we have moved on considerably... Read more
Published 16 days ago by Katrina
4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent book
A perfect book to read in bed, full of interesting topical references to people,places and books which figured in Waugh's life.
Published 22 days ago by Edwin Roberts
4.0 out of 5 stars
Decline and Fall
Brittle,sharp-edged humour, like sipping Chateau Petrus through fine, chipped Crystal. Thoroughly enjoyable and memorable. A book not to be missed.
Published 1 month ago by William Armiger
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great novel
Had not read this for some years and on re reading the book I enjoyed it more than ever, it works well today and still resonates with contemporary issues while being very funny... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Paul T. Mccarthy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Laugh out loud funny
This book is definitely a 'modern classic'. It is very funny and the satire is still biting after all this time.
Published 2 months ago by Worried Lady!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliantly Funny
I don't know why I waited so long to buy and read this novel. I read it straight through in a day by the pool and enjoyed every moment.
Published 2 months ago by Junior 60
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very funny
It’s a very funny, funny book! When you gets used to his humor and his way of writing, you follow the story easier. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Marie
5.0 out of 5 stars
A present for my husband.
My husband wanted to read some Evelyn Waugh and I was very happy with the price. I t was in good condition.
Published 4 months ago by J. Edmonds
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
