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Reviews
Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder by Evelyn Waugh
viaa7's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
annahowell's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Part of me wanted to rate 5 stars but I was annoyed by the endless discussion of religion and the fact we don’t find out what happened to Sebastian. Also quite snobbish with no real morals. I much prefer the first half of the book (Oxford) to the second. Very easy to read for a classic though, although I wonder how much of that is helped by having watched the adaptation.
gdro's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
libliz's review against another edition
4.0
A bit sluggish towards the end, but glad I finally got around to reading this one.
kmhst25's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
1.75
I think you would have to be some combination of male, Catholic, or Silent Generation to get much out of this one, and I am none of those things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Sexism, Terminal illness, Abandonment, and War
peachiisun1111's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
sebastian and the decadence of his family is captivating, unfortunately that was only the first half of the book..
for the rest we are left with the (imo) bland and unlikeable main character and his droll romance, was completely bored by this point
penguin_emperor_of_the_north's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it, the prose style was a little odd. Felt very flowy where scenes didn't often have a hard start or stop, they just flowed into each other. In the first half where the plot covers a shorter time span it wasn't difficult to follow but in the second half the plot starts to have some time jumps and I had to rely on context clues to pick up on when it was. It wasn't too hard to follow and i usually knew when it was but once or twice I had to pause and figure it out.
And it really came together at the end. It was the kind of book where the plot meandered, not really plot driven so there were times I was wondering where it was all going but it kept me engaged and the payoff was pretty good.
The ending was satisfying too. A balance of heartbreaking and hopeful for the characters' futures.
And it really came together at the end. It was the kind of book where the plot meandered, not really plot driven so there were times I was wondering where it was all going but it kept me engaged and the payoff was pretty good.
The ending was satisfying too. A balance of heartbreaking and hopeful for the characters' futures.
sarahetc's review against another edition
5.0
Well, I managed to stretch it out just over a week. The last of the book was very tense in that I knew there couldn't be much more, but I wanted there to be so very much more.
I had never read any Waugh and I didn't precisely have any expectations when I started the book. I had bought it because it was on dollar sale and I knew it was a "classic." I started reading and thought, "This is like some serious Wodehouse." And the more I read, the more I fell in love with the words and the characters and the book as a whole.
It really is something that has to be experienced. Aside from the amazing language and structure, it's one of those rare books that induces all sorts of feelings simultaneously. There's a constant thrum of nostalgia and, page by page, you are treated to anxiety, gaiety, melancholy, yearning, scorn, hilarity and everything else. Through it all, the nostalgia never wanes, even when the melancholy peaks hard, and it does.
I am so glad to have read this.
I had never read any Waugh and I didn't precisely have any expectations when I started the book. I had bought it because it was on dollar sale and I knew it was a "classic." I started reading and thought, "This is like some serious Wodehouse." And the more I read, the more I fell in love with the words and the characters and the book as a whole.
It really is something that has to be experienced. Aside from the amazing language and structure, it's one of those rare books that induces all sorts of feelings simultaneously. There's a constant thrum of nostalgia and, page by page, you are treated to anxiety, gaiety, melancholy, yearning, scorn, hilarity and everything else. Through it all, the nostalgia never wanes, even when the melancholy peaks hard, and it does.
I am so glad to have read this.
revvyrouser's review against another edition
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75