Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder by Evelyn Waugh

8 reviews

caitlancole's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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eli_jw's review against another edition

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reflective sad 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

2.5

I can see why this book is held as a classic, but for me it had just about everything I hate in a novel. I finished it but I greatly considered not doing so.
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jwells's review against another edition

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emotional reflective
This was a thought-provoking book for me. On one hand, I could hardly put it down - I think it's great. On the other hand, I want to violently reject everything resembling a message or theme I can detect in it. 

The romantic nostalgia over the aristocracy would be tolerable (it's not like Waugh is the only one) if not paired with open scorn for people less privileged. Oh, does Hooper have unflattering glasses? Dentures, and an inadequate handshake? Clearly that's enough excuse to justify an entire exploitative class system. I mean, we wouldn't want things to be, god forbid, inelegant. 

Is this supposed to be a pro-religion book, I wonder? I suspect we're meant to think that Julia makes the right choice at the end, for example. And be happy that at least the flame is burning in the chapel again?

It's pretty difficult, when we've already seen Christianity make her brother's life miserable. Presumably it's the reason Sebastian can't stand his family.
Because he has to stay closeted.  Otherwise there's a fine out and proud role model in Anthony...  not that he's not persecuted, but he's also not drinking himself to death.


Apparently there are critics who favor a platonic interpretation of BR. Having not read them, I hope they just mean that they think Charles is straight. Not that Sebastian is. 

Anyway, can't blame religion for everything; Charles manages to screw up his life without its help, with a choice of life partner as lukewarm as his drink order (whiskey with tepid water).
Celia is like a warm up spouse, marrying the sister of the friend he didn't care about (Boy), instead of the sister of the friend he maybe cared about too much. It's almost like even marrying Julia sounded too dangerous or too close to real passion.


I sound rather cranky in this review, but I also read BR twice in January, though I'm not a big re-reader as a rule. I don't know how, but Waugh gets me invested in these people, even when they are annoying, and even when I dislike what he's using them to convey. 

Still, I can hardly stop turning pages. 
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felidmostfoul's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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greyofmydayoldtea's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious reflective 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

I can definitely see how this inspired The Secret History. Features barely veiled queer subtext, morally grey main characters, failed marriages, alcoholism, all that good stuff. Very interesting themes of clinging onto youth when the realities of the world and your family make you deeply suffocated. 
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mmefish's review against another edition

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reflective 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

2.0

I was going to give this book 3.5 starts but then part 3 happened. Ugh. How can I even explain my frustration without ranting? In short, characters’ personalities do 180; people cheat and divorce and then suddenly everyone converts to Catholicism. Sebastian (and their romance with MC) gets completely forgotten, and it simply  feels like you’re reading a completely different book. What was the point? I don’t know but I want my wasted hours back.

“I regard writing not as investigation of character but as an exercise in the use of language, and with this I am obsessed. I have no technical physiological interest. It is drama, speech and events that interest me.” – E. Waugh

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odrib's review against another edition

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sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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readerinthedale's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective 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

3.5

Unlikeable characters but in the painful way where they just point out all of your own personal flaws and then don't grow from them at all. Made me sad and not in the way I want to be sad. 
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