Decline and Fall (1928)

Almost laugh-out-loud funny. In a quiet way it points out the absurdity of the social class system and public schools.
Which I've just re-read. It operates as several levels, and illustrates the cyclic nature of life. ( )

sometimes hilarious, sometimes mean and nasty. probably much better than i'm willing to give it credit for right now, but i really don't like evelyn waugh. ( )

Scorn can make for a trying read when its cruelty and harshness are still fresh, but almost a century on, Waugh's mockery of his own world has cooled to a playful and inventive caper. Very funny, carefully composed, remarkably restrained and economical for a first novel, yet still wide-ranging in it's scope and subjects. Diffident, hapless Paul Pennyfeather is borne from one farcical escapade to another, dispassionate witness to the frantic pretensions of the other characters: "How they all shriek and giggle!" as Professor Silenus puts it. Pure pleasure; I could read it again and again (this, prompted by an 'In Our Time' radio discussion, was, I think, my third time). ( )

Waugh's first novel is a wonderful satirical dark comedy, with no shortage of humorous characters. Be prepared for some racist and plenty of politically incorrectness. Paul Pennyfeather is sent down from Scone College for 'indecent behavior' and is disowned by his guardian. In need of money, he manages to get a job as a teacher at Llanabba, a small boys school in Wales.

At Llanabba, Paul finds his own method of getting along with the boys and faculty members, often with hilarious results. But lest you think this is just a chuckle-a-minute book without any depth, the build up to the final chapter where the meaning of life is explained with a very interesting and vivid metaphor is simply superb. ( )

Abandoned. This is supposed to be a comic novel, but the racism of the narrator and characters was seriously unfunny.