Last week, I wrote about George Orwell’s new blog. Now he’s back in the news as a subject in a book he shares with Evelyn Waugh. At first glance, Orwell and Waugh couldn’t be more different in style, interests and beliefs, but writer David Lebedoff has tied together these two fascinating British authors. You can click on a link below for more information on the book The Same Man: George Orwell and Evelyn Waugh in Love and War.
Orwell and Waugh lived at the same time, observed a similar world and country and expressed opinions on the same topics. Orwell is known for his dark views of a downtrodden futuristic society, while Waugh’s literary world was lush and populated with an aristocratic crowd.
The book that epitomizes Waugh for me is Brideshead Revisited. OK, I admit it was the 1982 miniseries, featuring a young Jeremy Irons, that first drew my attention to Waugh. Recently, a shorter version of Brideshead Revisited made it to the theater screen. I don’t see how it can top the first one, but I know I’ll see it eventually. I’m a sucker for any period piece, even if it takes place last year.
If you want some reviews about the new Orwell/Waugh book go to my book club blog.
Catherine Sherman 