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Vile Bodies

By Evelyn Waugh
Penguin Classics
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3.72 goodreads logo

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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh is a satirical novel that delves into the frivolous and hedonistic lives of young socialites in 1920s London. As they flit from one extravagant party to another, their pursuits of pleasure and celebrity leave them grappling with the superficiality and absurdity of their lifestyles. The book offers a sharp commentary on society and the cultural shifts during that era, filled with Waugh's trademark wit and humour.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are intrigued by satirical explorations of London high society in the 1920s, filled with sharp wit and chaotic parties. This novel's lively characters and biting humour offer a darkly comic perspective on the frivolity and decadence of a past era.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Vile Bodies is Evelyn Waugh's brilliant skewering of the Roaring Twenties, now available in a wonderful new hardback edition.

The Bright Young Things of 1920s Mayfair, with their paradoxical mix of innocence and sophistication, exercise their inventive minds and vile bodies in every kind of capricious escapade. Whether it is promiscuity, dancing, cocktail parties, or sports cars, a vivid assortment of characters, among them the struggling writer Adam Fenwick-Symes and the glamorous, aristocratic Nina Blount, hunt fast and furiously for ever-greater sensations and the hedonistic fulfilment of their desires.

Evelyn Waugh's acidly funny and experimental satire shows a new generation emerging in the years after the First World War, revealing the darkness and vulnerability beneath the glittering surface of the high life.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh is widely praised for its satirical brilliance and humour. Critics highlight its uproarious and ferocious examination of public and private morals, often leading readers to laughter. The novel's wit is celebrated as wickedly entertaining, showcasing Waugh's talent for finding amusement even in bleak subject matter.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241585283

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 27 October 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 29.0mm

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 327g

Pages: 304

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Evelyn Waugh Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Penguin Classics: General Fiction

About the Author

Evelyn Waugh was born in Hampstead in 1903 and 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). During these years he also travelled extensively and converted to Catholicism. In 1939 Waugh was commissioned in the Royal Marines and later transferred to the Royal Horse Guards, experiences which informed his Sword of Honour trilogy (1952-61). His most famous novel, Brideshead Revisited (1945), was written while on leave from the army. Waugh died in 1966.

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