In today’s episode, we’re discussing Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, a captivating novel that sparked conversations about the power of nostalgia, the balance between emotion and intellect, childishness and maturity, faith and reason.
If you asked me now who I am, the only answer I could give with any certainty would be my name. For the rest: my loves, my hates, down even to my deepest desires, I can no longer say whether these emotions are my own, or stolen from those I once so desperately wished to be.
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
As we continue through our satirical spring, we pose the question: is this novel is a satire or simply a novel with satirical elements? We also discuss how Waugh portrays faith and Catholicism, all the layers in this novel, and the deeper purpose of art for the Flyte family. We wrap up the episode by sharing six pairings to complement your Brideshead Revisited reading experience.
Listen to today’s episode wherever you get your podcasts, and while you’re there, will you please take two minutes to write a review? Reviews in Spotify and Apple Podcasts have a direct correlation to the podcast charts (based on our unscientific, completely anecdotal but pretty firm evidence and observations), and they also make our day!
Peruse these links for more Brideshead Aesthetics and History:
Seeking: a few gorgeous novels (Modern Mrs. Darcy)
Waugh and Brideshead (Vanity Fair)
Brideshead Revisited and the Modern Historicization of Memory (JSTOR)
The 30 Best PBS Masterpiece Shows (and Where to Stream Them) (Paste Magazine)
Roger Fry: Artist & Critic Extraordinaire (The Collector)
PS: Did you know you can create a free JSTOR account and access all sorts of nerdy scholarship? Login and have fun! We’d love to hear about what you learn.
Join us for our upcoming events on Patreon!
On Wednesday, March 27th at 7pm ET, we will host the Brideshead Revisited book club.
On Wednesday, April 10th at 7 pm ET, we will teach a class on The History of Comedy from Commedia Dell'arte to Sit Coms.
Join Patreon to participate in group discussion, public scholarship, and literary learning. We can’t wait to see you there!
We’ve enjoyed reading Brideshead Revisited this month and we’re looking forward to book club next week. In April, we’ll be reading Measure for Measure withTraci Thomasover at The Stacks Pod and The Importance of Being Earnest for Book Club. We’ve got On Beauty coming up in May. Satirical spring holds so many fun reading opportunities!
Happy Reading and Happy Spring,