Comments

1. Angelico Nguyen, Esq., OP says

   April 9, 2012 at 9:58 pm

   Good catch! That lonely, damningly faint line of praise, ‘Much of the dialogue is funny’, sounds like our Churchill.

   Biggest laugh:

   ‘You may quote me as saying: “This exposure of corruption, cowardice and incivility of American officers will outrage all friends of your country (such as myself)…’.

   Also worth a glance is the 1936 letter wherein Waugh asked Laura Herbert whether ‘you could bear the idea of marrying me’:

   I can’t advise you in my favour because I think it would be beastly for you, but think how nice it would be for me. I am restless & moody and misanthropic & lazy & have no money except what I earn and if I got ill you would starve. In fact it’s a lousy proposition. On the other hand I think I could do a Grant and reform & become quite strict about not getting drunk and I am pretty sure I should be faithful. Also there is always a fair chance that there will be another bigger economic crash in which case if you had married a nobleman with a great house you might find yourself starving, while I am very clever and could probably earn a living of some sort somewhere.

   All these are very small advantages compared with the awfulness of my character. I have always tried to be nice to you and you may have got it into your head that I am nice really, but that is all rot. It is only to you & for you. I am jealous & impatient — but there is no point in going into a whole list of my vices. You are a critical girl and I’ve no doubt that you know them all and a great many I don’t know myself.’

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2. Quin Finnegan says

   April 9, 2012 at 10:02 pm

   Waugh, waugh … (descending major … er … Major Major)

   Who says a novel can’t be a collection of sketches, and often repetitious?

   As for structure … the title is “Catch 22”, for hell’s sake. Sorta the point, I think. And when you really get down to it … show me a novel without structure.

   Yeesh.

   Reply
   • lickona says

     April 10, 2012 at 11:25 am

     Aristotle says.

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     • Quin Finnegan says

       April 10, 2012 at 10:19 pm

       oh

       Reply
3. Jonathan Potter says

   April 10, 2012 at 11:45 am

   It was love at first sight.

   Reply
4. Jonathan Webb says

   April 11, 2012 at 9:24 pm

   Yeah, couldn’t disagree more. But, I’ll take Waugh being wrong over just about anyone else being right.

   Reply