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nmcannon 's review for:
Brideshead Revisited
by Evelyn Waugh
This was a surprising book. Usually when I read classic literature, all homosexuality and LGBTQIA themes are subtext. With BRIDESHEAD REVISITED, Ryder's bisexuality and Sebastian's gayness were as frankly discussed and indulged as possible for a book that's not published by Harlequin Romance. There's even a character who openly cross-dresses and ditches Oxford for a hot boy cop. I'm not kidding. It's great. Plus, the Flyte family is Catholic and that means there's /gay Catholics/ which is usually, like, sign me the heck up.
But while I enjoyed all that was mentioned above, the tone of the book threw me through further loops. While I understand that the 1920s were high-flying that then followed by a decade literally called The Great Depression and a terrible, awful World War, Ryder and the Flytes seem very determined to be melancholy and depressed throughout all three decades. Ryder is only happy for a grand total of 3 years out of 30. There's a sense that the characters, especially the Flytes, were not built for utilitarian work. They were meant to be the living embodiment of Lady Gaga's "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich," "Money Honey," and "Bad Romance" songs with a side of Lana del Rey's "Money, Power, Glory" and "Brite Lights." Ryder even goes as far as exclaiming that Sebastian's descent into alcoholism is because people keep forcing occupation and purpose on him. The book plays with this theme of avoiding work a lot, especially the moral aspects of wanting to be pretty and be surrounded by pretty things without working for it. Do people have an obligation to work? What are the consequences if people avoid occupation? Are you destined for sad, odd life, or can you get by? What's the point of the British aristocracy? How /useful/ is it, for one family to have all that wealth and then avoid contributing capital beyond the social? What are the consequences of forcing people to work or voluntarily working?
AND THEN, THE ENDING? *SPOILER* once happiness is on Ryder's and the Flytes' doorstep, Julia...ditches him to join the war effort because she's Catholic? Because Catholics don't believe in divorce? What about an annulment and the fact that you refer to your husband as an ambitious sociopath? Also Julia never speaks to Charles again? *END SPOILER* My face did lots of confused facial expressions. I feel like I missed something and will have to check Sparknotes. Because what the *bleep*.
But while I enjoyed all that was mentioned above, the tone of the book threw me through further loops. While I understand that the 1920s were high-flying that then followed by a decade literally called The Great Depression and a terrible, awful World War, Ryder and the Flytes seem very determined to be melancholy and depressed throughout all three decades. Ryder is only happy for a grand total of 3 years out of 30. There's a sense that the characters, especially the Flytes, were not built for utilitarian work. They were meant to be the living embodiment of Lady Gaga's "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich," "Money Honey," and "Bad Romance" songs with a side of Lana del Rey's "Money, Power, Glory" and "Brite Lights." Ryder even goes as far as exclaiming that Sebastian's descent into alcoholism is because people keep forcing occupation and purpose on him. The book plays with this theme of avoiding work a lot, especially the moral aspects of wanting to be pretty and be surrounded by pretty things without working for it. Do people have an obligation to work? What are the consequences if people avoid occupation? Are you destined for sad, odd life, or can you get by? What's the point of the British aristocracy? How /useful/ is it, for one family to have all that wealth and then avoid contributing capital beyond the social? What are the consequences of forcing people to work or voluntarily working?
AND THEN, THE ENDING? *SPOILER* once happiness is on Ryder's and the Flytes' doorstep, Julia...ditches him to join the war effort because she's Catholic? Because Catholics don't believe in divorce? What about an annulment and the fact that you refer to your husband as an ambitious sociopath? Also Julia never speaks to Charles again? *END SPOILER* My face did lots of confused facial expressions. I feel like I missed something and will have to check Sparknotes. Because what the *bleep*.