Evelyn Waugh
by Bentley/Farrell/Burnett
The book covers for the complete series of Evelyn Waugh’s novels, by Bentley/Farrell/Burnett from the late 1970s, are among the most distinctive designs in Penguin’s history. Each book has the same cream covered background, bearing a striking and elegant illustration that blends Art Deco with psychedelia. The main reason behind then Penguin Art Director David Pelham’s decision to use a cream coloured background was primarily based on there being a substantial amount of unused paper stock that was too expensive to waste. The initial design brief Pelham issued stated: the covers were to have Art Deco architectural features in soft pastel colours. Happily, Bentley/Farrell/Burnett ignored him and instead produced their marvelous hallucinogenic illustrations with characters to the forefront.
I know of these romantic friendships of the English and the Germans. They are not Latin. I think they are very good if they do not go on too long…It is a kind of love that comes to children before they know its meaning. In England it comes when you are almost men; I think I like that. It is better to have that kind of love for another boy than for a girl.’ (Brideshead Revisited, 1.4)
~Said by Cara, the mistress of Sebastian Flyte’s father, to Charles Ryder, Sebastian’s intimate friend.
***I am reading ‘Brideshead Revisited’ as vacation reading, spurred, perhaps, by how struck I was by the movie adaptation of several years ago, and by my fondness for queer history and literature.
I saw the 2008 film when it came out, but didn’t get around to reading the book until now. So my impression of BR was that it was a story with homosexual themes, because that element is certainly played up in the film adaptation, with the tentative, heady kiss between Sebastian and Charles shown in the above clip. I am not surprised that there was no such kiss in the book, which was published in 1945 and was widely read; kisses between men were not the sort of thing that would make a post-war novel popular. But I have been surprised to read some very overt mentions of homosexuality, of men referring to themselves as ‘inverts,’ and others talking about the passionate friendships between young men.
The quote above illustrates of some of the attitudes that others show towards Charles and Sebastian, in that there exists a level of tolerance for close intimacy between two male friends (probably greater tolerance than would be shown towards two young male friends today), as long as everyone understands that such friendships do not persist past adolescence.
In the text, Sebastian is portrayed as childlike (though not innocent), with his overblown enthusiasms and his whimsical affectations, like carrying a teddy bear upon whom he can project his own disavowed feelings. Charles appears the more mature, the steadier one of the two of them. But, as I arrive at the passages where Sebastian’s enthusiasm turns to despair, I wonder if it’s not so much a case of a little boy who doesn’t want to grow up, à la Peter Pan, but rather the incipient despair of a man who realizes that the love he has so freely enjoyed will soon be forbidden him. And what would make a man dread the coming of adulthood more than being told that adulthood means renunciation of bodily pleasures, rather than the enjoyment of such? I pity Sebastian, caught as he is between two impossible paths, and on top of all that, with the threat of sin hanging heavy on him.
No wonder he turns to drink, to the oblivion of the bottle! These are the paths that lead to madness, these somber renunciations of desires that are anything but infantile.
Hello: I am really enjoying your blog! I recently finished BR for the first time and just love all of the source material that you have posted here. Such a nice collection. May I ask, are you studying EW in an academic setting or is this a labor of love? I am also intrigued by the connection to St. Sebastian that you have elucidated here. Is that a common interpretation of his character or are you making a rather tongue-in-cheek metaphor here? If the latter, I think that The half pagan Sebastian would appreciate the irreverence; one interpretation that I know of for Seastian’s arrows is that the saint was sodomized (albeit unwillingly). In any case, I love what you have written so far. I posted a few entries on my tumblr blog with my reactions to the book and the 2008 film, as well as some psychoanalytic comments about male-male desire in adolescence. I wish I could link it here but alas my iPad doesn’t allow for it. :( All the best, Emma
Dear Emma,
Thank you very much for your kind message. I will be happy to study your blog, thank you for pointing it out to me!
Unfortunately, neither Edward nor I study EW’s works academically; to lay all cards on the table, I got my degree in Philosophy, and Edward is a toy lynx.
Speaking of St Sebastian, I believe the connection here was first made not by me, but by Anthony Blanche ;)
In 1936, after his first wife had left him, Evelyn Waugh sent a letter to her cousin Laura Herbert, asking 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,” he wrote, “but think how nice it would be for me. I am…
One of my favourite EW’s letters, well worth repeating.
I’ve reread Brideshead Revisited every spring and summer for a few years now and this year, I’ve decided to create a 30 day challenge for myself starting June 1st. You are welcome to do this as well.
(You can tell I’m from UChicago by how some of these are so obviously Scav Hunt-inspired. I am now tempted to create a Brideshead Revisited scavenger hunt list.)
Note: This is mostly for keeping myself sane. A necessary distraction for finals week, or something to that effect. If you get annoyed with my posts, please block the tag Brideshead Revisited 30 Day Challenge with Tumblr Savior. Thank you.
Just thought some of you noy monitoring the Brideshead tag on tumblr might enjoy this ;)
After several attempts I still haven’t made it past the first episode of 1981 Brideshead Revisited. The novel was easier though, if you’re looking for nice reading for the summer.
A fascinating interview with Evelyn Waugh from the BBC TV archives. Introduced by Joan Bakewell.
NB: Despite what the video info seems to say, this is not the same as the famous Frankly Speaking radio interview (‘the most ill-natured interview ever broadcast’), an excerpt from which can be found here.
Si Roméo et Juliette étaient nos contemporains…
Illustration from La Vie Parisienne, June 16, 1928 by Valdes
Paolo Veronese, Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints detail (1564-65). Oil on canvas, 420 x 230 cm. San Sebastiano, Venice.
Picture: Background — a six piece pie style colour split, alternating black and grey. Foreground — a picture of an armadillo. Top text: “ Gets teddy bear for birthday ” Bottom text: “Names him Aloysius”
Submitted by: kelsyisme
Evelyn Waugh with Lady Dorothy Lygon (2nd left) with her sister Lady Mary Lygon and Mrs T.Lea - 1938
Worth repeating ;)
| — | Evelyn Waugh, ‘An Act of Homage and Reparation’ (1961) |
