Evelyn Waugh’s debut novel, Decline and Fall, is a biting satire that lampoons British society of the 1920s with razor-sharp wit and dark humor. The story follows the misadventures of Paul Pennyfeather, a hapless theology student at Oxford who finds himself expelled from university due to a farcical incident involving the raucous Bollinger Club. Forced to take a teaching position at an obscure Welsh private school, Paul becomes entangled in a series of increasingly absurd situations, including a disastrous sports day and a romantic entanglement with a wealthy widow. Waugh weaves a tale that exposes the hypocrisy and moral decay of the British upper classes, while simultaneously critiquing the educational system, religious institutions, and cultural norms of the era. Through a cast of eccentric and often outrageous characters, the novel presents a world where appearances are deceiving, and societal expectations are turned on their head. Decline and Fall remains a timeless classic, offering readers a wickedly funny and shockingly clever exploration of a society in flux.
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Contents
Preface
Prelude: Alma Mater
PART ONE
One. Vocation
Two. Llanabba Castle
Three. Captain Grimes’ Story
Four. Mr. Prendergast’s Story
Five. Discipline
Six. Conduct
Seven. Philbrick
Eight. The Sports
Nine. The Sports-Continued
Ten. Post Mortem
Eleven. Philbrick-Continued
Twelve. The Agony of Captain Grimes
Thirteen. The Passing of a Public School Man
PART TWO
One. King’s Thursday
Two. Interlude in Belgravia
Three. Pervigilium Veneris
Four. Resurrection
Five. The Latin-American Entertainment Co., Ltd.
Six. A Hitch in the Wedding Preparations
PART THREE
One. Stone Walls Do Not a Prison Make
Two. The Lucas-Dockery Experiments
Three. The Death of a Modern Churchman
Four. Nor Iron Bars a Cage
Five. The Passing of a Public School Man
Six. The Passing of Paul Pennyfeather
Seven. Resurrection
Epilogue
The World of Evelyn Waugh by Kathleen Emmet Darman
Giới thiệu về tác giả
Kathleen Emmet Darman (1942-2021) received a B.A. in British history and literature from Radcliffe College and an Ph.D. from Tufts University. She taught at Federal City College (now the University of the District of Columbia) and American University in Washington, D.C. She is the author of Evelyn Waugh: Problems of Dandysm.
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