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There is a certain element of autobiography in this collection of short stories, or in "Charles Ryder's Schooldays," and that is over the incident of a printing press. I do not think he was a natural "Old Boy." After a certain age, quite early in life, he never seems to have gone back to Lancing and did not have a great love for the place as other people have. As such, it seems good and lifelike, but I am afraid it cannot be said to be an inspired picture because I do not find schools inspiring subjects, at least not as Waugh wrote about them, except in pure farce like Decline and Fall. It assumes that Charles Ryder is in fact the first character to be introduced in the original draft of Brideshead Revisited and also that Waugh intended a chapter to be devoted to his school, Lancing, and I think you can say Lancing here, because from what little I know about Lancing it is an exact picture. This is making, I am conscious, a rather wide assumption.
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#Bella fleace gave a party trial
My own interpretation of it is that it was a trial run for a different approach to Brideshead, introducing the character of Charles Ryder, and he wrote what he did write with no other object than to familiarize himself with material at which he had not looked seriously since the far-off days of Decline and Fall. There is no evidence that Waugh ever tried to get it published in his lifetime. He mentions it in his diary as his occupation when the war had come to an end, some time after this period. It must be some time after Waugh had obtained special leave to withdraw from military life and write a novel. What is to be said about the new eponymous story, "Charles Ryder's Schooldays"? We can guess the date. It may have a different future before it now. It's a good story, but, as I say, in the days when it was familiar and told as true it had run its course. It was supposed to have happened to an ambitious hostess in Ireland where the present story is set. "Bella Fleace Gave a Party" was spoiled at the time by being too familiar a story. It has none of the energy of the other sketches of life in Africa, of which very few have been published as such. "Incident in Azania" is simply disappointing. Herbert, who was not a natural teacher for Waugh. "Cruise" and "On Guard" are somewhat in the style of A.P. "By Special Request" gives an alternative ending to the novel A Handful of Dust which does more than justify the existing ending. The rest of the contributions are rather disappointing. Loveday's Little Outing." It was superb, and has been remembered to this day as a cautionary tale. To this, there was an exception the eponymous story of the 1936 collection, "Mr. This was partly due to a curious accident in Waugh's composition.Īlthough he was naturally endowed as a short story writer, having all the necessary accomplishments for that purpose, namely economy of style, a sense of point and manageable wit, he was not a naturally excellent short story writer. Loveday's Little Outing and Other Sad Stories." It was a success, though it never reached a place amid Evelyn Waugh's major works. On this occasion there is only one new contribution, and that is called "Charles Ryder's Schooldays." The original edition was in 1936 when a book came out called "Mr. The practice is familiar and apparently is not resented. A set of short stories is published and then a new edition is brought out with a different introductory story, so that the reader buys a newly entitled book and can be persuaded, apparently, that he has bought a new collection of short stories. The late George Orwell was very apt to use it. I do not think it is an unfair description. THIS SET of 11 stories appears in accordance with a familiar publisher's trick. By CHRISTOPHER SYKES CHRISTOPHER SYKES is the author of Evelyn Waugh: A Biography.