Vile Bodies

Vile Bodies - Evelyn Waugh

This book really snuck up on me. For the first 100 pages I kept thinking it was a cute little book but only worth 3*. The more I read though the more I enjoyed it and appreciated its wit and charm. Still it was only a 3.5* read. I finished and thought about it for awhile when like a thunderbolt the true value of the book hit me.

The parody of the romantic comedy centers around Adam Fenwick-Symes, reportedly a bright, young, up and coming novelist who has as his love interest, another bright young thing, Nina. We find them and their friends at all the right and seemingly endless parties, with all the right people, doing all the right things. The obstacle in their path, the one thing holding them back from marrying is their lack of money. Adam's quest for enough money to marry is hilarious as is Nina's reaction when the funds are within sight then out again. The cast of characters, some aptly named for their position and disposition add to the enjoyment. The situations they find themselves in are wildly improbable and great fun. In the end, I realized that the book was much better than I had first thought.

 

Originally published on www.chapterofdreams.com