Classics · WarmAn army captain camped near the mansion of Brideshead recalls his Oxford friendship with Sebastian Flyte
Brideshead Revisited
by Evelyn Waugh
A soldier remembers his friendship with a wealthy Catholic family
The full title is Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder. Charles Ryder tells the story in the first person. A middle-aged army captain camped near the Brideshead mansion during World War II, he recalls his youth at Oxford in the early 1920s, where he befriended Sebastian Flyte, the son of a wealthy Catholic family. The memories center on the Flytes, including Julia, Lord Marchmain and Lady Marchmain, and their struggles with faith and family. It was published in 1945.
More about this book
Who
Charles Ryder, who narrates, Sebastian and Julia Flyte, Lord and Lady Marchmain and Anthony Blanche.
World
England from the early 1920s at Oxford through the interwar years, framed by a British Army encampment in World War II.
What makes it different
Many critics saw it as a shift from Waugh's earlier satires toward a more nostalgic, romantic style.
Feel
Nostalgic and wistful.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Further reading
- Brideshead RevisitedEncyclopedia.com