Scoop by Evelyn Waugh
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Book Reviews of Scoop
Book Review: More brilliant Waugh
Summary: 5 Stars
Waugh is one of my favorite authors and his work is consistently funny and scathing. Scoop is among his best novels. It relates the story of William Boot, who is mistaken for another person and sent to the country of Ishmael by a London newspaper to cover a possible insurgence. Waugh frequently writes about characters who accidentally bumble into situations, but this setup is one of the funniest. Unlike most of his protoganists, William Boot actually succeeds (for the most part) and how he does so is hilarious. As usual, Waugh has included a fool's gallery of supporting characters that add to the humor. Highly recommended for Waugh fans. People unfamiliar with Waugh might want to consider starting with the slightly more serious (and darker) "Handful of Dust."Book Review: Great Fun
Summary: 5 Stars
Waugh's books are serious literature, of course--they show a fine sense of structure, a masterful command of prose, and a charming condemnation of the foibles of his (and our) day supported by a genuine understanding of the world.However, as Crispin's witty mouthpiece Gervase Fen remarks in BURIED FOR PLEASURE, reading Waugh for philosophy is missing the point; his books are FUNNY. SCOOP is one of his most hilarious, making great comic fodder of the pretensions of journalism, politics, and England. One remarkable thing about Waugh is that he is a biting satirist who doesn't seem to dislike even the targets he attacks most ruthlessly--they remain humans rather than straw men, which makes the point better than any mere caricature could possibly manage.
Book Review: One of the great novels of the 20th Century
Summary: 5 Stars
During his lifetime, Waugh was seldom considered a major writer, but since then his reputation has soared, especially among rightwingers. Among the people who consider him among the one or two greatest English-language novelists of the last century are Tom Stoppard (who ranks him with Nabokov), Tom Wolfe (who ranks him with D.H. Lawrence), and William F. Buckley. (Leftist John K. Galbraith thinks Waugh the finest prose stylist.)For whatever it's worth, I'd agree with Stoppard's ranking of Waugh and Nabokov at the top. And, to my mind, "Scoop" is Waugh's best. It's not a grandiose book like "Brideshead Revisited" but for controlled artistry, it's right up there with Nabokov's "Pale Fire." -- Steve Sailer
Book Review: Brilliant Wit From the Inimitable Waugh
Summary: 5 Stars
Yes, I'd be bold enough to name Evelyn Waugh as one of the world's greatest writers, a true genius when the word actually meant something (it's handed out too freely nowadays!); we shall likely never see his match again. "Scoop" is not only hilarious (I laughed out loud quite often), but the satire is as timely as it ever was. He is a keen observer of human beings and his depiction of the disorderly East African government and the Fleet Street news agency so given to politically motivated perks that a trick cyclist had been engaged to edit the Sports Page on a five year contract is spot on. All of the absurdity is wonderful. An absolute delight.Book Review: Should be read along side All the Presidents Men
Summary: 5 Stars
When I began working in journalism in Washington, I asked a senior reporter for the best book to read on working for a newspaper. Without hesitation, SCOOP was recommended to me as the most accurate depiction of newspaper work that had yet been written. This reporter was right.This is a great book and a quick read. My only worry is that to fully appreciate the humor, one must have worked for a newspaper.
I laughed out loud at the comparison with Art Buchwald. Buchwald hasn't written anything resembling "humor" in at least 20 years. Here's a rule of thumb: if you think Art Buchwald is funny, don't read this book.