A Handful of Dust (Essential Penguin)
by Evelyn Waugh
- Used
- Paperback
- Condition
- Used; Good
- ISBN 10
- 014028740X
- ISBN 13
- 9780140287400
- Seller
-
London, Greater London, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
British writer Evelyn Waugh’s A Handful of Dust tells the story of Tony Last, a disillusioned and soon-to-be-divorced country squire, who travels of the jungle of Brazil — only to find himself the prisoner of an unhinged settler who forces him to continuously read aloud the works of Charles Dickens. A Handful of Dust is often grouped with Waugh’s satirical novels prior to World War II; however, because of its serious undertones, it can also been seen as a transitional work to his more substantial postwar fiction. The novel has autobiographical elements, reflecting the author’s own failed marriage and his resulting South American journey in 1933-1934. But on a deeper note, A Handful of Dust illustrates the parallels the savage nature of London society with uncivilized barbarity of the jungle. Waugh first used Tony as the protagonist in his 1933 short story titled The Man Who Liked Dickens. The piece was published in the US in Hearst's International–Cosmopolitan and in Britain in Nash's Pall Mall Magazine. Tony’s story was then serialized — after much revision and expansion — under the title A Flat in London. When it came time to publish the story as a novel, Waugh selected the title A Handful of Dust, inspired by a line in T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land: "I will show you fear in a handful of dust." Upon publication, the critical reception of A Handful of Dust was less than impressive. Yet the novel was and has remained popular with the public and has never been out of print. A Handful of Dust is ranked 34th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century. It is also listed as one of TIME’s “100 Best Novels” (since 1923).
Read More: Identifying first editions of A Handful of Dust (Essential Penguin)
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Greener Books Ltd (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 4111939
- Title
- A Handful of Dust (Essential Penguin)
- Author
- Evelyn Waugh
- Format/Binding
- Paperback
- Book Condition
- Used; Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- ISBN 10
- 014028740X
- ISBN 13
- 9780140287400
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Place of Publication
- London, United Kingdom
- Date Published
- 07/10/1999
Terms of Sale
Greener Books Ltd
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged. Feel free to contact our customer service team on customercare@greenerbooks.co.uk if you have queries regarding your order.