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The Complete Works of Evelyn Waugh: Personal Writings 1903-1921: Precocious Waughs

Volume 30

Evelyn Waugh author Alexander Waugh editor Alan Bell editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Oxford University Press

Published:28th Sep '17

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

The Complete Works of Evelyn Waugh: Personal Writings 1903-1921: Precocious Waughs cover

This collection features the early writings of Evelyn Waugh, including letters and diary entries from 1903 to 1921, showcasing his precocious talent before he became a renowned novelist.

The Complete Works of Evelyn Waugh: Personal Writings 1903-1921: Precocious Waughs is the inaugural volume in a critical edition that compiles the complete writings of the renowned author Evelyn Waugh. This edition, overseen by his grandson Alexander Waugh, aims to present both published and previously unpublished works in a cohesive manner, providing a comprehensive look at Waugh's early life and thoughts. Covering the years from 1903 to 1921, this volume includes a wealth of letters and diary entries that showcase the formative years of a future literary giant.

The book highlights Waugh's time at Lancing College, where he maintained a daily diary that offers insight into his youthful experiences and reflections. Each diary entry is thoughtfully reproduced, accompanied by the whimsical pen-and-ink illustrations that Waugh created during this period. Readers can also explore the letters he exchanged with family and friends, which reveal his evolving personality and burgeoning literary talent. This collection provides a unique glimpse into the mind of a young boy who would later become a significant figure in English literature.

Overall, this volume serves as an important resource for both scholars and fans of Waugh, as it captures the essence of his early years and the beginnings of his literary journey. By presenting these writings in chronological order, the edition allows readers to appreciate the development of Waugh's voice and style, making it a valuable addition to the study of his complete works.

Expertly edited [..] The editor's notes to the new volume of early letters and diaries are not only extremely thorough and informative, but also, as one might expect from the grandson of Evelyn Waugh, very witty [...] If these initial offerings (Volumes two, sixteen, nineteen, twenty-six and thirty) are an indicator of things to come, then the edition will justify its grandiose claim to "revolutionize Waugh studies" [...] It will indeed become one of the great monuments of twenty-first-century literary scholarship. * Paula Byrne, Times Literary Supplement *
a welcome opportunity to look again at [Waugh's] evolution as a writer and thinke...These volumes reveal different aspects of Waugh's youthful plasticity and show how his adult persona developed as he tested himself as a write [...] a major event in Waugh scholarship, and...an essential research resource for many years to come. * Lisa Mullen, Worcester College, Oxford, Essays in Criticism *
If these initial offerings are an indicator of things to come, then the edition will justify its grandiose claim to "revolutionize Waugh studies" ... It will indeed become one of the great monuments of twenty-first century literary scholarship. * Paula Byrne, The Times Literary Supplement *
As scholarship the new editions cannot be faulted. * Matthew Walther, The Week *
As a scholarly treatment of a modern British novelist, The Complete Works of Evelyn Waugh looks as if it will stand in a class of its own, not only for its presentation of definitive texts but also for its patient accumulation of large amounts of personal material that have hitherto escaped the biographers' gaze. * D.J Taylor, Literary Review *
A must read. * David Sexton, Evening Standard *

ISBN: 9780199658961

Dimensions: 223mm x 153mm x 32mm

Weight: 689g

490 pages