Others: Leaning negative The most nostalgic and reflective of Evelyn Waugh's novels, Brideshead Revisited looks back to the golden age before the Second World War. It tells the story of Charles Ryder's infatuation with the Marchmains and the rapidly-disappearing world of privilege they inhabit. Enchanted first by Sebastian at Oxford, then by his doomed Catholic family, in particular his remote sister, Julia, Charles comes finally to recognize only his spiritual and social distance from them.
Genres: classics
Lists: …
Virginia Woolf
1931 · 255 pages · 2 reviews
Others: Leaning positiveTracing the lives of a group of friends, this novel follows their development from childhood to middle age. Social events, individual achievements and disappointments form the outer structure of the book, but the focus is the inner life of the characters which is conveyed in rich poetic language.
What made the match, strongest first
Virginia Woolf
1925 · 224 pages · 7 reviews
Others: Leaning positiveVirginia Woolf’s novel chronicles a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a politician’s wife in 1920s London, as she prepares to host a party that evening. The narrative follows Clarissa’s thoughts (and sometimes those of people she meets) as she goes about her errands, and events in the day remind her of her youth and friendships from the past. As the book progresses characters from the past emerge, igniting old feelings and making Clarissa question the life she has created for herself. Mrs. Dalloway became the inspiration for Michael Cunningham’s 1998 novel The Hours.
What made the match, strongest first
Thomas Mann
1954 · 404 pages · 1 review
Others: PositiveIn DEATH IN VENICE, an elderly, famous, and wealthy writer named Aschenbach goes on vacation. He becomes fascinated with Tadzio, a young teenager who is staying with his family at Aschenbach's hotel. As his obsession grows, and despite warnings that a plague is threatening Venice, Aschenbach remains at the hotel hoping to make a connection with the elusive Tadzio. Mann's novel is celebrated for its subtle characterization, and its exploration of the struggles of the artist--the longing for transcendence and ideal beauty vs. the need to sacrifice for one's art.
What made the match, strongest first
Charles Dickens
1800 · 396 pages · 6 reviews
Others: Leaning positiveA Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris, and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie whom he had never met. The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. In the Introduction to the Encyclopedia of Adventure Fiction, critic Don D'Ammassa argues that it is an adventure novel because the protagonists are in constant danger of being imprisoned or killed. As Dickens's best-known work of historical fiction, A Tale of Two Cities is said to be one of the best-selling novels of all time. In 2003, the novel was ranked 63rd on the BBC's The Big Read poll. The novel has been adapted for film, television, radio, and the stage, and has continued to influence popular culture.
What made the match, strongest first
P. G. Wodehouse
1925 · 256 pages · 1 review
Others: Positive'You don't analyse such sunlit perfection, you just bask in its warmth and splendour.' Stephen FryA Jeeves and Wooster collectionThese marvellous stories introduce us to Jeeves, whose first ever duty is to cure Bertie's raging hangover ('If you would drink this, sir... it is a little preparation of my own invention. It is the Worcester Sauce that gives it its colour. The raw egg makes it nutritious. The red pepper gives it its bite. Gentlemen have told me they have found it extremely invigorating after a late evening.')And from that moment, one of the funniest, sharpest and most touching partnerships in English literature never looks back...
What made the match, strongest first
Vladimir Nabokov
1777 · 319 pages · 8 reviews
Others: Overwhelmingly positiveLolita is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Humbert, is obsessed with a 12-year-old girl, Dolores Haze, whom he sexually molests after he becomes her stepfather. "Lolita" is his private nickname for Dolores. The novel was originally written in English and first published in Paris in 1955 by Olympia Press. Later it was translated into Russian by Nabokov himself and published in New York City in 1967 by Phaedra Publishers.
What made the match, strongest first
Not a fanWe were reading for a book club after watching Saltburn because I loved Saltburn and I hated Brideshead Revisited. This for me just had zero interest after reading, I think I managed to get a good few hours into the audiobook, but it was not grabbing me.
Not a fani'm not a big fan of bryce head of wrestling which is his most famous novel and which is from the 1940s i don't really get on with bryce head wristed to be honest i don't like the writing style and i find the main character like so dislikable
Loved itI've been looking forward to this book for years and I was hoping it was amazing and it certainly didn't disappoint it is now one of my favorite books
