This is the first of Waugh’s books that I have read which is wholly set abroad and this is indeed one of the central issues explored, that of the difference between the Brits and the Americans, both equally exposed to Waugh’s satirical observations and descriptions. The humour is very dark (not surprising when a lot of it takes place in funeral homes) and the characters are all a bit despicable in their own way. This is what happened with The Loved One – I read it and enjoyed it and found it to be quite different to other books by Waugh that I’ve read this month – the voice is there but the subject matter is different. I may have been a little distracted by that! Sometimes when I read a book very quickly I feel like I barely take it in, I get a sense of it but I really just don’t get to know the characters or care about them too much. I read this novella in one sitting on a Saturday morning whilst eating a rather yummy plate of scrambled eggs and pastrami on toast.

Dennis deals with funerals for pets, and his occupation is something of a worry to the local ex-pats who commune at the cricket club to discuss English interests and the sorts of jobs suitably respectable for an English gentleman in America. Dennis himself works in a mortuary, although nothing quite so grand as Whispering Glades where Aimée works, a land of archways and gardens and every kind of possibility to make sure that the ‘loved one’ is ushered from this world in style. in the early forties, which follows the fate of a young Englishman Dennis Barlow and his attempts to acclimatise to America and to court a young corpse beautician Aimée, whom he meets whilst arranging a funeral for his friend. We do not sell books that are missing pages or are ‘falling to pieces’.The last of my picks for Evelyn Waugh Month was The Loved One, a novella set in L.A.

All text will be readable and the book will be intact.on both back and front), a moderate watermark, large repaired tear, marked and curling page edges. Moderate: Examples of moderate wear include: more noticeable cover wear (e.g.Minor: Examples of minor wear include: a repaired cover tear or a couple of repaired pages, a creased or scuffed spine or cover, a small watermark, minor marks on page edges.No notes and/or highlighting, but will show signs of wear.minor cosmetic marks, contact, previous owner’s name).

May also have signs of normal use (e.g.Moderate: Highlighting and notes may be untidy, and/or present on a moderate number of pages.Minor: Highlighting and notes are limited to only a few lines or pages, or to a small percentage of the entire book.

Notes and/or highlighting, but no significant wear.

No notes or highlighting, and no significant wear.

The loved one by evelyn waugh