A Handful of Dust
by Waugh, Evelyn
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Schenectady, New York, United States
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).
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Details
- Bookseller
- Parigi Books, Vintage and Rare (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 16194
- Title
- A Handful of Dust
- Author
- Waugh, Evelyn
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- New Directions
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1945
- Keywords
- Literature, Great Britain
- Bookseller catalogs
- Fiction and Literature;
Terms of Sale
Parigi Books, Vintage and Rare
All items are subject to prior sale. Books may be reserved by phone or e-mail and will be held for a maximum of 7 days pending payment. Please, include as much identifying information as possible (author, title, etc.) in your request. Payment can be made via credit cards, Paypal or by money order or cashier's check. Personal checks are accepted but subject to clearance before order is shipped. NY sales tax applies to orders shipped within New York state. If you are a NY resident we will contact you once you have placed an order to add the correct sales tax amount. If you are not satisfied with your purchase please contact us to return it within 10 days and we will issue a refund minus shipping costs.
About the Seller
Parigi Books, Vintage and Rare
About Parigi Books, Vintage and Rare
Glossary
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- Fine
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- Cloth
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- Chipping
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- Octavo
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- Bookplate
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