Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh

Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh was published in 1930, marking a sharp and satirical depiction of Britain’s “Bright Young Things” – a generation of wealthy, hedonistic youth who revelled in London’s party scene during the interwar years. Following his debut novel, Decline and Fall (1928), Vile Bodies solidified Waugh's reputation as a keen social commentator with a cutting sense of humour.

The novel was shaped by personal and societal upheavals. Waugh began writing Vile Bodies during his short-lived marriage to Evelyn Gardner. The sudden breakdown of this marriage and Waugh’s subsequent struggles are said to have influenced the novel's darkly comedic tone and its themes of disillusionment and excess. Waugh’s characteristic wit, coupled with a disenchanted perspective on contemporary society, offers readers a window into the superficial glamour and inherent emptiness of the era’s high society.

Plot

Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh follows the chaotic lives of Britain’s “Bright Young Things,” a group of wealthy, pleasure-seeking youth navigating the decadence and absurdities of London’s high society during the 1920s. At the heart of the novel is Adam Fenwick-Symes, a young writer with aspirations to settle down and marry his fiancée, Nina Blount. However, Adam's quest to secure financial stability and fulfil his romantic plans is repeatedly thwarted by bad luck, unreliable friends, and the fickle nature of the world around him.

The story begins with Adam’s return to England after a stint abroad, where he has written his memoirs in hopes of earning enough to support his marriage to Nina. However, Adam’s manuscript is seized and subsequently destroyed by customs officials, leaving him penniless. This initial setback sets the tone for a series of misadventures where Adam continually finds himself on the verge of financial ruin, with marriage plans deferred again and again. Despite his love for Nina, the two share a cynical view of relationships and are constantly tempted by their respective desires for social standing and security.

As Adam mingles with the Bright Young Things, he becomes entangled in a world of wild parties, gossip columns, and scandalous behaviour. Waugh introduces a cast of eccentric characters who embody the frivolous, self-indulgent, and ultimately hollow lives of the time. Notable among them are Agatha Runcible, an adventurous and tragic young woman; Miles Malpractice, a gossip columnist with a penchant for stirring trouble; and Lord Simon Balcairn, who takes on a pseudonym to write scandalous pieces on his own social circle. These characters, along with others, contribute to the disarray that continually derails Adam's life.

To secure the money for his marriage, Adam attempts various schemes, including gambling and even trying to please Nina’s father, Colonel Blount, a wealthy but eccentric aristocrat. The Colonel proves to be of little help, as he is prone to capricious whims and remains completely indifferent to his daughter’s wishes. Adam’s situation takes a seemingly fortuitous turn when he wins a substantial sum of money by betting on a horse race. However, his excitement is short-lived, as he soon learns that the bookmaker he trusted has vanished, taking Adam’s winnings with him.

In a twist of fate, Adam eventually receives a small inheritance, but it arrives too late to salvage his relationship with Nina. Nina, tired of waiting and seeking stability, decides to marry the older and wealthier Ginger Littlejohn instead. In the novel’s final scenes, Adam and Ginger are swept off to war, an event that strips away the glamour and superficiality of their lives. The absurdity and horror of war are starkly juxtaposed with the light-hearted debauchery of earlier chapters, revealing a sense of looming darkness that undercuts the comedy of the book’s opening.

Into the Book

The theme of hedonism and its emptiness is central to Vile Bodies. The Bright Young Things, the novel’s key characters, are portrayed as frivolous and directionless, moving from party to party, reveling in extravagance and excess. Adam Fenwick-Symes, along with his fiancée Nina and their social circle, are consumed by a lifestyle of pleasure-seeking with little regard for purpose or responsibility.

Waugh emphasises how the Bright Young Things' lives, while appearing glamorous, are ultimately devoid of depth and fulfilment. The repeated frustrations in Adam’s attempts to marry Nina highlight the futility of their efforts to find stability within such a superficial existence. Adam's final scenes in a bleak, war-torn landscape serve as a sobering reminder of the ultimate consequences of a life devoted to escapism, leaving readers to reflect on the transient nature of materialism and indulgence.

“After all, damn it, what does being in love mean if you can't trust a person.”

- Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh

Another key theme is the rise of celebrity culture and tabloid journalism. Waugh portrays London’s high society as a spectacle in which private lives are turned into fodder for gossip columns, scandals, and public amusement. Lord Simon Balcairn, a young aristocrat, writes under the pseudonym “Mr Chatterbox,” exposing the secrets of his own social circle for entertainment.

This intrusion of media into personal lives speaks to Waugh’s commentary on a society captivated by celebrity and scandal, and reveals the absurdity of people’s fascination with sensationalist news. This obsession with image over reality feeds into the characters’ own need for recognition and escapism, where appearances take precedence over any real sense of identity or values. The tragic ending of Agatha Runcible, who is consumed by the pressures and fast-paced thrills of this world, exemplifies the darker consequences of this relentless pursuit of fame and distraction.

“I can't bear you when you're not amusing.”

- Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh

The inevitability of decline and disillusionment also pervades Vile Bodies, reflecting Waugh’s critique of the societal changes taking place in Britain during the interwar period. The novel captures a fleeting moment in history before it dissolves into uncertainty and impending darkness, symbolised by the onset of war in the closing scenes. Adam and Nina’s failed relationship symbolises the broader disillusionment with the ideals of love and stability, showing how the characters’ hope for happiness is consistently undermined by the chaotic world around them.

The characters’ lives are shaped by an awareness of impending doom, whether in the form of financial instability, broken relationships, or, ultimately, war. Waugh’s satirical tone gives way to a sombre reflection on a society that, in its pursuit of hedonism and image, has overlooked the values that bring genuine purpose.

“I know very few young people, but it seems to me that they are all possessed with an almost fatal hunger for permanence.”

- Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh

Why It's a Masterpiece

One of the reasons Vile Bodies is so compelling is Waugh’s skilful blending of satire with a sense of underlying melancholy. The novel’s dark comedy and the absurdity of its plot reflect not only the frivolity of the characters but also the disillusionment Waugh felt with society. His characters, while often ridiculous, elicit sympathy, as their lives inevitably spiral into chaos, emphasising the futility of their search for meaning in a world lacking moral or spiritual grounding.

Stylistically, Vile Bodies is innovative, using fragmented scenes and rapid dialogue to mirror the frenzied lives of its characters. The pacing, wit, and interplay of voices contribute to a vivid sense of time and place while underscoring Waugh’s critique of a disintegrating society. The novel’s ending, with its stark shift to a war-torn landscape, stands as a chilling reminder of the ultimate emptiness of the characters' pursuits. For its perceptive social critique and literary originality, Vile Bodies endures as a masterpiece, offering readers a profound reflection on the transient and shallow nature of a generation in decline.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this week's article on Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh. If you have not yet taken up this author, I will recommend that perhaps you start with Brideshead Revisited which is one of my favourite novels of all time. Let's now look forward to the next week where we will be exploring another one of my all-time favourite authors, but a lesser known one of their books.

Next Week: Another Country by James Baldwin