Evelyn Waugh

Evelyn Arthur St. John Waugh (October 28 1903 – April 10 1966) was an English satirical novelist, brother of Alec Waugh and father of Auberon Waugh. He is generally regarded as one the the greatest figures in English literature in the 20th century.

Later Years

The period after the war saw Waugh living with his family in the West Country at his grand country homes, Piers Court, and from 1956 onwards, at Combe Florey in Somerset, where he lived as a country squire. He bequeathed the latter to his son, the writer and journalist Auberon Waugh. He made his living through writing and became a self-parodying reactionary figure. He was bitterly disappointed when the Roman Catholic Church, which he in part loved for what he perceived as its timelessness, began to adopt modern vernacular liturgy and other changes.

Related Topics:
West Country - Auberon Waugh

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His travels to California yielded The Loved One, a satire on the American funeral industry. Trips to Africa and the Middle East provided background for travel literature.

Related Topics:
The Loved One - Travel literature

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But, most especially, this was the period when the Sword of Honour trilogy was written.

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Waugh grew fat, and the sleeping pills he took, combined with a heavy intake of alcohol and not enough exercise, weakened his health. His writing productivity gradually ran down.

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Evelyn Waugh died on 10 April 1966, at the age of 62. His estate was probated at 20,068 pounds sterling. This did not include the value of his lucrative copyrights, which Waugh had put in a trust for his children.

Related Topics:
10 April - 1966 - Probate

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