The Tragic Elegance of Evelyn Waugh

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Book Club! Our featured novel is A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh, a masterpiece of 20th-century literature that deftly balances biting satire with poignant tragedy. Set in a disintegrating world of aristocratic privilege, the novel explores themes of love, betrayal, and the hollow pursuit of modern ideals.

Why A Handful of Dust?

Published in 1934, A Handful of Dust is one of Waugh’s most celebrated works. It begins as a sharp and often humorous depiction of upper-class life in interwar Britain but gradually transforms into a haunting exploration of despair and disillusionment. The story centres on Tony Last, a gentleman who clings to his crumbling estate and his ideals, even as his marriage and life fall apart.

Waugh’s prose is elegant, his characters vivid, and his social commentary razor-sharp. Yet beneath the biting humour lies a profound meditation on human fragility and the collapse of a way of life. The title, drawn from T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, hints at the novel’s underlying sense of decay and futility.

A novel for all times

While A Handful of Dust is deeply rooted in its era, its exploration of personal and societal collapse remains strikingly relevant. Waugh’s commentary on materialism, loyalty, and the pursuit of happiness resonates as much today as it did nearly a century ago.

This is also a novel about contrasts—the grandeur of Tony’s estate, Hetton Abbey, set against the moral and emotional barrenness of the world around him. Waugh’s ability to juxtapose comedy and tragedy makes this book a powerful and unforgettable read.

Join the conversation

What stands out to you about A Handful of Dust? Is it Waugh’s sharp wit, the tragic arc of Tony Last, or the book’s critique of modernity? How does Waugh’s depiction of societal decay resonate with today’s world?

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your reflections, favourite quotes, or impressions using #TuesdayBookClub and #AHandfulOfDust on X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky.