A Handful of Dust
A Handful of Dust
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1934
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh is a satirical novel focused on Tony Last, an English squire living in Hetton Abbey with his disillusioned wife, Brenda, and their son, John. Brenda's affair with John Beaver leads to familial and social upheaval. Following personal losses, Tony embarks on an Amazon expedition, ultimately leading to his captivity and despair with Mr. Todd, a man who forces him to read Dickens endlessly. Triggering topics include infidelity and the death of a child.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Evelyn Waugh’s A Handful of Dust is lauded for its sharp social commentary and dark, satirical humor. Critics praise its incisive prose and the portrayal of disillusionment in English society. However, some find its bleak perspective and tragic elements disheartening. Overall, the novel stands out as a compelling critique, albeit with a somber tone.
Who Should Read A Handful of Dust?
Readers who enjoy satirical critiques of British aristocracy and tragicomic narratives will appreciate Evelyn Waugh's A Handful of Dust. Fans of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and E.M. Forster's A Passage to India will find similar themes of societal decay and personal disillusionment.
RecommendedReading Age
18+yearsBook Details
We’re just getting started.
Add this title to our requested Study Guides list!
Continue your reading experience
SuperSummary Plot Summaries provide a quick, full synopsis of a text. But SuperSummary Study Guides — available only to subscribers — provide so much more!
Join now to access our Study Guides library, which offers chapter-by-chapter summaries and comprehensive analysis on more than 5,000 literary works from novels to nonfiction to poetry.
SubscribeSee for yourself. Check out our sample guides:
We’re just getting started.
Add this title to our requested Study Guides list!
Continue your reading experience
SuperSummary Plot Summaries provide a quick, full synopsis of a text. But SuperSummary Study Guides — available only to subscribers — provide so much more!
Join now to access our Study Guides library, which offers chapter-by-chapter summaries and comprehensive analysis on more than 5,000 literary works from novels to nonfiction to poetry.
SubscribeSee for yourself. Check out our sample guides:
We’re just getting started.
Add this title to our requested Study Guides list!
A SuperSummary Plot Summary provides a quick, full synopsis of a text.
A SuperSummary Study Guide — a modern alternative to Sparknotes & CliffsNotes — provides so much more, including chapter-by-chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and important quotes.
See the difference for yourself. Check out this sample Study Guide: