Summary
Brideshead Revisited, published in 1945, is widely considered author Evelyn Waugh's greatest work. Set between the World Wars, it follows Charles Ryder's relationships with the aristocratic Flyte family and explores themes of Catholicism, nostalgia, and the decline of the English nobility. The novel was famously adapted into an 11-part television series in 1981, starring Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews. With its lyrical prose and poignant examination of faith and memory, Brideshead Revisited remains an enduring classic of English literature.
Plot
Set between the 1920s and 1940s, Brideshead Revisited follows the life of Charles Ryder and his relationship with the wealthy, aristocratic Flyte family. As an Oxford student, Charles befriends the charming but troubled Sebastian Flyte and is introduced to Sebastian's family and their grand estate, Brideshead Castle. Charles becomes infatuated with the Flytes' privileged world, developing romantic feelings first for Sebastian and later for Sebastian's sister, Julia.
Over the years, Charles witnesses the decline of the Flyte family as Sebastian descends into alcoholism and exile. Charles pursues a career as an architectural painter and enters an unhappy marriage. He reconnects with Julia years later, and they begin an affair, planning to divorce their spouses to be together. However, the return of the Flytes' dying father Lord Marchmain and his deathbed conversion to Catholicism causes Julia to have a crisis of faith. She decides she cannot marry Charles, as it would separate her from her Catholic beliefs.
The novel concludes during World War II, with Charles, now an army officer, unexpectedly stationed at the now-requisitioned Brideshead estate. Reflecting on his past with the Flytes, Charles has an apparent religious awakening in the reopened chapel, suggesting he may have found meaning through faith after years of searching.
Themes
Catholic faith and religious conversion
Nostalgia for the English aristocracy
Love, desire, and forbidden relationships
Class and social status in British society
Family dynamics and troubled relationships
Alcoholism and self-destructive behavior
Memory and the passage of time
Setting
Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited takes place primarily in England from the 1920s through the early 1940s, spanning the interwar period and the early years of World War II. The novel captures the twilight of the English aristocracy during this era of social change, portraying a world of privilege that was rapidly disappearing.
Much of the story unfolds at Brideshead Castle, the grand country estate of the aristocratic Flyte family located in Wiltshire. This lavish mansion serves as both a physical setting and a metaphor for the fading glory of the old noble class. Other key locations include Oxford University, where the protagonist Charles Ryder first meets Sebastian Flyte, and various spots around London that reflect the characters' upper-class lifestyle.
The novel also ventures beyond England at times, with scenes set in Venice where Lord Marchmain lives in exile, as well as in Morocco and Tunisia where Sebastian retreats later in the story. These international settings provide contrast to the insular world of the English aristocracy while also reflecting themes of escape and exile. As the story progresses into the war years, military camps and a naval vessel also feature as settings, underscoring how World War II disrupted the characters' privileged existence.
Characters
Charles Ryder: The protagonist and narrator, an agnostic who becomes fascinated with the Catholic Flyte family. An aspiring artist, he later becomes an architectural painter.
Lord Sebastian Flyte: The charming but troubled younger son of the Marchmain family. An alcoholic who struggles with his faith and sexuality.
Lady Julia Flyte: Sebastian's beautiful sister who Charles falls in love with. She struggles between her Catholic faith and desire for Charles.
Lord Marchmain: The estranged patriarch of the Flyte family, who left his wife for a mistress in Venice. He returns to Brideshead to die.
Lady Marchmain: The devoutly Catholic mother of the Flyte children, who tries to control her family through guilt and manipulation.
Bridey (Lord Brideshead): The eldest Flyte son, a pious and socially awkward Catholic who inherits the family title.
Lady Cordelia Flyte: The youngest Flyte sibling, a devout Catholic who becomes a nurse during the Spanish Civil War.
Anthony Blanche: Sebastian's flamboyantly homosexual friend from Oxford ,who offers keen insights into the other characters.
Rex Mottram: An ambitious Canadian politician who marries Julia. He proves to be shallow and unfaithful.
Cara: Lord Marchmain's Italian mistress, who offers Charles insights into the Flyte family dynamics.
Quick facts
Evelyn Waugh wrote Brideshead Revisited in the span of just four months, while he was recuperating from a parachute accident during World War II.
Waugh based the character of Sebastian Flyte partly on his friend Hugh Lygon, whom he met at Oxford University.
The grand estate of Brideshead was inspired by Castle Howard in Yorkshire, which was later used as a filming location for the TV adaptation.
Waugh originally intended to title the book “The House of Faith” before settling on Brideshead Revisited.
Aloysius, the teddy bear owned and beloved by Sebastian. was based on Archibald Ormsby-Gore, the teddy bear of poet John Betjeman.
Waugh revised and shortened the novel in 1959, removing some of the more flowery prose he had come to dislike.
The 1981 TV adaptation starring Jeremy Irons was one of the most expensive British TV productions at the time, costing over £6 million.
Waugh claimed the novel dealt with the “operation of divine grace” on its characters, reflecting his own Catholic faith.
The phrase “Et in Arcadia ego,” used as a section heading in the novel, is from a painting by Nicolas Poussin and means “Even in Arcadia, there am I [Death]".
In 2005, TIME magazine named Brideshead Revisited to its list of the 100 best English-language novels published since 1923.
About the Author
Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966) was one of the most acclaimed English novelists of the 20th century. His distinctive prose style was marked by a combination of elegance, wit, keen social observation, and a biting satirical edge. He became established as a brilliant satirist with early works like Decline and Fall (1928) and Vile Bodies (1930), which skewered the decadent “Bright Young Things” of 1920s British high society. His conversion to Catholicism in 1930 deeply influenced his later writing, most notably his masterpiece about family, faith, morality, and the decline of aristocracy, Brideshead Revisited (1945).
Beyond his fiction, Waugh was a prolific journalist and critic who traveled widely, reporting from places like Abyssinia and Yugoslavia. He served in the Royal Marines during World War II and later joined the Royal Horse Guards, experiences he drew on for his Sword of Honour trilogy (1952-61). Along with his literary achievements, Waugh was known for his controversial views. A staunch conservative, he opposed socialism and modern social changes, viewing the Catholic Church as a bulwark against what he saw as cultural decay. His reactionary opinions often put him at odds with contemporary attitudes.
While some critics have taken issue with aspects of Waugh’s worldview, his literary reputation has not only endured but grown since his death. In particular, the famed 1981 television adaptation of Brideshead Revisited introduced his work to new generations.
