Book Notes | ‘Scoop’ by Evelyn Waugh
UMRA’s Book Club 1 met on June 21 to discuss Scoop by Evelyn Waugh (1903–66), an English writer known for his acute satire and dark humor. Scoop, a satire of foreign correspondents and sensationalist journalism, was published in 1938 and in 2009 was named “one of the 1,000 novels everyone must read” by the daily Guardian newspaper.
In the novel, William Boot, a young man who lives in the English countryside and contributes nature notes to the Daily Beast, is pressured into becoming a foreign correspondent when the newspaper’s editors mistake him for John Boot, a fashionable novelist. William Boot is sent to Ishmaelia, a fictional state in East Africa, to report on the crisis there. Despite his incompetence, Boot accidentally gets the journalistic scoop. When he returns to England, the credit goes to the other Boot, and William happily returns to the countryside.
The novel is partly based on Waugh’s experience of working for the Daily Mail when he was sent to cover Mussolini’s expected invasion of Abyssinia. When he got the scoop for the invasion, he telegraphed the story to the newspaper in Latin for secrecy, but his editors discarded it.
Overblown prose
Although the characters in the novel were thought to be based on real people of the times, Waugh was reluctant to acknowledge any models. This line from one of Boot’s countryside columns has become a famous comic example of overblown prose: “Feather-footed through the plashy fen passes the questing vole.”
UMRA Book club members had mixed reactions to the book. Some found it humorous, but many were concerned about the racism and sexism in the writing. Some found it hard to follow the plot, with the two different Boots and large number of characters.
Members also discussed journalistic ethics today, and recent concerns about the Washington Post potentially hiring an editor from England with a history of working on stories that appeared to be based on stolen records.
—Diane Madlon-Kay, UMRA Book Club I
Editor’s note: On June 21, Washington Post Editor and Publisher Will Lewis announced that Robert Winnett, recruited by Lewis to be the Post’s new editor, had decided to stay in England and not take the job.
'Scoop' by Evelyn Waugh
Fri, Jun 21 2024, 2pm
Diane Madlon-Kay will lead the discussion of Scoop by Evelyn Waugh when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 21.
Published in 1937, Scoop is a satire on journalism and the pursuit of the next big story. It takes place in a fictional state in East Africa and is thought to be based on the authors’ own experiences as a journalist.
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
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Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
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