Vile Bodies, by Evelyn Waugh

[essentialsaltes]

Vile Bodies is a savage indictment of modernity and the 'Bright Young Things' [Waugh's original title, discarded because it had already become cliché by 1930] that populate it. Of course, being English, savage means that it's slightly more scathing than PG Wodehouse at lampooning the characters, most of whom come from a world just next door to Bertie Wooster's, albeit a sadder and seamier one. There are some hilarious bits here and there, but overall not fantastic. Skip the book and check out Steven Fry's film adaptation, under the original title. It's also hilarious in bits, and overall not fantastic, but it will save you some time.