"O God, make me good, but not yet."

[mousme]

I've been racking my brain for things to say about Brideshead Revisited, and I'm sort of coming up blank. I hadn't given the book much thought until last year, when there was a book-themed party for luvenditti. Guests were encouraged to dress up as a character from a book, and if they stumped the birthday girl, they got a little prize. miseri came in dressed as Sebastian Flyte, and I may have gotten a little excited and screeched "Aloysius!" Because of the bear, you understand.

I read Brideshead Revisited about twenty-five years ago, as a young teenager, right after the BBC mini-series had aired on public television. I had very much enjoyed the miniseries (if memory serves, it might have been on Masterpiece Theatre), and I remember loving the book. My mother loved both as well, and much like me, her takeaway from all of that was "Aloysius!"

At the time, though, most of the book's themes went right over my head. I enjoyed the story but ignored the exploration of what it meant to be born catholic or to convert to catholicism. I missed all the implications of a possible relationship between Sebastian and Charles, which someone else asked me about years later.

In short, this has been a terribly disappointing entry, because I have little to nothing to say, except maybe "Aloysius!" Which, you know, is not exactly the most insightful commentary I've ever come up with. ;)

So, miseri, I feel I must apologise for the paltry content here. Maybe next time I'll have more success with my posts.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I saw the series with my parents when it first aired, and even though I didn't understand all of it, it was still utterly mesmerizing. Then some years later, I read the book, and have read it just about every year since. I love that book.

I also love the series and watch it religiously (heh) every year. And do you know why? I own the series. Yup. You ever want to come over and watch it (giving me an excuse to watch it, as if I needed one) just let me know.

(Seems I always had a thing for two pretty Brit boys in love .... The blond boy comes from an affluent, single-parent household, is all posh ... has a dark-haired sister ... and the dark boy comes from a modest, single-parent background but is ... very gifted ... and they fall in love but cannot ultimately be together ... dark one always bailing out the blond one ... and finally the blond one .... and not to mention the whole religion/magic thing ... Huh. Um. The more I think on it, the similarities are. Wow.)

~Pasley

[mousme.livejournal.com]

You and I are overdue for a laid-back, TV-watching party. If you want, we can watch Brideshead, or both make embarrassing noises at Merlin. Whichever.

We should talk when I get back from Moncton. :)