Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

This is of course not my first time reading this (I think it's my third), and every time it turns out even better than I remembered. It's definitely one of my top favourite books in the world, and what I find in it changes every time. I don't think I previously realised to what extent it's about Catholicism, and how incredibly irritating the ending is. I feel like most people are very frustrated with the ending, and I find it hilarious to what degree everyone (myself included) chooses to ignore the point of the book and focus on the style, the characters, anything except religion. At one point, Charles asks Brideshead, 'why do you always have to bring God into it?' and though Charles might have stopped feeling that way by the end of the book, I certainly have not. I was really surprised that this time around, I really quite liked Charles Ryder, I previously thought him annoyingly naive and clueless compared to Sebastian, I didn't appreciate how worldly, ironic, and actually funny he can be. And, having read so many of Waugh's other novels since I last read this, I have firmly established that Julia is the most sympathetic female character Waugh is capable of writing, and I really liked her a great deal this time. But still, he affair between her and Charles doesn't have nearly the same emotional impact as his affair with Sebastian, by the end, I don't really care whether they stay together or not. Despite Waugh's overbearing Catholic intentions, the relationship between Charles and Sebastian remains the gorgeous, tragic core of the novel, and I really can't read about it without wanting to scream and cry. I have also realised that Anthony Blanche hilarious and though I wouldn't like to know him, he's great to read about. I always find the first half of the book by far the strongest, and reading the beginning is always such an incredible experience; every sentence, every word is so perfect, the action moves so beautifully, everything is faultlessly constructed, it absolutely takes my breath away, and I don't think its charm will ever fail.