Scoop

By: Evelyn Waugh

Narrated by: Simon Cadell

Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of the century, Scoop is a "thoroughly enjoyable, uproariously funny" satire of the journalism business (New York Times).

Lord Copper, newspaper magnate and proprietor of the Daily Beast, has always prided himself on his intuitive flair for spotting ace reporters. That is not to say he has not made the odd blunder, however, and may in a moment of weakness make another. Acting on a dinner party tip from Mrs. Algernon Stitch, Lord Copper feels convinced that he has hit on just the chap to cover a promising war in the African Republic of Ishmaelia.

So begins Scoop, Waugh's exuberant comedy of mistaken identity and brilliantly irreverent satire of the hectic pursuit of hot news.
"Its timelessness is both hilarious and depressing." --Seth Meyers

Critic reviews

"Thoroughly enjoyable, uproariously funny."—New York Times Book Review

"Ingenious, satirical, extremely funny...Mr. Waugh's ribald wit spurts in a brisk unininterrupted flow upon the caprices of sensational journalism. Scoop is entertaining reading all through, with more than a single good laugh or chuckle to the page."—Times Literary Supplement

"Urban malice as bright and sharp as tin; it is not only delightful but true."—Otis Ferguson, The New Republic

"A brilliant, accomplished novel...fast, furious, and hilarious."—Terence Holliday, Saturday Review

"With this book, England's wittiest novelist sets a new standard for comic extravaganza....The one real message concerning Scoop is that it is thoroughly enjoyable, uproariously funny, and that everyone should get a copy at once."—Robert Van Gelder, New York Times Book Review

Waugh at his finest!

Simply delightful! Thoroughly enjoyed this audio book. It's a must in every person's library. Characters well developed and delightfully played out.

Fantastic dialogue

Evelyn Waugh is a master of dialogue, and the narrator captured every intonation and accent perfectly. A great story drawing upon Waugh’s time in Africa.

Well Written & Funny but Lacking

Scoop is a well written and humorous novel which is quite enjoyable, but is not sublime. The prose are excellent, and the humor wry, but in the end, truly great humorous novels must have poignancy to transcend. This is great writing and kept me entertained until the end, and there are moments of exceptional writing, yet it did not wow me. Perhaps at the time this was written the novel’s humor challenged society more than it seems in retrospect.

The narration was excellent, expressing the subtle humor beautifully.

I enjoyed this book, but certainly don’t plan to read it again.

Wonderful Story/Satire!

Let me begin with the narration. Simon Cadell is simply outstanding. I’d be quite pleased to read virtually any novel he reads.

The same pretty much goes for Waugh as the writer. What a fine craftsman of story and line!

The satire is superb. I found myself laughing a lot. I can’t imagine how funny it was to people of the time who read it.

I know something about the history of journalism, up from those times to ours. If this topic interests you, you’re bound to both enjoy and find value.

That the events were taking place in a distant land abroad where a coup or civil war was perhaps taking place with all the possibilities, it was especially set up for a fun story.

I loved it!

Over the Top and Spot-On

Evelyn Waugh had an uncanny gift for writing breathtakingly over-the-top satire that is always, somehow, completely true to life. And Simon Cadell has the gift of performing Waugh’s prose perfectly.