(1938) is a novel by Evelyn Waugh, set partly in England and partly in the fictional African country of Ishmaelia, named for Ishmael, the outcast son of Abraham in the Book of Genesis. Subtitled
A Novel about Journalists,
Scoopdescribes the attempts of the world press to cover Ishmaelia’s civil war. The novel is based on Waugh’s experience reporting the Italo-Abyssinian (or Ethiopian) War of 1935-1936 and his travel book about it,
Waugh in Abyssinia(1936). The characters are realistic, many derived from people acquainted with Waugh.
Scoopis satirical, however, and Waugh emphasizes the dishonesty of journalists. Generally regarded as the lightest and happiest of his novels,
Scoopwas written at the time of Waugh’s marriage to Laura Herbert, and the book is dedicated to her.
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Citation: Wilson, John Howard. "Scoop". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 July 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=2222, accessed 27 November 2024.]
