When He-Evelyn went away for weeks at a time, to work on Vile Bodies, she started an affair with another man. He was mortified and miserable, but it was more that his amour propre was wounded. I think he would have grown out of her quickly in any case.
Q: In Vile Bodies, Waugh’s novel satirising that set of people, the latter half is much darker, with Adam Fenwick-Symes ending up on a European battlefield. Many ascribe that bleak ending to the breakdown of Waugh’s marriage.
I think it was the worst thing that happened to him. And underneath his bullying, he was lacking in confidence, particularly sexual confidence with women. He was constantly falling hopelessly in love with women who wouldn’t give him the time of day. He was also prone to depression, and the ending of Vile Bodies reflects that very clearly.
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