Decline and Fall

"Decline and Fall" by Evelyn Waugh is a satirical novel that charts the misadventures of Paul Pennyfeather, an unassuming theology student expelled from Oxford due to a prank gone awry. Forced to fend for himself, Paul takes up a teaching position at a disreputable private school, where he encounters a series of eccentric characters and absurd situations. As Paul navigates through various misfortunes and a whirlwind engagement, Waugh's sharp wit and dark humor vividly critique the British social and educational systems of the 1920s. This classic work, Waugh's first published novel, remains a brilliant commentary on the absurdity of modern life and the fickle nature of fate.