Vile Bodies

This satiric novel by Evelyn Waugh, published in 1930, is set in England between the wars and explores the lively but superficial lives of the Bright Young Things, a group known for their party lifestyle. As the story unfolds, the characters' carefree existence is contrasted with the encroaching realities of the world, culminating with the protagonist, Adam Fenwick-Symes, preparing to serve on a battlefield at the start of a new conflict.