A Handful of Dust

Selected by Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of the century, this "absolutely delightful" work by Evelyn Waugh humorously and poignantly explores the unraveling of a marriage and the decline of English society in the aftermath of World War I. Lady Brenda Last, feeling disenchanted with her life at Hetton Abbey, embarks on an affair with the superficial John Beaver, ultimately forsaking her husband, Tony. Blending tragedy, comedy, and biting irony, the novel vividly reflects the erratic spirit of a generation caught between wars.