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Augustus Carp es la autobiografía de un superintendente de la escuela dominical que se dedica a denunciar los pecados y debilidades de los demás ignorando, al mismo tiempo, los suyos. Aunque hace campaña en contra de la lujuria, del ocio, de beber y de fumar, se las arregla para indultarse a sí mismo y caer en una larga lista de vicios en nombre de la piedad. Su gula es justificada como un apetito saludable, delatar a los demás es un acto de devoción a la verdad, el chantaje es el mero castigo para los pecadores; mientras que tratar a su madre como una sirvienta esclavizada es simplemente rectitud patriarcal. Cuanto más en serio se toma a sí mismo, más ridículo y repelente resulta. Sus frecuentes pérdidas de dignidad son estrepitosas: desde su incapacidad para descender de los autobuses sin caerse hasta sus problemas crónicos de flatulencias. Una inigualable sátira a la hipocresía. La novela sigue a Augustus a través de las etapas de su vida, desde su nacimiento hasta sus 47 años, empezando con la infancia, siguiendo con sus días en el colegio y acabando con su vida laboral y su paternidad. Su actitud arrogante está marcada por el dominio del padre que le transmite esa visión deformada de su ego. Es una novela en la que el protagonista no madura ni evoluciona quedando atrapado en el proceso de crecimiento sin ningún punto de lucidez, un antibildungsroman. Desde su niñez ya es todo un tirano que se dedica a sobornar a sus profesores y continúa haciéndose de clubs antientretenimiento, considerando a las mujeres como una terrible perdición, explotando a sus seres queridos y, en definitiva, destruyendo vidas.
Editore : ÝTico De Los Libros; Translation edizione (3 settembre 2012)
Lingua : Spagnolo
Copertina flessibile : 233 pagine
ISBN-10 : 8493859540
ISBN-13 : 978-8493859541
Peso articolo : 275 g
Dimensioni : 13 x 2 x 21 cm
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This book was out of print until a chance encounter between two authors ( Anthony Burgess and someone else ) . One of them responded to the other’s polite enquiry as to his health with ‘ In the prime of my Xtian metropolitan manhood ‘ – a quote from the book – which was instantly recognized and lead them to the discovery the book had been ‘ lost ‘ and to make the effort to get it back in print .The hardcover reprint is better – the illustrations feel more authentic – but the paperback version is cheap and part of my life – and suggests the book has become , deservedly , part of the lexicon of English literature .Occasionally , tiring of responding with banalities to ‘ How are you doing ? ‘ I will say ‘ In the prime etc . If you try this ( choose educated people ) the response will be befuddlement 90% and cries of joy 10% . For the 90% I send them a copy ; for the 10% I have gained an excellent conversation and a warm acquaintance .The story is , gentle , eternally human , and holds your attention .The author was a doctor ( if you are aware of it you may note some of the text supports that ) and a medical attendant on the Queen . He did not during his lifetime want his authorship publicly known .I hope you read and enjoy it .
A nice, short novel. Subtile satire of an old fashioned character.The paper is fine and printing thin but comfortable enough.However the layout is calamitous. The sentence is cut off and continues on the line! The pleasure to read is a bit spoiled.Should anyone in the future only read kindles online or print on their own B/W laser machine to avoid such issues?
Another comic masterpiece lovingly restored by Prion, Augustus Carp is a gloriously funny satire written in the first quarter of the last century. It is the fictional autobiography of a monstrously pious hypocrite with the ego of Alan Partridge, compassion of Ricky Gervais’ David Brent and morals of Queen Victoria. A more self-satisfied, opinionated boor you will never meet in literature – even Dickens would have been proud of the character – and one is delighted and irritated in turns by his fluctuating career. As Carp ruthlessly walks over everyone on his rise from mediocrity to notoriety it is the reader’s most fervent wish that he comes a cropper. Does he ? … I won’t spoil the story for you. Enjoy the comic grotesque characters along the way – the pompous role model his father, his subjugated female relatives, the feud with the Carkeek’s and the church lectern, the hilarious Stool clan and his antics in the various puritanical crusades against dancing, theatricals and other forms of supposed debauchery. Once you’ve finished this, turn to The Eliza Stories (also available in Prion) for another wonderful comic hero in the shape of Eliza’s husband, albeit one with redeeming features totally absent in Bashford’s comic creation Carp.
I have never been guilty of laughing out loud when reading a book, until now. Augustus Carp is simply irresistible, and the more supercilious and flawed his character is shown to be (through his own writings!), the funnier it gets; though not unaccompanied by a certain nervous introspection… after all, who among us is without some self-deluded failings? So it is humor (humour) with an edge, as is characteristic of all the best British humor. Like a good martini, it is dry and leaves you stirred, and perhaps chuckling a little helplessly…
I have known this wonderful book for many years, and bought several copies to give as presents to several of my colleagues as I retired from work. They have also found it very useful.If you want to be a really good person, this is the handbook for you.