The Loved One: An Anglo-American Tragedy (1948) is a short satirical novel by Evelyn Waugh about the funeral business in Los Angeles, the British expatriate community in Hollywood, and the film industry.
In the novel, a young English poet, Dennis Barlow, goes to Los Angeles to live with his uncle, Sir Francis Hinsley, who works at a film studio. When he is fired by the studio, Sir Francis commits suicide, and Dennis goes to the imposing necropoli...
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The Loved One: An Anglo-American Tragedy (1948) is a short satirical novel by Evelyn Waugh about the funeral business in Los Angeles, the British expatriate community in Hollywood, and the film industry.
In the novel, a young English poet, Dennis Barlow, goes to Los Angeles to live with his uncle, Sir Francis Hinsley, who works at a film studio. When he is fired by the studio, Sir Francis commits suicide, and Dennis goes to the imposing necropolis called Whispering Glades (its details clearly inspired by Forest Lawn, which mesmerized Waugh) to arrange for the funeral. While there, he meets Aimée Thanatogenos, a cosmetician, and competes for her attention with the sinister embalmer Mr. Joyboy. Little did Aimée know that conflicts would soon erupt involving Mr. Joyboy and Mr. Barlow.
The book was adapted in 1965 by Terry Southern into a sprawling film of the same name, billed as The motion picture with something to offend everyone! Not particularly true to the book, the film features...
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