Tuesday, November 1, 2011

From the Top Shelf - Brideshead Revisited


I don't suppose you remember the spanking in Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. Yes, there is spanking, or at least a threat of one, that piqued my interest and made me watch the rest of the six-part mini-series starring Jeremy Irons with great interest. 

I knew Sebastian by sight long before I met him. That was unavoidable for, from his first week, he was the most conspicuous man of his year by reason of his beauty, which was arresting, and his eccentricities of behavior which seemed to know no bounds. My first sight of him was as we passed in the door of Germer's, and, on that occasion, I was struck less by his looks than by the fact that he was carrying a large Teddy-bear.

"That," said the barber as I took his chair, "was Lord Sebastian Flyte.  A most amusing young gentleman."

"Apparently," I said coldly.

"The Marquis of Marchmain's second boy. His brother, the Earl of Brideshead, went down last term. Now he was very different, a very quiet gentleman, quite like an old man. What do you suppose Lord Sebastian wanted? A hair brush for his Teddy-bear; it had to have very stiff bristles, not, Lord Sebastian said, to brush him with, but to threaten him with a spanking when he was sulky. He bought a very nice one with an ivory back and he's having 'Aloysius' engraved on it--that's the bear's name."

Sorry to have raised your hopes, because that's all there was.

From Hermione's Heart

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Haha! I think I watched Brideshead for exactly the same reason. (Plus Diana Quick.)

I wonder *how many* films/tv shows I have endured, because of the slightest hint of a spanking in the atmosphere!

Hermione said...

TMT - Me too! And then there's never another hint of spanking in the whole show.

Hugs,
Hermione

Michael said...

TMT and Hermione, I have also suffered through countless shows because of a hint of a spanking in a promo only to inevitably be disappointed.

I struggled through "Brideshead Revisited" twice, once in high school and once in college, and that was two too many times, though I did greatly enjoy the mini-series with Jeremy Irons, Diana Quick and Anthony Andrews.

kiwigirliegirl said...

awww was that all....no wonder i never watched it. LOL....
love and hugs kiwi xxx

Daisychain said...

LOL, and there was I wracking my brains trying to remember the spanking....xxx

ronnie said...

How disappointing. Hardly ever watched the series just couldn't get into it.

Love,
Ronnie
xx

Hermione said...

Michael - I agree, the series was lovely. I've never read the book.

Kiwi - Unfortunately, that's all.

Daisy - Good, that was the idea!

Ronnie - I couldn't figure it out the first time, but fell for Jeremy Irons. That made me watch it again a few years later.

Hugs,
Hermione