The Loved One (book)
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Founder | Evelyn Waugh |
| Products | Satirical novel |
The Loved One: An Anglo-American Tragedy is a satirical novel published in 1948 by British writer Evelyn Waugh. The narrative centers on the funeral industry in Los Angeles, the British expatriate circle in Hollywood, and the motion picture sector.
Conception
The Loved One was inspired by Waugh's visit to Hollywood between February and March 1947, during which MGM aimed to adapt his earlier work Brideshead Revisited (1945) for the screen. Waugh harbored doubts about American viewers fully comprehending the novel’s themes and expressed irritation at its popularity in the United States, referring to it as "my humiliating success in [the] U.S.A."
Although he was reluctant to sell the film rights, Waugh accepted MGM’s offer of $2,000 per week during their discussions, with a potential total of $140,000 if rights were sold. He engaged with British screenwriters Leon Gordon and Keith Winter but criticized their inability to capture the novel’s theological nuances. Eventually, MGM abandoned the project after Waugh elaborated on the story’s complexities and potential censorship issues.
During his Hollywood stay, Waugh encountered personalities such as Charlie Chaplin and Walt Disney, yet he disparaged local customs, accommodations, and social etiquette as informal and lacking sophistication. His time there proved creatively productive; tours of Forest Lawn cemetery led by its founder Dr. Hubert Eaton and exposure to embalming methods provided material for The Loved One. Through his satire, Waugh sought to underscore eschatological themes that he believed American readers had overlooked in Brideshead Revisited, reflecting these ideas within American cultural contexts.
Plot
Sir Ambrose Abercrombie visits his housemates Dennis Barlow and Sir Francis Hinsley to voice his unease about Barlow’s new employment at the Happier Hunting Ground, a pet cemetery and funeral service, signaling Barlow’s impending alienation from British society. Barlow collects a deceased couple’s Sealyham Terrier.
Following difficulties in rebranding actress Juanita del Pablo as an Irish starlet, Hinsley is assigned to work remotely. When his secretary ceases to appear, he discovers that Megalopolitan Studios has terminated his contract. Abercrombie and other British expatriates later convene to discuss Hinsley’s suicide and funeral plans.
Entrusted with organizing Hinsley’s funeral, Barlow visits Whispering Glades and becomes intrigued by cosmetician Aimée Thanatogenos before learning her identity. Upon Hinsley’s body arrival, Thanatogenos and chief mortician Mr. Joyboy prepare it.
Barlow searches for inspiration for Hinsley’s funeral tribute at Whispering Glades, where he meets Thanatogenos and begins courting her after discovering her appreciation for poetry.
Six weeks on, Thanatogenos finds herself torn between feelings for Barlow and Joyboy. She writes to advice columnist "The Guru Brahmin." Joyboy invites her to dinner, introducing her to his mother.
The Guru Brahmin’s office is staffed by two somber men alongside a bright young secretary. Mr. Slump, a gloomy alcoholic responsible for replying to letters, advises Thanatogenos to marry Joyboy; however, she opts for Barlow instead.
Upon uncovering that Barlow’s poems lack originality, Joyboy arranges for Thanatogenos—still unaware of Barlow’s pet cemetery occupation—to attend his mother’s parrot’s funeral at the Happier Hunting Ground.
After learning of Barlow’s deceit, Thanatogenos becomes conflicted once more while engaged to Joyboy. Seeking counsel from Slump—now dismissed and found drinking in a bar—she receives advice to jump from a building. She proceeds to take her own life by injecting embalming fluid in Joyboy’s workspace at Whispering Glades.
Joyboy discovers Thanatogenos’ body and enlists Barlow's assistance. Abercrombie, concerned that Barlow's intention to become a non-denominational funeral pastor might damage the reputation of the British community abroad, finances his return trip to England. Unaware of this arrangement, Joyboy returns; Barlow agrees to leave town in exchange for all his savings so it appears he absconded with Thanatogenos. After cremating her remains, Barlow registers Joyboy for the Happier Hunting Ground annual postcard service, ensuring that each year Joyboy receives a card stating: "Your little Aimée is wagging her tail in heaven tonight, thinking of you."
Characters
Dennis Barlow is a 28-year-old British poet who arrives in Hollywood to compose a cinematic biography of Percy Bysshe Shelley. After losing this job, he takes employment at the Happier Hunting Ground, a pet funeral establishment. He often recites poetry, particularly when trying to win over Aimée Thanatogenos, who assumes he is the author of these verses. His quotations draw from poets such as Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Edgar Allan Poe, among others. A line from Richard Middleton remained unrecognized until 1981.
Aimée Thanatogenos, working as a beautician at Whispering Glades, bears a name inspired by evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. Her name translates to "beloved" in French and "born of death" in Greek. Waugh characterizes her eyes as "greenish and distant, with a vivid hint of madness."
Mr. Joyboy, the chief mortician at Whispering Glades, is notable for his radiant smile on embalmed corpses. He lives under the strong influence of his mother, Mrs. Joyboy.
Sir Francis Hinsley, Barlow’s roommate in Hollywood, is a once-celebrated novelist and former lead scriptwriter for Megalopolitan Pictures. At the novel's outset, he is tasked with rebranding actress Juanita del Pablo through publicity but is dismissed and later takes his own life.
Sir Ambrose Abercrombie, a prominent British actor and head of the British community in Hollywood, dedicates himself to maintaining Britain's reputation in the film industry. He is thought to be modeled on Sir C. Aubrey Smith.
Publication and reception
Waugh commenced writing The Loved One in May 1947, completing the initial draft by early July and finalizing the novel by September. The full work was published by Cyril Connolly in the February 1948 edition of Horizon, where it was warmly received as a revival of Waugh’s early comedic tone.
Despite concerns about potential legal issues in America—prompting him to have Lord Stanley of Alderley add a burial codicil for Forest Lawn and expressing fears that American morticians might refuse him service—Waugh’s novel achieved both critical acclaim and strong sales across the Atlantic.
The New Yorker opted not to publish the novel, believing that American writers such as S. J. Perelman, Sinclair Lewis, and Nathanael West had already explored similar themes. The magazine noted that the book's most distinctive element was its depiction of English expatriates in Hollywood and wished Waugh had emphasized this aspect more.
Allusions in other works
Tom Paxton references The Loved One, alongside Jessica Mitford's The American Way of Death, as influences for his satirical track "Forest Lawn".
The 1985 Doctor Who story arc Revelation of the Daleks loosely draws on elements from the novel’s storyline.
Film adaptation
In 1965, Terry Southern and Christopher Isherwood transformed the novel into a film, augmenting the narrative with additional characters and scenes. The film includes cameo appearances as inside jokes and features recognizable Californian landmarks such as the Greystone Mansion. Isherwood makes a brief appearance as one of 'Uncle Frank's' mourners.