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Intro
In 1943, Charles Ryder is a Commander in the British Army during World War II. His company has not been deployed overseas, and they wait in England for news of their destination. They have seen little action and have spent most of their time in army camps, which are set up in abandoned country houses in the English countryside. Charles is bored and disillusioned with war when he hears that the company must move again, to another location in England. When they arrive, Charles recognizes the house. It is a beautiful country house called Brideshead, and he has been there many times before. It has been converted into an army barracks and much of its décor has been destroyed. As Charles wanders around the property, he is overcome with memories from his past.
Charles first comes to Brideshead as a first-year student at Oxford University. There, he meets Sebastian Flyte, the son of the wealthy English lord, Lord Marchmain, the owner of Brideshead. The Marchmain family is Catholic, and Sebastian’s mother, Lady Marchmain, is known to be especially devout. Charles meets Sebastian one night when Sebastian gets drunk and is sick in Charles’s room. The next day, Sebastian invites Charles for lunch to apologize, and the two become close friends and fall in love. At this lunch, Charles also meets Anthony Blanche, a friend of Sebastian’s, who is infamous on campus for his unconventional behavior and his theatrical personality. Soon after, Sebastian takes Charles on his first visit to Brideshead to meet his nanny, Nanny Hawkins, who still lives in the house and who is like a mother to Sebastian. Charles thinks the house is beautiful and is curious about Sebastian’s family. Nanny tells them that Sebastian’s sister, Julia, will be home for tea, but Sebastian insists that he and Charles must leave and they hurry away before Julia arrives. On the way home, Charles asks Sebastian if he is ashamed of him, but Sebastian says he does not want Charles to meet his family because they are “always taking things away from him” and will make Charles their friend instead of his.
Charles and Sebastian continue to have fun and get drunk together at university. One night, Anthony takes Charles out for dinner and tries to turn him against Sebastian. He claims that Sebastian’s family is strange and “sinister,” and that Charles should stay away from them. He tells Charles that Lord Marchmain left Lady Marchmain during World War I, and that Lord Marchmain now lives with his mistress abroad. Since Lady Marchmain is a strict Catholic, she will not divorce her husband. Charles is confused but does not pay attention to Anthony. Charles and Sebastian separate for the summer holiday, and Charles goes home to stay with his father, who clearly does not want him there. One day, he receives a letter with the news that Sebastian has been in an accident and is “gravely” hurt. Charles rushes to the station and catches a train to Brideshead. Julia meets him, and he is struck by how much she resembles Sebastian. Julia tells Charles that Sebastian has only broken a bone in his foot, but that he cannot travel and wants Charles to stay with him through the summer. Charles is relieved and immediately agrees to stay. Julia leaves them the next day, and the boys enjoy a blissful summer together. Sebastian invites Charles to visit his father in Venice. Lord Marchmain lives with his mistress, Cara, whom Charles likes very much. One afternoon, Cara warns Charles that Sebastian is very much like his father and will become an alcoholic if someone does not stop him. Charles does not believe her, but her words unnerve him.
Charles and Sebastian return to Oxford, and Charles notices that Sebastian is depressed. His mother has asked a Catholic professor, named Mr. Samgrass (whom she has hired to write a book about her brother, Ned, who was killed in World War I) to watch over Sebastian. Charles notices that Sebastian begins to drink more than ever. One night, Sebastian is caught driving drunk while they are out with their friend Boy Mulcaster, which creates a public scandal. He is not expelled, but Charles and Sebastian are given a strict curfew at Oxford. Mr. Samgrass keeps a close eye on them during the next term, and Sebastian seems very unhappy. The next year, Charles is invited to Brideshead for the Easter holiday, and Sebastian drinks heavily throughout the trip. One night, Sebastian gets very drunk in front of his family. Charles tries to take him up to bed, but Sebastian begins to cry and accuses Charles of spying on him for his mother. The next morning, Sebastian feels very ashamed and asks Charles if they can leave and go to stay in London with Charles’s father. Charles says yes, and Sebastian goes on ahead, while Charles stays behind to explain to Lady Marchmain. Lady Marchmain is concerned about Sebastian’s drinking and says that she has seen this behavior before, in her husband. She gives Charles a copy of the book that Mr. Samgrass has written, and Charles understands that Lady Marchmain wants him to spy on Sebastian. Charles will not do this, and tells Sebastian that it is them against the world. The next term at Oxford does not improve for Sebastian. He and Charles plan to rent a flat together, but Sebastian does not think Lady Marchmain will allow this. One afternoon, Lady Marchmain comes to visit and, that evening, Sebastian gets extremely drunk and is found on the university lawn. This prompts Lady Marchmain to remove Sebastian from Oxford and sends him abroad.
Without Sebastian, Charles does not want to stay at Oxford. He leaves to attend art school in Paris instead. The next time he sees Sebastian is at Brideshead that Christmas. Sebastian has clearly been drinking heavily for a while, and he is accompanied by Mr. Samgrass, who was paid by Lady Marchmain to take Sebastian on a historical tour of Europe. Mr. Samgrass gives them a slideshow of photos from the trip, and Charles recognizes Anthony Blanche in some of the pictures. Charles despises Mr. Samgrass and thinks that he has something to hide. Charles later discovers that Sebastian ran away from Mr. Samgrass and went to live with Anthony, whom they ran into by chance on their trip. Mr. Samgrass has not told Lady Marchmain this. Although the family tries to keep Sebastian sober throughout the holiday, he still finds a way to get drunk. One day, he goes out fox hunting with the family, but, midway through the hunt he escapes to a village pub and gets drunk on money that Charles has given him. Lady Marchmain is furious, and Charles leaves Brideshead that day and thinks that he will never go back.
Not long after this, Charles hears that Lady Marchmain is dying and that she would like to see him. He goes to Brideshead and meets Julia there. Lady Marchmain is very ill, and Julia asks Charles if he could try and find Sebastian, who is still abroad. Charles goes to Morocco, where Sebastian is known to live. Charles finds that Sebastian is in a relationship with a German man named Kurt, whom he lives with, and that Sebastian is still an alcoholic and currently hospitalized with a lung disease. Charles tries to persuade Sebastian to return to England once he is better, but Sebastian says that Kurt needs him and is determined to stay in Morocco. Lady Marchmain dies while Charles is abroad. Charles leaves, deflated, and returns to Paris alone.
Ten years later, Charles is a successful architectural painter and is married to a woman named Celia. Although his work is very popular, he finds it uninspiring and plans a trip into the South American jungle in the hope that this will grab his attention. After several months, he returns to New York and meets his wife there. Their relationship is awkward, and Charles has not forgiven Celia, who was once unfaithful to him. They travel back to England by boat, and Charles meets Julia on board. Julia is unhappily married to a businessman named Rex, and has renounced Catholicism in order to marry him. Charles is immediately attracted to her, and the pair spend a long time talking. Not long into the crossing, a terrible storm breaks out and Celia is seasick. Charles and Julia are not affected by it. They spend the whole week together, and eventually begin an affair. After two years, Charles and Julia agree to divorce Celia and Rex and to get married themselves. Julia thinks there will soon be a war in Europe, and wants to be married before this. Charles agrees, and proceedings are set in motion. Julia’s older brother, Brideshead, announces that he is also engaged to a woman named Beryl Muspratt. He tells Julia that he cannot introduce his fiancée to her while she is still married to Rex but is in a relationship with Charles. Julia becomes extremely upset, and Charles begins to suspect that Julia regrets her decision to leave the Catholic Church.
Not long after this, Lord Marchmain tells the family that he will return to Brideshead. He arrives with Cara, and it is immediately clear that he is very ill and will soon die. As his death approaches, Brideshead and his younger sister, Cordelia, who are both very religious, begin to pressure Julia and Charles to let Lord Marchmain have a priest present when he dies. Lord Marchmain has renounced Catholicism and is very hostile to the Church. Charles is totally against the idea, but Julia seems unsure. Eventually, as Lord Marchmain’s death draws near, Julia summons a priest, Father Mackay, and Lord Marchmain renounces his sins and receives a final blessing. Charles is horrified at first, but soon realizes that this has always been inevitable. After this, Julia breaks up with Charles because she says she must return to the Catholic Church and cannot get a divorce or remarry. Charles leaves her bitterly and despises her.
World War II breaks out in 1939, and Charles joins the army. As he wanders around Brideshead, which has been converted into a military base, he is upset at the destruction the soldiers have caused. However, after he visits the chapel, which is now open and used by the soldiers, he begins to think that perhaps there is a purpose to all the change and upheaval caused by the war. It is implied that this experience in the chapel marks Charles’s conversion to Catholicism. In light of this, Charles begins to feel that he cannot control how things change over time, and this makes him feel better and inspires him to have hope for the future.
