Can anyone reccomend some literature...

[deleted]

You might enjoy books by Evelyn Waugh, although most of his characters are British, and his stories are set in the 1920's through the '40s. Still, if you like "Metropolitan" you might like Waugh, because he writes with a lot of intelligence and wit, and he had an appreciation for traditions and the aristocracy. For this and other reasons, like Whit Stillman, Waugh was not politically correct.

Waugh's book Vile Bodies is set amongst a group of wealthy British young people, although the characters in it aren't as likeable or innocent as the ones in "Metropolitan." Brideshead Revisited is a real masterpiece and takes place mostly amongst a wealthy British family before World War II. Its filled with interesting and sometimes admirable characters, and while it has lots of very funny dialogue it is also a very deep, moving story. The characters of Sebastian and Antony in it have some similarities with Nick of "Metropolitan." And there was an excellent TV version of "Brideshead Revisited" made in the early 1980's, with Jeremy Irons, Anthony Andrews and lots of other good actors, which is very faithful to the book. Other Waugh novels are excellent too. And I've read that another British writer Anthony Powell is very good at writing about the British upper classes, but I haven't read any of his stuff.

P.G. Wodehouse wrote lots of very funny stories about a young British aristocrat and his butler Jeeves. Wodehouse also has lots of wit and humor, and he isn't as biting and satirical as Waugh.

You might try the novels of Louis Auchincloss, probably THE premier chronicler of the 20th century WASP. He was very prolific; a great first foray would be my favorite, "The Rector of Justin" -- if you like that, then I think that you'd enjoy his entire body of work. There's an interesting tie-in with "Metropolitan," too -- "The Rector of Justin" is the book Audrey is reading when Tom rescues her!

"The Extra Man" by Jonathan Ames is a good one.

S.

I think the obvious choice is Jane Austen, who is the subject of Metropolitan and the inspiration for it. Austen was the master of the comedy of manners. Try Emma, Pride and Prejudice, and so on.


If you are really a literatus, George Meredith is priceless. The Egoist is one of his finest comedies of manners. One of the best in English literature, in fact, though it does demand a bit from the reader. But Meredith used "the Spirit of Comedy" to quite excellent effect. A very arch, rewarding book.


You might, if you eventually run out of Austen & Co., possibly want to try Anthony Trollope as well (although he's a bit more sentimental and Victorian) -- Barchester Towers is a good start.

I see from your posting history that you are a Salinger fan. If you like Metropolitan, and if, possibly, you haven't read Franny & Zooey yet, then you are in for a treat. That, plus his short stories. Go for it!

Might I also suggest:

The Oscar Wilde plays:

The Importance of Being Earnest

Lady Windemere's Fan

Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

The works of P. G. Wodehouse and Noel Coward (Hay Fever, etc.) and Moliere (Tartuffe; The Misanthrope; etc.).

All of the above are delightful comedies of manners.


Please for God's sake fix the spelling in your subject line.

Have you read 'May Day' by Fitzgerald? It's one of my all time favorites and presents a whole caleidoscope of class issues, which overlap to an extent with Metropolitan.