In Black Mischief, Evelyn Waugh unleashes one of his sharpest, boldest, and most darkly comic satires. Set on the fictional African island of Azania, the novel follows the misguided ambitions of Emperor Seth, a young idealist determined to modernize his nation overnight. Armed with enthusiasm, naïveté, and a British-educated worldview, Seth launches a sweeping campaign of “progress”—complete with chaotic reforms, absurd decrees, and well-meaning disasters. Drawn into this whirlwind is Basil Seal, a charming but reckless Englishman whose appetite for adventure—and mischief—adds fuel to the fire. As political schemes, cultural misunderstandings, and diplomatic fiascos collide, Waugh constructs a razor-sharp portrait of colonial vanity, ambition gone wild, and the comedy of human folly. Brilliantly irreverent and wickedly entertaining, Black Mischief remains one of Waugh’s most daring early works, a novel that blends farce, satire, and social critique with unstoppable momentum.
