Keep the Aspidistra Flying - George Orwell

In one of his greatest works, George Orwell shows the thought processes and spiralling worries of an intelligent and perhaps overly-principled man as he attempts to move away from the all-consuming concern with money endemic in our society. What starts as a critique of capitalism and the blatant striation of the British class system moves on throughout the book into something altogether more delicate, as the book's protagonist Gordon (like Orwell himself), struggles to find a balance between engaging between the world of money and 'success' and rejecting it. We learn that (like many other rebellions), the choice to opt out from the affairs of the ...  Read the complete review

George Orwell's novel, 'Keep The Aspidistra Flying' is sad and funny. It is something of a commentary on the British class structure during the 1930's.Hence the title of the book. An aspidistra in the hall, or window, was a reasonably good indication of a middle class home. Gordon Comstock is a middle class advertising copy writer. He has a safe and secure job. His girlfriend, Rosemary, works for the same company. Comtock is very good at what he does and popular with his firm's clients. When he gives his notice in to pursue the life of a poet, no one thinks he will last long. He publishes a book of poetry and gets very ...  Read the complete review

Gordon Comstock declares war on money. He comes from steadily-declining middle class stock. His family, and especially his sister, make great sacrifices to ensure that he will be successful in a 'good job'. Gordon ends up working in advertising, writing those dreadful slogans that they used to have in the 30s. Unfortunately, he decides a good job is the last thing he wants or needs, and packs it all in to become a poet. An unsuccessful poet at that. The book traces Gordon's decline from seedy job to seedier job, to no job. The problem is that his war against money fails to make him any happier, as his miserable temperament starts to tell on his relationships ...  Read the complete review

The petty nature of Gordon Comstock may seem like small potatoes compared to 1984 and Animal Farm but Comstock's life is Orwell showing us how suffocating our society is, and how suffocating our own vanity and aspirations can be. Like some sort of 1950's Seinfeld Comstock is funny, witty, sarcastic and loathesome. Readers will either root for Gordon's bitterness and refusal to get in line with all the other capitalists, and some readers (like Gordon's relations) will wonder what he's moaning about. Like the rest of Orwell's work this book is consistent in showing us how dehumanising our world can be. Orwell's critics accuse ...  Read the complete review