George Orwell in General

George Orwell is one of the most prolific authors of the Twentieth Century, if not ever, and it is often a suprise to readers that he has written a lot more than just "1984" and "Animal Farm". Not only does his prose fiction bibliography read a lot longer, but his poems, mainly written at Eton, and his investigative journalism are musts too. George Orwell, (b. Eric Arthur Blair) was born in Motihairi, India, in 1903. His family was, of course, English, but had moved out to the Indian sub-Continent with his father who was in the Civil Service there, India still being a British colony then. In 1907 the family, minus the father who stayed on in ...  Read the complete review

Would you not agree with me when I say that George Orwell is probably the best author ever to put pen to paper (excluding Shakespeare). Not just the better known works of 1984 and Animal farm, but even te lesser known works of Burmese Days, and A Clergymans Daughter, prove to be both stunnning insights into the human soul, and also pwerful novels. Burmese Days is a stunning cry for recognition of the cause for abolition of colonialism, and both a touching story of hope and despair. Animal Farm shows the tradgedy and waste of the Russian Revolution and also at a lower level is a beautiful childrens story ...  Read the complete review

1984 paints a picture of a world in which government is everything and everywhere, and individuality means nothing. A man named Winston rises up to find the truth and to see through the government coverups. Since the government is so allpowerful and corrupt, it allows such people as Winston to rise up just for the joy of crushing them and turning them into mindless believers. 1984 is like the other great negative utopias, Brave New World and Farenheit 451, because in all books the governemnt controls all aspects of life. However, Brave New World uses material pleasures such as the drug somna to control it's citizens, Farenheit 451 burns books to keep ...  Read the complete review

I was reading alkaliguru's opinion of this book and thinking back to when I read 'Down and Out in Paris and London' twenty or thirty years ago. Yes I am that old, or I read it when I was that young. Not before I was born though, so I'm old. And old people ramble .. The review claimed that the imagery would be with us for years to come and here's the proof. I can still remember him washing up in restaurants, something about not trusting Armenians (which bothered me a bit) and other details, but the tangible fear of not having enough to eat or somewhere to stay - of destitution - that's what the man communicated, powerfully and ...  Read the complete review