George Orwell - Hardcover

Bowker, Gordon

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0316861154 ISBN 13: 9780316861151

Publisher: Little, Brown, 2003

Synopsis

George Orwell was one of the greatest writers England produced in the last century. He left an enduring mark on our language and culture, with concepts such as 'Big Brother' and 'Room 101.' His reputation rests not only on his political shrewdness and his sharp satires (Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four) but also on his marvellously clear style and superb essays, which rank with the best ever written. Gordon Bowker's new biography, written to coincide with Orwell's centenary, includes fascinating new material which brings his life into unfamiliar focus. He writes revealingly about Orwell's family background; the lasting influence of Eton on his work and character; his superstitious streak and youthful flirtation with black magic; and his chaotic and reckless sex life, which included at least one homoerotic relationship. It highlights the strange circumstances of his first marriage and provides remarkable new evidence of his experiences in Spain and their nightmarish consequences. It also offers a fresh look at his peculiar deathbed marriage to a woman fifteen years his junior. All this has enabled Bowker to give Orwell's life a brilliantly fresh and distinctive interpretation.

About this title

Review:

An exhilaratingly crowded book (INDEPENDENT)

Invaluable... superb and fascinating biography adds enormously to our understanding of the man (EVENING STANDARD)

Bowker's biography is that of a scholar... he has the ability to select the right detail and let it speak for itself (SUNDAY TELEGRAPH)

Magisterial (DAILY MAIL)

Book Description:

An intelligent and subtle biography of George Orwell (1903-1950), the author of 1984 and ANIMAL FARM.

About this edition

• Publisher: Little, Brown
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0316861154
• ISBN 13: 9780316861151
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 512