Customer Reviews

George Orwell

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Bowker is obviously a fan of Orwell's economy of expression and lucid style, as his prose is straight-forward and very readable. This biography is interesting and informative, and reads like a novel not a thesis. Orwell is a very interesting character and perhaps should be credited with having lead an interesting life as much as his biographer is lauded for describing it.

The only criticism I would have of this excellent treatment, would be Bowker's over-reaching attempt to flesh out his theory of repressed homo-erotic inclinations. This suggestion would seem to be based on some very flimsy hearsay evidence.

I highly recommend this to anyone interested in one of the 20th century's greatest social commentators.

The only other biography of Orwell that I have read is the two-volume Stansky-Abrahams one, which I read when it appeared over 25 years ago. Of course, one gets to know Orwell pretty well if one reads Orwell's own essays, etc. This seems to be a very good biography, though. I particularly want to commend Bowker for writing at this length, rather than writing something twice or thrice the size. Furthermore, there's a sense that the story has been well told, the people and events adequately identified, etc. One feels human interest not only in Orwell but in others, such as his two wives.

Bowker thanks his copy editor by name, and perhaps that person is not to be blamed for a few errors of grammar and spelling (e.g. the same person is both Frances and Francis) that appear.

Outstanding writing and research. By the time you finish the book you probably know Orwell better than his friends, his women and himself. It drags a bit in the middle but it lead me to re-read Down and Out and to order most of his publications.

This huge book/cd series has way too much conjecture about why Orwell was the way he was. Seems like an Intellectual trying to tease out controversy and new 'info' about this very interesting author. Perhaps it was the British hi-brow style that turned me off about this book but I just thought it went on and on and grasped at straws. Like I say might just be me but I give it a thumbs down. It became background noise so to speak.