George Orwell is a major figure in twentieth-century literature. During his lifetime he published ten books and two collections of essays. Orwell seldom "reported" and he never took a line other than the one himself felt at the moment of writing. His essays are certainly some of the greatest in that most difficult genre. His widow and her co-editor have collected everything Orwell would have considered an essay, all the journalism that was not purely ephemeral, and those letters which contribute to our understanding of his life and writing. The material is arranged chronologically, and gives a continuous picture of Orwell's life as well as his work. -- From publisher's description.
This last volume contains the letters, reviews and other pieces which George Orwell wrote during the last five years of his life; they include Such, Such Were the Joys, a reminiscence of his preparatory school. Animal Farm had eventually relieved him of financial worry, but during the drafting and writing of Nineteen Eighty-Four he was increasingly handicapped by the illness of which he died, early in 1950.
George Orwell is a major figure in twentieth-century literature. During his lifetime he published ten books and two collections of essays. Orwell seldom "reported" and he never took a line other than the one himself felt at the moment of writing. His essays are certainly some of the greatest in that most difficult genre. His widow and her co-editor have collected everything Orwell would have considered an essay, all the journalism that was not purely ephemeral, and those letters which contribute to our understanding of his life and writing. The material is arranged chronologically, and gives a continuous picture of Orwell's life as well as his work. -- From publisher's description.
In his 46 years, Orwell managed to publish ten books and two collections of essays. This volume, one in a set of four, brings together a selection of his non-fiction work - letters, essays, reviews and journalism. His work is broad in scope, moving from English cooking to totalitarianism.
[1.] Prologue in Burma: Shooting an elephant -- A hanging -- From Burmese days -- [2.] The thirties: From Down and out in Paris and London -- How the poor die -- From A clergyman's daughter -- From Keep the aspidistra flying -- From The road to Wigan Pier -- From Homage to Catalonia -- From Coming up for air -- [3.] World War II and after: From The lion and the unicorn : socialism and the English genius -- England your England -- Rudyard Kipling -- Politics vs. literature : an examination of "Gulliver's travels"--Lear, Tolstoy and the Fool -- In defense of P.G. Wodehouse -- Reflections on Gandhi -- Second thoughts on James Burnham -- Politics and the English language -- The prevention of literature -- "I write as I please": Decline of the English murder ; Some thoughts on the common toad ; A good word for the vicar of Bray -- Why I write -- From Nineteen eighty-four -- "Such, such were the joys ..."