Description

Eric Arthur Blair (1903–1950), more commonly known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English journalist, essayist, critic, and novelist most famous for his novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four” (1949) and allegorical novella “Animal Farm” (1945). His work is characterised by an opposition to totalitarianism and biting social commentary, and remains influential in popular culture today. Many of his neologisms have forever entered the English language, including “Thought Police”, “Big Brother”, “Room 101”, “doublethink”, “thoughtcrime”, and “Newspeak” to name but a few. This book contains two essays by Orwell: “Politics vs. Literature: An Examination of Gulliver’s Travels” and “Politics and the English Language”. In the former, he decries “Gulliver’s Travels” as an attack on humanity and questions Swift’s highly critical view of pure science and discovery; while in the latter, Orwell explores the connection between political orthodoxies and the debasement of language. A fascinating duo of vintage essays that will appeal to those with a keen interest in language and politics. Other notable works by this author include: “Burmese Days” (1934), “Keep the Aspidistra Flying” (1936), and “Coming Up for Air” (1939).