Description

Eric Arthur Blair (1903–1950), who used the pen name George Orwell, was an English writer. He led a varied life, first as a policeman in Burma, then in various odd jobs in England and France before he concentrated on writing. He is best known for his sharply satirical novels, 1984 and Animal Farm. His lesser known novels include The Clergyman’s Daughter and Keep the Aspidistra Flying. He also wrote books about his colourful life. Burmese Days: a novel inspired by his police service in Burma; Down and Out in Paris and London: a reminiscence of his years in the 1920’s; and Homage to Catalonia: a memoir of his time spent with the Republican forces fighting Franco’s fascist forces in Spain in the 1930’s. He was heavily involved in the socialist movement in England. His book The Road to Wigan Pier discusses the bleak living conditions among the working class in Lancashire and Yorkshire in the industrial north. We also carry some books containing collections of essays: Inside the Whale and Other Essays, The Lion and the Unicorn, Politics and the English Language and other essays, and Shooting an Elephant and other essays. (Oxford Companion to English Literature)