“He drove his mind into the abyss where poetry is written.”Īs the novel progresses, his choice of penury begins to play on his mind as he struggles with his decision. That’s so he can focus on his real passion of writing poetry. He wants away from the money-God with the goal of abandoning leading a life of poverty.Ĭomstock leaves his job as an advertising copywriter and he begins his new life in a low-paying job at a bookshop. The plot is about Gordon Comstock, who declares war on his mindless dependence on money. Remember, he didn’t find fame until a decade later. Orwell wrote the wort around 1934 and it was published in 1936 as one of his first books. It’s a reflection on the middle-class life of his era and its self-satisfaction. Right, so Orwell’s work was more social criticism. Keep the Aspidistra Flying and the Study of Wealth That cost-effective consideration is very much in keeping with the books themes, which examine the nature of wealth and the human capacity to abandon it. Hurray! That was courtesy of Alma Books in a competition we entered. Keep the Aspidistra Flying is also a book we won. Classics is proudly republishing this vintage novel now in a new edition complete with the introductory essay “Why I Write”.Here’s our first George Orwell review since The Road to Wigan Pier (1937), which we covered back in 2016. Other notable works by this author include: “Burmese Days” (1934) and “Coming Up for Air” (1939).

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. His work is characterised by an opposition to totalitarianism and biting social commentary, and remains influential in popular culture today. 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). Brimming with Orwell’s characteristic social criticism, this dark satire will resonate with anyone who has ever suffered from a lack of money or the need to make it, and it is not to be missed by fans of Orwell’s seminal work. Set in London in the 1930s, it revolves around Gordon Comstock and his endeavour to diverge from the worship of money and status, which leads him to a life of mediocrity and unfulfillment. “Keep the Aspidistra Flying” is a 1936 novel by George Orwell.

Keep the aspidistra flying review