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Burmese Days: Keep the Aspidistra Flying. Coming Up for Air
George Orwell was a novelist unlike any other, fiercely devoted to presenting the truth as he saw it. The three novels in this collection date from the 1930s, before his political satires Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four made him world-famous. Compelling works in their own right, they are all studies of men at odds with their surroundings. In Burmese Days , the darkest of the three, a frustrated expatriate finds himself trapped between the decadence of his own people and the corruption of the natives they claim to rule. Coming Up for Air dramatizes the frustration of every little man in his hopeless struggle against bourgeois respectability. Keep the Aspidistra Flying is a sort of comedy in which minor poet Gordon Comstock engages briefly with romantic dreams before realizing that salvation is to be found, not in escape from his life but engagement with it.
712 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2011
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291 people want to read
About the author
George Orwell
1,039 books50.6k followersEric Arthur Blair was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to all totalitarianism (both fascism and stalinism), and support of democratic socialism.
Orwell is best known for his allegorical novella Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), although his works also encompass literary criticism, poetry, fiction and polemical journalism. His non-fiction works, including The Road to Wigan Pier (1937), documenting his experience of working-class life in the industrial north of England, and Homage to Catalonia (1938), an account of his experiences soldiering for the Republican faction of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), are as critically respected as his essays on politics, literature, language and culture.
Orwell's work remains influential in popular culture and in political culture, and the adjective "Orwellian"—describing totalitarian and authoritarian social practices—is part of the English language, like many of his neologisms, such as "Big Brother", "Thought Police", "Room 101", "Newspeak", "memory hole", "doublethink", and "thoughtcrime". In 2008, The Times named Orwell the second-greatest British writer since 1945.
Orwell is best known for his allegorical novella Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), although his works also encompass literary criticism, poetry, fiction and polemical journalism. His non-fiction works, including The Road to Wigan Pier (1937), documenting his experience of working-class life in the industrial north of England, and Homage to Catalonia (1938), an account of his experiences soldiering for the Republican faction of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), are as critically respected as his essays on politics, literature, language and culture.
Orwell's work remains influential in popular culture and in political culture, and the adjective "Orwellian"—describing totalitarian and authoritarian social practices—is part of the English language, like many of his neologisms, such as "Big Brother", "Thought Police", "Room 101", "Newspeak", "memory hole", "doublethink", and "thoughtcrime". In 2008, The Times named Orwell the second-greatest British writer since 1945.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 1, 2023
Three great novels of the great writer:
1) Burmese Days
A great story about the English expatriates living in a remote part of Burma, based loosely on Orwell's experiences there. A small circle of people socialising in their small circle and mostly avoiding the locals, ignorant of their language and culture.
John Flory, the main character, disappointed with his life and compromised among his compatriots decided to end it all and takes his dog with him. In truly realistic style the author comes up with a very moving scene of attachment between the dog and his master. A great story.
The favourite quote - about the main character - John Flory:
"For as his brain developed - you cannot stop your brain developing, and it is one of the tragedies of the half-educated that they develop late, when they are already committed to some wrong way of life - he had grasped the truth about the English and their Empire."
2) Keep the Aspidistra Flying
A funny story about the main character - Gordon Comstock's romantic ambition to defy worship of the money-god and status, and the dismal life that results.
The favourite quote - about money:
"Perhaps it is the only real religion - the only really felt religion - that is left to us. Money is what God used to be. Good and evil have no meaning any longer except failure and success. hence the profoundly significant phrase, to make good. The Decalogue has been reduced to two commandments. One for the employers - the elect, the money-priesthood as it were - 'Thou shalt make money', the other for the employed - the slaves and underlings - 'Thou shalt not loose thy job'."
3) Coming Up for Air
An another comical story, written shortly before the war, about George Bowling, a 45-year-old husband, father, and insurance salesman, who foresees World War II and attempts to recapture idyllic childhood innocence and escape his dreary life by returning to Lower Binfield, his birthplace. He finds the whole place completely changed, populated by strangers unaware of the past and people living there during his youth.
The favourite quotes - about a street where the main character lived:
"Because, after all, what is a road like Ellesmere Road? Just a prison with the cells all in a row. A line of semi-detached torture-chambers where the poor little five-to-ten-pound-a-weekers quake and shiver, every one of them with the boss twisting his tail and the wife riding him like the nightmare and the kids sucking his blood like leeches."
After his visit to his place of birth and childhood:
"The very thought of going back to Lower Binfield had done me good already. You know the feeling I had. Coming up for air! Like the big sea-turtles when they come paddling up to the surface, stick their noses out and fill their lungs with a great gulp before they sink down again among the seaweed and the octopuses."
1) Burmese Days
A great story about the English expatriates living in a remote part of Burma, based loosely on Orwell's experiences there. A small circle of people socialising in their small circle and mostly avoiding the locals, ignorant of their language and culture.
John Flory, the main character, disappointed with his life and compromised among his compatriots decided to end it all and takes his dog with him. In truly realistic style the author comes up with a very moving scene of attachment between the dog and his master. A great story.
The favourite quote - about the main character - John Flory:
"For as his brain developed - you cannot stop your brain developing, and it is one of the tragedies of the half-educated that they develop late, when they are already committed to some wrong way of life - he had grasped the truth about the English and their Empire."
2) Keep the Aspidistra Flying
A funny story about the main character - Gordon Comstock's romantic ambition to defy worship of the money-god and status, and the dismal life that results.
The favourite quote - about money:
"Perhaps it is the only real religion - the only really felt religion - that is left to us. Money is what God used to be. Good and evil have no meaning any longer except failure and success. hence the profoundly significant phrase, to make good. The Decalogue has been reduced to two commandments. One for the employers - the elect, the money-priesthood as it were - 'Thou shalt make money', the other for the employed - the slaves and underlings - 'Thou shalt not loose thy job'."
3) Coming Up for Air
An another comical story, written shortly before the war, about George Bowling, a 45-year-old husband, father, and insurance salesman, who foresees World War II and attempts to recapture idyllic childhood innocence and escape his dreary life by returning to Lower Binfield, his birthplace. He finds the whole place completely changed, populated by strangers unaware of the past and people living there during his youth.
The favourite quotes - about a street where the main character lived:
"Because, after all, what is a road like Ellesmere Road? Just a prison with the cells all in a row. A line of semi-detached torture-chambers where the poor little five-to-ten-pound-a-weekers quake and shiver, every one of them with the boss twisting his tail and the wife riding him like the nightmare and the kids sucking his blood like leeches."
After his visit to his place of birth and childhood:
"The very thought of going back to Lower Binfield had done me good already. You know the feeling I had. Coming up for air! Like the big sea-turtles when they come paddling up to the surface, stick their noses out and fill their lungs with a great gulp before they sink down again among the seaweed and the octopuses."
January 15, 2021
BURMESE DAYS: Burmese Days is not the feel-good novel of the summer, that's for sure. It recounts a version of Orwell's time in Burma. It was not pleasant. I don't know if the protagonist was based on Orwell himself or those he knew--probably everyone's an amalgam, though it seems he had to change some characters' names after first publishing because he didn't want to get sued.
It's a pretty clear indictment of British colonialism, which I guess was still needed at the time (and might still be, who knows), and nobody comes off looking very good. Certainly not the British, men or women, or even the more prominent Burmese. Orwell makes clear nobody profits from colonialism--inequality brings everyone down equally.
Anyway, it's also a real downer as a love story, as the typical schmuck of such novels makes a fool of himself over and over again for a woman who's certainly not worth the effort (think Notes from Underground or Of Human Bondage), but she's the only eligible white woman around, so there you go.
Like colonialism, it does not end well for anyone.
KEEP THE ASPIDISTRA FLYING: Ha ha, silly me, thinking "Aspidistra" was the name of an airplane or something! It's a plant that symbolizes the middle class, turns out (you probably knew that, right?).
Anyway, this is another fine Orwell novel about abject poverty, and a version of young Mr. Blair as a man warring against money. He won't take it, can't stomach a 'good job' or anything associated with one (such as an aspidistra). It's not far off from 'Down and Out in Paris and London' or Hamsun's 'The Hunger' and lots of Miller and Kerouac: starving writer passes up each and every chance to make good to further his art, health and sanity be damned.
It might be too much to bear if it weren't for a few great characters, including the protagonist Gordon's saint-like girlfriend Rosemary and his rich, pseudo-socialist pal Ravelston. Ravelston's obnoxious girlfriend is also a wonder to behold. Gordon's erstwhile employers, Mr. Cheeseman (!) and Mr. McKechnie, and assorted landladies and tarts flow in and out of Gordon's life, adding gripping, gritty detail to his descent.
Orwell is always excellent at describing both the horrors and pleasures of poverty, with details that make you feel like you are there and make you glad your own 'tough times' were mild in comparison (if, in fact, they were).
There are a multitude of joys amidst London's miseries, at least for a reader, and I always find this kind of novel fascinating, provided it's as well-written as this one. Who's up for bread & marg & beer?
COMING UP FOR AIR: The third novel here is probably the weakest (as a novel) but as a description of lower-middle class life in London from 1890 or so to 1938 it's pretty amazing. Orwell is so good at providing all the details of everyday life, and it really shows here.
A mediocre insurance salesman reminisces about his boyhood, which is pretty spot-on even for my boyhood in the 1970s--it's interesting that so little changed. Though Orwell is apparently unable to fathom the idea of a tomboy--he keeps lamenting that only boys can experience such things as fishing, fighting, and killing animals.
The adventures of the adult narrator (George Bowling) aren't as interesting, probably by design, as the point of the story is that you can't go back and experience the joys of youth and the places you grew up. It does capture pretty accurately the mindset of a near-middle age man (I can attest), desperately clinging to the idea that you "aren't that old" and "don't look that bad." Ha ha, groan.
The story's not much, and the visit to his hometown is a disappointment (by design) even as a reading experience. So it's really his reflections on boyhood and London in that era that are immensely interesting (there's a lot on collars, and running stores, and fishing the way you'd do it back then if you were a kid). It's a tad disturbing how much he and his friends enjoy killing helpless animals, but a lot of boys do that, and I killed a fair number of snakes and crawdads, so I can't condemn it without being a hypocrite.
I definitely recommend reading all three of these novels to understand more about Orwell/Blair, or just to read some interesting stories set in different eras written by an amazing writer. It's a shame 95% of Orwell readers only read 1984 and Animal Farm, which are great, but hardly tell the whole story of what Orwell was all about.
It's a pretty clear indictment of British colonialism, which I guess was still needed at the time (and might still be, who knows), and nobody comes off looking very good. Certainly not the British, men or women, or even the more prominent Burmese. Orwell makes clear nobody profits from colonialism--inequality brings everyone down equally.
Anyway, it's also a real downer as a love story, as the typical schmuck of such novels makes a fool of himself over and over again for a woman who's certainly not worth the effort (think Notes from Underground or Of Human Bondage), but she's the only eligible white woman around, so there you go.
Like colonialism, it does not end well for anyone.
KEEP THE ASPIDISTRA FLYING: Ha ha, silly me, thinking "Aspidistra" was the name of an airplane or something! It's a plant that symbolizes the middle class, turns out (you probably knew that, right?).
Anyway, this is another fine Orwell novel about abject poverty, and a version of young Mr. Blair as a man warring against money. He won't take it, can't stomach a 'good job' or anything associated with one (such as an aspidistra). It's not far off from 'Down and Out in Paris and London' or Hamsun's 'The Hunger' and lots of Miller and Kerouac: starving writer passes up each and every chance to make good to further his art, health and sanity be damned.
It might be too much to bear if it weren't for a few great characters, including the protagonist Gordon's saint-like girlfriend Rosemary and his rich, pseudo-socialist pal Ravelston. Ravelston's obnoxious girlfriend is also a wonder to behold. Gordon's erstwhile employers, Mr. Cheeseman (!) and Mr. McKechnie, and assorted landladies and tarts flow in and out of Gordon's life, adding gripping, gritty detail to his descent.
Orwell is always excellent at describing both the horrors and pleasures of poverty, with details that make you feel like you are there and make you glad your own 'tough times' were mild in comparison (if, in fact, they were).
There are a multitude of joys amidst London's miseries, at least for a reader, and I always find this kind of novel fascinating, provided it's as well-written as this one. Who's up for bread & marg & beer?
COMING UP FOR AIR: The third novel here is probably the weakest (as a novel) but as a description of lower-middle class life in London from 1890 or so to 1938 it's pretty amazing. Orwell is so good at providing all the details of everyday life, and it really shows here.
A mediocre insurance salesman reminisces about his boyhood, which is pretty spot-on even for my boyhood in the 1970s--it's interesting that so little changed. Though Orwell is apparently unable to fathom the idea of a tomboy--he keeps lamenting that only boys can experience such things as fishing, fighting, and killing animals.
The adventures of the adult narrator (George Bowling) aren't as interesting, probably by design, as the point of the story is that you can't go back and experience the joys of youth and the places you grew up. It does capture pretty accurately the mindset of a near-middle age man (I can attest), desperately clinging to the idea that you "aren't that old" and "don't look that bad." Ha ha, groan.
The story's not much, and the visit to his hometown is a disappointment (by design) even as a reading experience. So it's really his reflections on boyhood and London in that era that are immensely interesting (there's a lot on collars, and running stores, and fishing the way you'd do it back then if you were a kid). It's a tad disturbing how much he and his friends enjoy killing helpless animals, but a lot of boys do that, and I killed a fair number of snakes and crawdads, so I can't condemn it without being a hypocrite.
I definitely recommend reading all three of these novels to understand more about Orwell/Blair, or just to read some interesting stories set in different eras written by an amazing writer. It's a shame 95% of Orwell readers only read 1984 and Animal Farm, which are great, but hardly tell the whole story of what Orwell was all about.
March 12, 2018
review to come later. so far, I have nothing but good things to say.
_____________________________
Recently, I decided to investigate some 'other' writing by George Orwell in addition to the more well-known novels of his, Animal Farm and 1984. After a search at my local library, this volume of three novels is what I found. The volume, from "Everyman's Library," has an introduction by John Carey, a timeline of Orwell's life, and appendices. These are all helpful in appreciating the three stories, not to mention the author himself.
Burmese Days rates 4 stars with me. It is is his second book and first novel. Because I know Orwell had some experience living in Burma during the period in which the story is written, it rings true. The main character, John Flory, lives his life in Kyauktada with his countrymen while also becoming thoroughly engaged in Burmese culture. He has a servant, but he has a keen interest and respect for his Burmese neighbors. In fact, it's his friendship with a native, Dr. Veraswami, which will cause him trouble within the little club to which he belongs.
Racial prejudice rules. And it's two-sided. U Po Kyin, is a local magistrate out to "get" as many of the Englishmen he can so he can rise and make them the obvious enemy that he believes they are to all Burmen. He deceives and uses treachery to gain his ends, using fake letters and the press. Meanwhile, members of the club are deciding which native to vote into their exclusive club. U Po Kyin wants this position as well, so interference in the doctor's life becomes necessary too.
A love interest for Flory adds to the plot. She's the Lackersteen's niece coming from Paris to stay because her parents have both died. Elizabeth plays on Flory's affections and that of another gentleman as well. The interplay of these characters made me wonder "how well Orwell can see into human souls."
Keep the Aspidstera Flying, the second novel in this volume, gets 3.5 stars from me. Gordon Comstock, the protagonist of the story, should at least hold me by the mere fact that he works in a book store. But Gordon has a bad attitude and seems a bit paranoid. Throughout, everything he deals with is tinged with the fact that he's obsessed with money. Namely, the money he doesn't have. Even his girlfriend, Rosemary, finds his money problem annoying.
I suppose Gordon's problem is what makes the story a 'thoughtful' one, if nothing else. We can all get caught up in the slavery of money. Orwell makes a point while telling a story about people who seem normal enough, but have their own demons. One of Gordon's is that "nothing ever happens" in his family and it seemed nothing ever would. Orwell ends the story well, whether you see redemption in that ending is up to you.
Coming Up for Air was my favorite of the three with 5 stars. I really like it. George Bowling gets an idea on the day he got his new false teeth. How's that for an opener for a story? (He had me at 'false teeth.') Told in first person, George describes his suburban life, his wife Hilda, his two kids, his job and those around him with a keen eye. He spares no one, most of all himself, repeatedly reminding us that he's large, using several adjectives to get the idea across. "I'm fat, but I'm thin inside." I suppose it's his realistic viewpoint on everything which made him an attractive character to me.
As far as the writing, I became somewhat lost when he touched on his relatives, his childhood, his love for fishing, and other aspects of his past. But those mentions become the flesh of the story because, once he lets you in on all that, telling us about his dentist visit at the beginning of the tale makes sense. Do you know anyone who begins a story and then goes off on tangents and tells more because "this" made them think of "that" and it's important to know so you can follow? Me too. I can be one of those people who, instead of making a long story short, have a tendency to make a long story longer.
The story is pre-WWII. His monologue speaks to the war he knows is coming. He believes everyone else knows too, but being so shattered by The Great War, they don't want to talk about it. He's a ponderous soul. Noticing how fast everyone seems to move, the rush of life--it bothers him. Looking into a pool of water near his home town:
I was two-thirds of the way through when I saw where the novel's title came from. Sometimes that doesn't matter, but with a title like 'coming up for air,' I needed to know. George, that is, both Georges, didn't disappoint.
_____________________________
Recently, I decided to investigate some 'other' writing by George Orwell in addition to the more well-known novels of his, Animal Farm and 1984. After a search at my local library, this volume of three novels is what I found. The volume, from "Everyman's Library," has an introduction by John Carey, a timeline of Orwell's life, and appendices. These are all helpful in appreciating the three stories, not to mention the author himself.
Burmese Days rates 4 stars with me. It is is his second book and first novel. Because I know Orwell had some experience living in Burma during the period in which the story is written, it rings true. The main character, John Flory, lives his life in Kyauktada with his countrymen while also becoming thoroughly engaged in Burmese culture. He has a servant, but he has a keen interest and respect for his Burmese neighbors. In fact, it's his friendship with a native, Dr. Veraswami, which will cause him trouble within the little club to which he belongs.
Racial prejudice rules. And it's two-sided. U Po Kyin, is a local magistrate out to "get" as many of the Englishmen he can so he can rise and make them the obvious enemy that he believes they are to all Burmen. He deceives and uses treachery to gain his ends, using fake letters and the press. Meanwhile, members of the club are deciding which native to vote into their exclusive club. U Po Kyin wants this position as well, so interference in the doctor's life becomes necessary too.
A love interest for Flory adds to the plot. She's the Lackersteen's niece coming from Paris to stay because her parents have both died. Elizabeth plays on Flory's affections and that of another gentleman as well. The interplay of these characters made me wonder "how well Orwell can see into human souls."
Keep the Aspidstera Flying, the second novel in this volume, gets 3.5 stars from me. Gordon Comstock, the protagonist of the story, should at least hold me by the mere fact that he works in a book store. But Gordon has a bad attitude and seems a bit paranoid. Throughout, everything he deals with is tinged with the fact that he's obsessed with money. Namely, the money he doesn't have. Even his girlfriend, Rosemary, finds his money problem annoying.
'Of course it all comes back to money.' This remark came out of the blue. She looked up at him in surprise. 'What do you mean, it all comes back to money?' 'I mean the way nothing ever goes right in my life. It's always money, money, money that's at the bottom of everything. And especially between me and you. That's why you don't really love me. There's a sort of film of money between us. I can feel it every time I kiss you.' 'Money! What has money got to do with it, Gordon?' 'Money's got to do with everything. If I had more money, you'd love me more.'You see how the word comes up so many times even in this short exchange. It's typical of Gordon.
I suppose Gordon's problem is what makes the story a 'thoughtful' one, if nothing else. We can all get caught up in the slavery of money. Orwell makes a point while telling a story about people who seem normal enough, but have their own demons. One of Gordon's is that "nothing ever happens" in his family and it seemed nothing ever would. Orwell ends the story well, whether you see redemption in that ending is up to you.
Coming Up for Air was my favorite of the three with 5 stars. I really like it. George Bowling gets an idea on the day he got his new false teeth. How's that for an opener for a story? (He had me at 'false teeth.') Told in first person, George describes his suburban life, his wife Hilda, his two kids, his job and those around him with a keen eye. He spares no one, most of all himself, repeatedly reminding us that he's large, using several adjectives to get the idea across. "I'm fat, but I'm thin inside." I suppose it's his realistic viewpoint on everything which made him an attractive character to me.
As far as the writing, I became somewhat lost when he touched on his relatives, his childhood, his love for fishing, and other aspects of his past. But those mentions become the flesh of the story because, once he lets you in on all that, telling us about his dentist visit at the beginning of the tale makes sense. Do you know anyone who begins a story and then goes off on tangents and tells more because "this" made them think of "that" and it's important to know so you can follow? Me too. I can be one of those people who, instead of making a long story short, have a tendency to make a long story longer.
The story is pre-WWII. His monologue speaks to the war he knows is coming. He believes everyone else knows too, but being so shattered by The Great War, they don't want to talk about it. He's a ponderous soul. Noticing how fast everyone seems to move, the rush of life--it bothers him. Looking into a pool of water near his home town:
"All the while the sort of feeling of wonder, the peculiar flame inside you. It's the only thing worth having, and we don't want it."George Bowling describes things so that you see them yourself. That's the genius of Orwell. I forget it's 'writing' and believe in my character's intelligence, creativity and personality.
I was two-thirds of the way through when I saw where the novel's title came from. Sometimes that doesn't matter, but with a title like 'coming up for air,' I needed to know. George, that is, both Georges, didn't disappoint.
July 23, 2024
Keep the Aspidistra Flying.
Not the best of Orwell, I'd venture to say. He himself wasn't the proudest of it, however, as an Orwell fan it's worth reading to see the 1984 of it. The connection between Gordon Comstock and Winston Smith is great. The same sort of listlessness, the same ache to rise above (or sink below) "Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven." Rosemary like Julia, a somewhat plain but affable and amiable. The scenes of Rosemary and Gordon's forest romping very much remind of Julia. Worth the read.
Coming Up For Air.
An excellent novel. Coming up For Air. A perfect phrase, exactly the feeling I get when I travel out to the homestead upstate. A breath of fresh air, of real air, of human air. Air unburdened by judgement, by the grime of the city, by the incessant comparison in the brain of an urbanite.
The war, the way things change. It's all going to happen. And it is. Lower Binfield will go from exurb to suburb (in modern language), Elsie will grow old and fat. Georgie will grow old and fat. Nailer will die, mother will die, father will die. That shop will be run by a new proprietor, selling new products. And so on. The war, the way things change.
Not the best of Orwell, I'd venture to say. He himself wasn't the proudest of it, however, as an Orwell fan it's worth reading to see the 1984 of it. The connection between Gordon Comstock and Winston Smith is great. The same sort of listlessness, the same ache to rise above (or sink below) "Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven." Rosemary like Julia, a somewhat plain but affable and amiable. The scenes of Rosemary and Gordon's forest romping very much remind of Julia. Worth the read.
Coming Up For Air.
An excellent novel. Coming up For Air. A perfect phrase, exactly the feeling I get when I travel out to the homestead upstate. A breath of fresh air, of real air, of human air. Air unburdened by judgement, by the grime of the city, by the incessant comparison in the brain of an urbanite.
The war, the way things change. It's all going to happen. And it is. Lower Binfield will go from exurb to suburb (in modern language), Elsie will grow old and fat. Georgie will grow old and fat. Nailer will die, mother will die, father will die. That shop will be run by a new proprietor, selling new products. And so on. The war, the way things change.
December 8, 2016
While I found Coming Up for Air interesting and also rather funny, I did not enjoy it as much as Keep the Apisdistra Flying and Burmese Days.
Possibly because, unlike the other two, this book was written from a first person view point rather than third person as the other two were.
Not that first person narration can't be successful, but Orwell's strength seems to lie in describing the inner thoughts of the protagonist by a third person narrator.
Also, there is no real story line or character development. Largely it is a man's, George Bowling's, attempts to return to the England of his youth.
It starts with Bowling's present status which is a typical middle class working man, married with children. He should be happy with what he has, but he is not. He doesn't mind his children, his wife is a bit of a shrew, but then what wife wouldn't be if married to him.
Bowling does not make this conclusion and I'm not altogether sure Orwell is implying it. It is what I conclude based on the loutish character of Bowling.
Bowling isn't a lout in that he's cruel or abusive. But he's not faithful and he is selfish. He lies to his wife by keeping money squirreled away from her and telling her he's off on business when he's actually returning to his home town, Lower Binfield, which he hasn't been to since he left it for the war (WWI).
For the rest of the review visit my blog:
http://sharonhenning.blogspot.com/201...
Possibly because, unlike the other two, this book was written from a first person view point rather than third person as the other two were.
Not that first person narration can't be successful, but Orwell's strength seems to lie in describing the inner thoughts of the protagonist by a third person narrator.
Also, there is no real story line or character development. Largely it is a man's, George Bowling's, attempts to return to the England of his youth.
It starts with Bowling's present status which is a typical middle class working man, married with children. He should be happy with what he has, but he is not. He doesn't mind his children, his wife is a bit of a shrew, but then what wife wouldn't be if married to him.
Bowling does not make this conclusion and I'm not altogether sure Orwell is implying it. It is what I conclude based on the loutish character of Bowling.
Bowling isn't a lout in that he's cruel or abusive. But he's not faithful and he is selfish. He lies to his wife by keeping money squirreled away from her and telling her he's off on business when he's actually returning to his home town, Lower Binfield, which he hasn't been to since he left it for the war (WWI).
For the rest of the review visit my blog:
http://sharonhenning.blogspot.com/201...
May 8, 2018
“The interesting thing about the New Albion was that it was so
completely modern in spirit. There was hardly a soul in the firm
who was not perfectly well aware that publicity - advertising - is
the dirtiest ramp that capitalism has yet produced. In the red
lead firm there had still lingered certain notions of commercial
honour and usefulness. But such things would have been laughed at
in the New Albion. Most of the employees were the hard-boiled,
Americanized, go-getting type to whom nothing in the world is
sacred, except money. They had their cynical code worked out. The
public are swine; advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a
swill-bucket. And yet beneath their cynicism there was the final
naivete, the blind worship of the money-god.”
― George Orwell, Keep the Aspidistra Flying
A great triple collection of Orwellian classics. Part of my collection.
Descriptive, poignant and powerful array of meaning.
“Perhaps a man really dies when his brain stops, when he loses the power to take in a new idea.”
― George Orwell, Coming Up for Air
completely modern in spirit. There was hardly a soul in the firm
who was not perfectly well aware that publicity - advertising - is
the dirtiest ramp that capitalism has yet produced. In the red
lead firm there had still lingered certain notions of commercial
honour and usefulness. But such things would have been laughed at
in the New Albion. Most of the employees were the hard-boiled,
Americanized, go-getting type to whom nothing in the world is
sacred, except money. They had their cynical code worked out. The
public are swine; advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a
swill-bucket. And yet beneath their cynicism there was the final
naivete, the blind worship of the money-god.”
― George Orwell, Keep the Aspidistra Flying
A great triple collection of Orwellian classics. Part of my collection.
Descriptive, poignant and powerful array of meaning.
“Perhaps a man really dies when his brain stops, when he loses the power to take in a new idea.”
― George Orwell, Coming Up for Air
August 27, 2015
"Sharply the menacing wind sweeps over
The bending poplars,newly bare,
And the dark ribbons of the chimneys
Vere downward,flicked by whips of air."
Three great novels written by one of the greatest writers.
October 17, 2017
While I least enjoyed Coming up for Air, I think I will reread all three of these novels. I'm struck how with almost all three of theses novels, while slow burns, suddenly seem to really click right as they neared their end.
May 28, 2019
Sorry, I couldn’t finish this book. Too depressing, with no character in the story having any redeeming features.
January 24, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed it. Orwell writes with more honesty than any other author I’ve read.
June 12, 2013
This book is a three novel collection of (to some) the lesser known novels of Orwell.
Burmese Days:
I found "Burmese Days" interesting for the attitude of the English, in the last part of their Empire phase, toward their subject peoples. If the reality in history was as bad as the characters portrayed in the novel, George was right to criticize and show us this, warts and all.
I liked the story for the poignant account of the protagonist's loneliness and desire for soul-mate companionship that he thinks can be fulfilled in Elizabeth. He is mistaken about the reciprocity of his love or desire, because Elizabeth just doesn't get it. Here is a passage that describes all this:
"'I said just now that I loved you. Love! The word's been used till it's meaningless. But let me try to explain. This afternoon when you were shooting with me, I thought, my God! here at last is somebody who can share my life with me, but really share it, really live it with me--do you see--'
He was going to ask her to marry him--indeed, he had intended to ask her without more delay. But the words were not spoken yet; instead, he found himself talking egoistically on and on. He could not help it. It was so important that she should understand something of what his life in this country had been; that she should grasp the nature of the loneliness that he wanted her to nullify. And it was so devilishly difficult to explain. It is devilish to suffer from a pain that is all but nameless. Blessed are they who are stricken only with classifiable diseases! Blessed are the poor, the sick, the crossed in love, for at least other people know what is the matter with them and will listen to their belly-achings with sympathy. But who that has not suffered it understands the pain of exile? Elizabeth watched him as he moved to and fro, in and out of the pool of moonlight that turned silk coat to silver. Her heart was still knocking from the kiss, and yet her thoughts wandered as he talked. Was he going to ask her to marry him? He was being slow about it! She was dimly aware that he was saying something about loneliness. Ah, of course! He was telling her about the loneliness she would have to put up with in the jungle, when they were married. He needn't have troubled. Perhaps you did get rather lonely in the jungle sometimes? Miles from everywhere, no cinemas, no dances, no one but each other to talk to, nothing to do in the evenings except read--rather a bore, that. Still, you could have a gramophone. What a difference it would make when those new portable radio sets got out to Burma! She was about to say this when he added:
'Have I made myself at all clear to you? Have you got some picture of the life we live here? The foreignness, the solitude, the melancholy! Foreign trees, foreign flowers, foreign landscapes, foreign faces. It's all as alien as a different planet. But do you see--and it's this that I so want you to understand--do you see, it mightn't be so bad living on a different planet, it might even be the most interesting thing imaginable, if you had even one person to share it with. One person who could see it with eyes something like your own. This country's been a kind of solitary hell to me--it's so to most of us--and yet I tell you it could be a paradise if one weren't alone. Does all this seem quite meaningless?'"
Keep the Aspidistra Flying (update 1):
I just finished the second novel, Keep the Aspidistra Flying, and I give it four stars because of the unlikeable main character, but the whole critique of society (English, of the time) was brilliant. This novel is where Orwell is channeling Dickens and James Joyce at the same time. So far the volume still gets high marks for the interesting way that the author writes.
Coming Up for Air (update 2):
I didn't know what to expect when I began this novel. At first it came across as a critique of the petit bourgeoisie, but now that I have finished the story, as I write this update, I find it to be a poignant history of a typical Englishman (warts and all) during the rapid change in society from the Victorian era to the current (of the time-1930s) brutal, soulless age. It shows also how easily we are constrained and compromised in any thought of liberty by the banality and pettiness of life.
Even Orwell's unsavory characters still come across as truly human. I recommend this collection of novels not for the sake of some nice twisty plot or some such innovation, but for the character studies. As character studies, they come across as metaphors for the soul of England as a nation (and by extension, the soul all of us). There is something for everyone in these three novels. For all these reasons, it gets four stars.
Burmese Days:
I found "Burmese Days" interesting for the attitude of the English, in the last part of their Empire phase, toward their subject peoples. If the reality in history was as bad as the characters portrayed in the novel, George was right to criticize and show us this, warts and all.
I liked the story for the poignant account of the protagonist's loneliness and desire for soul-mate companionship that he thinks can be fulfilled in Elizabeth. He is mistaken about the reciprocity of his love or desire, because Elizabeth just doesn't get it. Here is a passage that describes all this:
"'I said just now that I loved you. Love! The word's been used till it's meaningless. But let me try to explain. This afternoon when you were shooting with me, I thought, my God! here at last is somebody who can share my life with me, but really share it, really live it with me--do you see--'
He was going to ask her to marry him--indeed, he had intended to ask her without more delay. But the words were not spoken yet; instead, he found himself talking egoistically on and on. He could not help it. It was so important that she should understand something of what his life in this country had been; that she should grasp the nature of the loneliness that he wanted her to nullify. And it was so devilishly difficult to explain. It is devilish to suffer from a pain that is all but nameless. Blessed are they who are stricken only with classifiable diseases! Blessed are the poor, the sick, the crossed in love, for at least other people know what is the matter with them and will listen to their belly-achings with sympathy. But who that has not suffered it understands the pain of exile? Elizabeth watched him as he moved to and fro, in and out of the pool of moonlight that turned silk coat to silver. Her heart was still knocking from the kiss, and yet her thoughts wandered as he talked. Was he going to ask her to marry him? He was being slow about it! She was dimly aware that he was saying something about loneliness. Ah, of course! He was telling her about the loneliness she would have to put up with in the jungle, when they were married. He needn't have troubled. Perhaps you did get rather lonely in the jungle sometimes? Miles from everywhere, no cinemas, no dances, no one but each other to talk to, nothing to do in the evenings except read--rather a bore, that. Still, you could have a gramophone. What a difference it would make when those new portable radio sets got out to Burma! She was about to say this when he added:
'Have I made myself at all clear to you? Have you got some picture of the life we live here? The foreignness, the solitude, the melancholy! Foreign trees, foreign flowers, foreign landscapes, foreign faces. It's all as alien as a different planet. But do you see--and it's this that I so want you to understand--do you see, it mightn't be so bad living on a different planet, it might even be the most interesting thing imaginable, if you had even one person to share it with. One person who could see it with eyes something like your own. This country's been a kind of solitary hell to me--it's so to most of us--and yet I tell you it could be a paradise if one weren't alone. Does all this seem quite meaningless?'"
Keep the Aspidistra Flying (update 1):
I just finished the second novel, Keep the Aspidistra Flying, and I give it four stars because of the unlikeable main character, but the whole critique of society (English, of the time) was brilliant. This novel is where Orwell is channeling Dickens and James Joyce at the same time. So far the volume still gets high marks for the interesting way that the author writes.
Coming Up for Air (update 2):
I didn't know what to expect when I began this novel. At first it came across as a critique of the petit bourgeoisie, but now that I have finished the story, as I write this update, I find it to be a poignant history of a typical Englishman (warts and all) during the rapid change in society from the Victorian era to the current (of the time-1930s) brutal, soulless age. It shows also how easily we are constrained and compromised in any thought of liberty by the banality and pettiness of life.
Even Orwell's unsavory characters still come across as truly human. I recommend this collection of novels not for the sake of some nice twisty plot or some such innovation, but for the character studies. As character studies, they come across as metaphors for the soul of England as a nation (and by extension, the soul all of us). There is something for everyone in these three novels. For all these reasons, it gets four stars.
June 10, 2012
I had already read Burmese DaysBurmese Days and Keep the Aspidistra FlyingKeep the Aspidistra Flying. This edition. was the most convenient way to read Coming Up for Air, by far the best book of the three. The plot is simple: a man sneaks away from his wife, family and job to return to where he grew up. The literary weakness of this novel is also straightforward: the narrator is supposed to be a non-elite-educated, overweight, duplicitous, adulterous insurance salesman, which is an ill-fitting mask for that most sensitive and earnest observer- Orwell. Still, I thought the plot well structured and satisfying, and to hear Orwell observe the changes in small-town British life before and after World War I is delightful.
June 8, 2013
I only knew Orwell from Animal Farm and 1984 as I expect many readers will. This volume has 3 of his less well novels and shows a different side to the author. There's much humour and wit in these novellas set in 1930's - maybe despite the depression, Orwell's realised that Britain and the British aren't so bad when compared to the growing Nazi threat.
August 13, 2019
Burmese Days *****
Keep The... ****
Coming up... *****
Keep The... ****
Coming up... *****
February 7, 2015
Finished.
Burmese Days - 4/5 stars
Keep The Aspidistra Flying - 3/5 stars
Coming Up For Air - 4/5
Burmese Days - 4/5 stars
Keep The Aspidistra Flying - 3/5 stars
Coming Up For Air - 4/5
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