جزيرة أورويل: جورج وجورا و1984

by Les Wilson, لس ويلسون, محمد فؤاد (مترجم)

يتقصى الصحفي السياسي "لِس ويلسون" حياة الأديب "جورج أورويل" من منظور وبتفاصيل لم تُناقش أو تُكشف بهذا القرب الشخصي الحاد في كتاب لا يمس حياة الأديب فقط بل وعدة جوانب تاريخية وشخصية أثَّرت في حقبة تاريخية مهمة من عصرنا الحديث. على الرغم من أصول أورويل الإسكتلندية، فإن التحامل العميق داخله نحوهم دفعه لتغيير اسمه الإسكتلندي الأصلي إلى اسمه الحالي المعروف ذي الطابع الإنجليزي.
في هذا الكتاب نشهد وصول "أورويل" المكلوم عام 1946 لمزرعة بارنهيل المنعزلة على جزيرة جورا في ظل تهديدات الحرب النووية وكيف عايش ميول الإمبراطورية البريطانية الاستعمارية حتى خرج لنا كاتبًا ومبدعًا أنتج لنا أهم الروايات العالمية حتى الآن والتي منعت من النشر في دول عدة حتى وقت قريب. لم يعش طويلًا لكن امتد قلمه أطول مما عاش.

296 pages, Paperback

First published September 14, 2023

About the author

Les Wilson is a Scottish author and former political journalist. He is the creative director of Caledonia TV.

Reviews

[Paul McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb book covering Orwell's life on Jura and the writing if 1984. Much recommended for any fan of Orwell.

[Kirsten]

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/...

[Michael Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not know that Orwell had a strong dislike for Scots most of his life. There is a tradition of Scottish bashing going back to Samuel Johnson. The stereotype is that they are humorless, tight with money and ambitious. Wilson cites multiple examples of Orwell indulging in Scots bashing.

That is the setup for the last several years of his life. He rented a home in 1946-1948 on the remote Scottish island of Jura and seems to have been as happy as he had ever been. The home was amazingly remote. He told one friend who he invited to visit, "it's quite an easy journey really, except that you have to walk the last eight miles.". The home had no electricity and no central heating. It was surrounded by rocky soil and dangerous seas.

Orwell wrote "1984" at that home. He was 46 years old, and he was dying of TB. He insisted he had to get out of London and go someplace where he could write this book without being distracted. It seems likely that the burdens of island life and the inaccessibility of medical care hastened his death.

Orwell's sister Avril came to stay with him and became the housekeeper. His wife Eileen died suddenly in 1945. They had adopted a son, Richard. He wanted to raise Richard in a rural setting away from London. He formed solid friendships with his Scottish neighbors.

Wilson, who is from a neighboring island, does a wonderful job of recreating what the experience was like for Orwell. Orwell capsized a boat with his son and several others. They had cars go into ditches. They had dreadful weather. Orwell did the final edits of "1984" in his bed because he was too weak to do anything else.

This is a relatively short book. The first half is a well-done recap of Orwell's life. The second half is the story of Orwell on Jura.

Vocabulary word: "while she like mackerel, she became scunnered with them for breakfast every morning" "Scunnered" = Scottish-to feel disgust or strong dislike.

New Phrase: "lying snow is scarce" (on Jura) = "lying snow" = snow that sticks to the ground.

Fun typo: "in November 1848 Orwell descended the stairs from his room....and announced "Well, I've finished it"("1984") =Particularly enjoyable because "1984" is a play on "1948"

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book. Orwell wrote his masterpiece, Nineteen Eighty-Four while living on the remote Scottish island of Jura. Wilson gives us an overview of his entire life. but focuses on his life in Jura and how he became one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century. The book draws on many original sources, including interviews with his son, Richard Blair. The relationship with Richard is illustrative of his basic goodness. The child was adopted by Orwell and his wife, but she died when he was only 10 months old. Orwell, himself, died of TB when Richard was six, but he was a very loved child and grew up to be a well rounded adult with fond memories of his father--who had noted what his son was inclined toward and did not try to push him in other parent-directed activities. the great warning of 1984 is how easily totalitarian propaganda can control the opinion of enlightened people in democratic countries. It is fascinating to read about how Orwell's life experiences developed in him the capacity to change his mind, understand great truths about people and the societies they live in, and communicate all of this in great works of fiction.

[Adam Cuninghame · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not generally much of a non-fiction reader, but rather enjoyed this little book. I feel like I have a much better understanding of the man now.

Which is of course hugely reductionist. The idea that you could distill a human life (let lone one as varied as George Orwell's) into a book with less than 200 pages is absurd. But Les Wilson managed it admirably. The book is short (non-fiction does have a tendency to drag if not kept on a bit of a diet), but doesn't gloss over anything without giving it its due weight.

There may already be 1000 Orwell biographies out there (not that I've read any, mind you) but I'm sure this belongs up on the shelf with the best of them.

[Owen Hatherley · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Orwell Island' would be a fun thing rather like TVGoHome's 'Daily Mail Island' - an island where people can only communicate in moralising 1940s essayspeak, and have to live entirely on spam and strong tea. This though is about Orwell's time living on Jura, which sounds like pure self-inflicted misery, though this book is really interesting on both the practicalities of Orwell's 'cottage in the Hebrides' and on how it led to him rejecting the posturing Scotophobia he'd previously indulged in; but marred by some very pedestrian summaries and commentaries on Orwell's books and ideas.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book about George Orwell’s (ie Eric Blair) history which formed the basis of his ideas in Animal Farm and 1984 and his fascination with the small island of Jura off the coast of Scotland. It’s sad to read he was in such poor health, lost his wife at a young age, and his adopted son was raised by his sister - and reinforces that tragedy often leads to great artistic achievements

[Daryl Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book marred in part by extremely sloppy proofing.

[MR M J MCLEOD · Rating 4 out of 5]

First non-fiction I have read in a few years. Surprisingly in depth insights into how Orwells brain worked. Made me yearn for a simpler life on a scottish island.

[John Boyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous addition to Orwell lore with much more detail on his time on Jura and his at times prickly relationship with Scotland and the "Scotch".