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In this dark satire, Gordon Comstock gives up his job in advertising in a refusal to give in to the middle-class worship of money, yet his endeavour to live without materialistic fulfilment doesn't bring him the freedom he craves.
First published in 1936, this early novel by George Orwell is set in London in the 1930s and illustrates the author's characteristic social criticism. When Gordon Comstock attempts to diverge from the city's obsession with money and status, he is diverted into a life of mediocrity and unfulfillment. With little support from anyone but his girlfriend, Rosemary, can Comstock be saved from a life of poverty and isolation?
This seminal text from the author of
Animal Farm (1945) and
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), is highly recommended for collectors of Orwell's work and is now in this new edition featuring the introductory essay 'Why I Write'.
About the author
Eric Arthur Blair, better known as George Orwell, was a British writer acclaimed for his incisive social criticism and exploration of political systems. Born in 1903 in British India, Orwell's experiences as a colonial officer and his time among the poor in England shaped his empathy for the oppressed and his disdain for authoritarianism. His early works, such as Down and Out in Paris and London and The Road to Wigan Pier, document social inequality and the lives of marginalized people.Orwell's disillusionment with totalitarianism deepened during the Spanish Civil War, which profoundly influenced his famous works Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. These novels use allegory and dystopian themes to critique the dangers of unchecked power. Animal Farm satirizes the Soviet Union, while Nineteen Eighty-Four warns of a future dominated by surveillance and propaganda, coining terms like "Big Brother" and "doublethink" that have become central to discussions of freedom and control.Orwell's influence endures as his insights into language and power remain relevant. Known for his clear, direct prose, he believed accessible language was essential for democracy. Decades after his death in 1950, Orwell's works continue to shape discussions on propaganda, freedom, and state control, cementing his legacy in literature and political thought.
