Tag Archives: George Orwell

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

George Orwell’s seminal dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four became a powerful symbol of resistance to totalitarianism. Last month an impressive reproduction of the novel’s original manuscript was released by SP Books. The only surviving Orwell manuscript of any of his works … Continue reading →

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Down and Out in Paris and London

Posted on October 24, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Regular visitors to this humble blog are aware of my deep appreciation for George Orwell’s writing. I was chuffed to discover a new Orwell project set to launch this week. The Orwell Daily is a newletter which will offer tranches … Continue reading →

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Sunday Funnies

Posted on August 7, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

 

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Why Orwell’s 1984 Still Matters

Posted on June 13, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Each year around this time someone remembers that George Orwell’s iconic novel Nineteen Eighty- Four was first released in June of 1949. I think that bringing attention to the book is always a valuable exercise, now more than ever. Ironically, in … Continue reading →

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Orwell, Animal Farm and Ukraine

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

In 1946, Ihor Szewczenko ,who was a linguist who had been editing pocket-sized Ukrainian-English dictionaries for refugees in displaced persons camps in Germany, wrote to George Orwell requesting permission to translate Animal Farm into Ukrainian. He explained that his Ukrainian … Continue reading →

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Man serves the interests of no creature except himself

Posted on March 13, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

I first read George Orwell’s seminal anti-totalitarianism satire  Animal Farm when I lacked the political sophistication to truly understand the significance of the story, but some how I managed to grasp the essential themes of idealism, power and corruption in … Continue reading →

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Down and Out in Paris

Posted on February 3, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

In 1928, a former Colonial police officer and aspiring author named Eric Arthur Blair moved from his London home to Paris in order to buckle down and launch his writing career. The move didn’t work out so well, but it … Continue reading →

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Readers Pick Best Book Of The Past 125 Years

Posted on January 20, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

The New York Times Book Review has celebrated 125th anniversary by asking readers to nominate the best book of the past 125 years. The reader submissions were wittled down to a list of 25, which were voted on by more … Continue reading →

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“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen”

Posted on December 12, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I was recently surprised and intrigued to read that the estate of George Orwell has approved a feminist retelling of Nineteen Eighty-Four, which reimagines the story from the perspective of Winston Smith’s lover Julia. In the iconic dystopian novel, Smith … Continue reading →

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When They Haven’t Really Read The Book

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Cartoonist Ward Sutton creates classic books illustrated by artists who have clearly not read the books.

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