Unlike many, Orwell doesn’t squirm while discussing egoism, or try to pass judgment on this driving force. It is with historical impulse and political purpose that Orwell betrays the unique motivators on much of his writing, using “political” in “the widest possible sense,” “to alter other people’s idea of the kind of society that they should strive after.” …And yet the more interesting discussion is of egoism and aesthetic enthusiasm, which the casual reader might not as easily discern from his writing. There is little deceit in Orwell, as is evident in the wise, self-effacing “Why I Write.” According to Orwell, writers write for one of or a combination of four reasons: George Orwell was able to bring transparency to the language of deception because he learned to be transparent and straightforward in both his prose and his opinions. “As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me.”Ī collection of Orwell’s timeless, pragmatic, and uncompromising essays, including the title essay, “The Lion and the Unicorn,” “A Hanging,” and “Politics and the English Language.” For more on this beautifully designed series, visit Penguin’s page about the books. From mid-December to mid-February, I will read one book in the series each night and post a blog entry about it the next morning. This blog post is part of my ongoing “60 Books in 60 Days” encounter with the Penguin Great Ideas series.
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