ORWELL

: A Review/Essay of
"ORWELL - THE AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY"
by Michael Shelden [1991]
© H. J. Spencer [20Dec.2020] 8,500 words (12 pages).

ABSTRACT
This review summarizes the key points in this popular best-seller: a complete biography of one of the best
known writers in the 20th century. This is a man whose name is known everywhere but few know any details
of his life except his authorship of the two dystopian novels: 1984 and Animal Farm. This is because he
deliberately hid his private life, and this was respected by his last wife and friends until this large (550 page)
authorized book that was not restricted, even though it had access to much new material. This review will
highlight the major events in his life, as well as review all his books. Both illustrate this complicated human
being. It is hoped that this short summary will encourage more modern readers to revisit Orwell's writings.
AUTHOR'S BIOGRAPHY
Michael Shelden (born 1951) is an American writer, journalist and biographer writing bestselling and well-
received biographies of literary figures. Born in Oklahoma, Shelden earned his Ph.D. in English from Indiana
State University in 1979, where he immediately began teaching. He was promoted to Professor of English in
1989 and is still a full-time member of the faculty. For 10 years he was a fiction critic for the Baltimore Sun;
from 1995 to 2007 he was a Features Writer for the UK's Daily Telegraph, where he contributed several articles
on notable figures in film, literature, and public affairs. He also interviewed actor Christopher Reeve. Shelden
is married and the father of two daughters.

The annual review American Literary Scholarship (Duke University Press) said of his biographical skills:
"Shelden possesses that rare gift of the truly talented biographer: he can sketch scenes so vividly that a reader
seems to mingle with the subjects in their long-ago conversations." I was impressed.

Author's Bibliography
• George Orwell: Ten Animal Farm Letters to His Agent, Leonard Moore [1984]
• Friends of Promise: Cyril Connolly and the World of Horizon [1984]
• Graham Greene: The Man Within [UK edition: 1994]; The Enemy Within [US edition: 1995]
• Mark Twain: Man in White, The Grand Adventure of His Final Years (1906-1910) [2010]
• Young Titan: The Making of Winston Churchill (1901-1915) [2013]
• Melville in Love: The Secret Life of Herman Melville and the Muse of Moby-Dick [2016]

REVIEWER'S WEBSITE
All of the reviewer's prior essays (referenced herein) may be found, freely available at:

https://jamescook.academia.edu/HerbSpencer
 2

1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 OVERVIEW
Shelden’s first book, George Orwell: Ten Animal Farm Letters to His Agent, Leonard Moore [1984], was an
edited collection drawn from letters between Orwell and his literary agent. This persuaded Orwell's widow,
agent and literary executor to allow Shelden to write this authorized biography; it was a finalist for the 1992
Pulitzer Biography Prize. Among other things, this book included the first detailed account of Orwell’s
controversial list of people whom he considered politically dishonest and unreliable in British society. This is
actually the fourth biography but the other three were unapproved and are now considered obsolete. Shelden
sincerely believes (and I agree) that knowing more about an author helps the reader better understand the books.
This view was developed through his nearly seventy people interviewed (who knew Orwell personally), as well
as previously unpublished letters from Orwell, his first wife, other friends and family members plus nearly 100
letters between Orwell and his literary agent.

Shelden was faced by the problem of all biographers for what name to use for his subject because George
Orwell was the pseudonym used by Eric Blair, after he turned 30; he never legally changed his name. I will
always just refer to him as Orwell throughout. His family members retained the Blair name.
2 EARLY DAYS - THE PARENTS
Since Orwell's family played a major role in determining his character, it is important to briefly describe each of
them.
2.1 FATHER - (Drug Bureaucrat)
The Blair family was 'launched' by his great-grandfather, Charles who married Lady Mary Fane, daughter of the
8th Earl of Westmoreland, whose wealth was derived from slave-operated sugar plantations in Jamaica.
Orwell's grandfather, Richard Arthur Blair, was an impoverished Anglican clergyman in Dorset. Orwell's own
father, Richard Walmesley Blair was born in 1857 - a true Victorian. He was the youngest of ten children; his
father died when he was 10. Poor Richard had to make his own way in a ruthless, class-bound society, so he
like many other young men turned to the British Empire - especially in India. The top levels in the Indian Civil
Service were reserved for the well-connected. With the help from a family friend in London, he managed to get
a position in the least distinguished , most obscure branch of the specialized services - the Opium Department.
Although carrying little respect, this department was key to India's government revenues (1/6th annually): -
selling opium to China. He joined at 18, as an Assistant Sub-Deputy Opium Agent 3rd grade, travelling around
Bengal, ensuring that the opium was grown properly and profitably.
2.2 MOTHER
Richard lived this lonely life for 20 years until 1896, when he met and married Ida Limouzin; she was a 21 year
old governess in India engaged to marry another man but was jilted and accepted Blair on the rebound.
2.3 SISTERS
The Blairs lived together for 8 years in Bengal, giving birth to a daughter Marjorie Frances in 1898 and then
Eric Arthur in 1903. Within a year, Mrs. Blair and her two children left India for permanent residence in
England with Mr. Blair staying behind to serve out the seven years before his retirement. During that time, he
only visited his family once in 1907 for three months. The short visit was fruitful; Orwell's youngest sister
Avril was born nine months later but Orwell had no memory of that brief visit. By 1912, Richard had reached
the position of Sub-Deputy Opium Agent, first grade when he was making an annual salary of £650 a year that
was six times the average working-class family annual income. But then he finally retired and returned to his
family in England, with a pension of £400 a year; initially a reasonable amount but fixed so it was soon eaten
away by the inflation produced by the first World War, creating a challenge to educate the children properly.

2
 3

3 SCHOOL DAYS
3.1 SAINT CYPRIAN'S
Aged five, Eric was sent as a day-boy to join sister Marjorie at a Roman Catholic convent day-school in their
home town of Henley-on-Thames; it was run by French Ursuline nuns. Mrs. Blair recognized Eric's potential
and wanted him to go to a good preparatory school so he might win a scholarship to Eton. Fortunately, her
brother found a suitable boarding school in Eastbourne, Sussex called St. Cyprian's so Orwell was admitted
aged eight in 1911; he was there for the next five years and hated it. He only saw his family in the holidays.

Author Shelden dedicates two full chapter (36 pages) to this character-building stage in Orwell's early life. It
obviously made a huge impact on him, as illustrated by his autobiographical essay: "Such, Such were the Joys" -
a phrase taken (sardonically) from one of William Blake's Songs of Innocence. This school was a real ruthless
business: for getting boys into senior Public (i.e. private, expensive) Schools, where useful contacts were made
that set one up for life in the English class system. Shelden bends over backwards to justify this school (perhaps
he benefited from one?) but for a sensitive young boy, like Orwell, it seemed like Hell under the ever-critical
gaze of the headmaster's wife, Mrs. Wilkes (the real autocratic ruler). Orwell had been admitted with a 50%
reduction in fees, with the expectation that he would bring academic glory to the school by winning some
prestigious scholarships after years of "cramming" (memorizing exam answers). The other boys came from
well-off families; some even aristocratic, all were terrible snobs, making it hard for a 'poor' boy like Orwell.
Few boys were ever brave enough to challenge the image and wrath of this harridan; one called her 'satanic'.
There was one other boy there who became a life-long friend of Orwell; Cyril Connolly (son of an Army major)
he too pursued a literary career and competed vigorously for the academic prizes, writing later, in his own
school memoir ("Enemies of Promise") that he found Orwell the only "intellectual and someone who seemed
born old". In 1916, Orwell was taken by Mr. Wilkes to both Wellington College and Eton to sit their
scholarship exams. Orwell won his scholarship to Wellington and went there for 9 weeks until he heard in 1917
that he had won a King's Scholarship to Eton. St. Cyprian's burned to the ground in 1939. No tears from Orwell.
3.2 ETON: (King's Scholar)
Orwell, at 14, became one of the 70 King's Scholars at Eton: the most prestigious school for boys in England;
the Scholars all lived together in the ancient college buildings, whereas the other boys lived in various houses in
Eton, near Windsor. Living conditions for the first-year prize-winning "Collegers" were harsh, with frequent,
brutal cane beatings by the older boys of the Sixth Form. Private rooms were available after the first year.
There was no pressure to 'cram', so Orwell chose to slack-off and ended up near the bottom of his year. In his 3
half-days per week, when most boys were expected to pursue athletic interests, Orwell chose to read; and not
the Classics but controversial modern authors like Jack London, George Bernard Shaw and H. G. Wells. He
was learning that everything was open to question, even the views of fellow skeptics that he was reading.
Another growing feeling was that of disillusionment with patriotism and the futility of the 'Great War'. Eton
especially lost 1,157 young ex-students, who bravely (and foolishly, waving revolvers) led their men against
well-hidden German machine-guns. Orwell, like all the students, had to serve in the school's Officer Training
Corps (OTC) but cleverly he volunteered for the signaling section, where he could practice alone with field
telephones and map-reading. When he was 15, Orwell had a brief platonic romance with an ex-neighbor, who
was two years older; it was basically conducted from afar by mail. At this time, Orwell's mother took a wartime
job in London with the Ministry of Pensions; his older sister joined the Women's Legion as a dispatch-rider,
until she married an ex-neighbor, Humphrey Dakin.
Orwell graduated from Eton at the end of 1921; he had enjoyed his time there because of the greater freedom
granted and the lower expectations of the staff. Orwell's academics were so poor that it was pointless to try for
a scholarship to Oxford or Cambridge, so at 18 he had to look for a job or a career. Ironically, he followed in
his father's footsteps and applied to the Indian Imperial Police. He passed the highly competitive admission
exams, ranking seventh academically but slipped down to 19th from poor results in the compulsory riding test.

3
 4

4 IMPERIAL POLICEMAN
Orwell was appointed a probationary Assistant District Superintendent of Police at a princely annual salary of
£400 (equal to his father's pension). He opted for Burma as his province of choice: this was the least popular as
it was regarded as a 'backwater' and it also had the highest crime-rate, with murder being a particular problem.
The appeal was so low that those who served there, were given a special 'Burma Allowance' of several pounds
extra per month. He shipped out from Liverpool in November 1922, so as to arrive at the start of the 'Cool
Season'. Three weeks later, he arrived in Rangoon (the principal city) but within 24 hours was entrained for
Mandalay, the site of the Provincial Police Training school. Here, the raw recruits were to be transformed into
real police officers of the Empire over the next two years; first at school studying the Penal and Criminal Codes,
First Aid and the Police Drill Manual as well as instruction in Burmese and Hindustani, where they had to pass
exams in both languages, demonstrating the ability to read, write and speak them. Most of the 70 other students
were Burmese constables preparing to move up to the rank of sub-inspector. Orwell made only a little effort to
befriend one of the other two English students, riding old motor-cycles, but spent much of his free time reading.
Orwell completed the final 12 months of his probation 'on the job' under an experienced senior officer; he had to
supervise 200 men guarding the security at the Syriam refineries: they were the most important industrial
complex in Burma as they supplied most of India's oil. He wrote several short sketches of the country that later
appeared in his book, Burmese Days. There were very few European women in his district and there is some
vague evidence that he enjoyed sexual relations with some Burmese women.

At the end of 1926, he accepted a new posting as HQ Assistant at Katha in Upper Burma. It was here that
Orwell got infected with Dengue Fever from mosquitoes. It was so bad that he applied for a long leave in
England, citing health problems. He was sufficiently weakened to be granted 8 months sick leave, embarking in
July 1927. He spoke later of being traumatized by watching a criminal being hanged in Burma and could never
forget the sullen faces of many men being convicted of serious crimes. The author raises the question of why
did Orwell stay almost five years in this job (he later claimed to hate, supporting an imperial rule he viewed as
immoral)? Shelden suggests pride (his parents), the excellent salary and having no obvious alternatives.
5 DIFFICULT TIMES
5.1 FRANCE and ENGLAND
This short chapter (23 pages) was the most disappointing for me, as it describes Orwell's time in these two cities
when he survived at the lowest levels of society that were later described in his book Down and Out in Paris
and London [1933] that I read when I was 16 and impacted me greatly by the extreme levels of poverty being
described. Shelden believes Orwell was inspired by Jack London's "The People of the Abyss". Orwell desired
to understand how the English poor lived and to experience something of their suffering. The problem here is
that there are few biographical details to substantiate the book. He spent several weeks as a tramp around the
docks in London but made little money: not even enough for the rent, there were very few jobs available.

He decided like many other writers of the era that Paris would be good for him; he was competent in French and
his mother's sister, Nellie Limouzin lived there with a French companion and she was very fond of Orwell as a
favorite nephew and treated him more as a close friend than a relative. At one point, Orwell had all his cash
stolen, by either a mysterious Italian or a French trollop. This resulted in 3 days of starvation until a Russian
friend helped him find a job as a dishwasher and kitchen porter at one of the finest hotels in Paris. It was truly
miserable work and Orwell spares none of the ugly details when he describes the hot, filthy conditions in the
service areas, unseen by its wealthy guests. He wrote: "Dirtiness is inherent in hotels and restaurants because
sound food is sacrificed to punctuality and smartness." This was a remark that was strenuously objected to by a
London hotel manager who claimed that these comments would damage public confidence in hotels everywhere
as Paris set the global standards. Things got so desperate that Aunt Nellie paid for his return ticket to England
just before year-end in 1929, where he spent two years completing the first draft of this famous book at home.

4
 5

5.2 TEACHER and WRITER

Orwell was desperate for cash, so hit on the idea of temporary hop-picking in Kent that used casual labor. The
pay was abysmal: less than one pound for 18 days picking for 10 hours a day, while his hands were "cut to bits
by the spiny stems of the vines". Later, he made a saleable article in the New Statesman from this experience.
Money was a perpetual problem, so Orwell was hired as a headmaster in a tiny school in west London with only
15 students (sons of local merchants). He later moved, as the French teacher, to a larger school nearby (with a
pay raise) that taught nearly 200 students. Luckily for Orwell, a well-connected friend he had met when he was
living with his parents, used her literary connections to get him accepted by a literary-agent, who then
approached the new publisher Victor Gollancz to read Down and Out. They accepted it for publication (for a
small advance of £40) and subject to some changes to be made to avoid being sued for libel that was common
with novels in those days, as real people felt they were being thinly disguised as book characters.
5.3 THE NEW PSEUDONYM (Orwell)
The about-to-be-published new author did not wish to have his first book published under his own name (Eric
Blair) as he was unsure of its reception. He had no problem picking a solid English name, like 'George' while
he chose the name of a small south-coast river (the 'Orwell') as his new surname, as it was 'easily memorable'.
He was astonished when it was published to many good reviews; only his family were shocked at the book's
frank comments on sex, as this was not the image they had of him.

He was delighted when his agent persuaded an American publisher (Harper's) to issue it in in the USA. This
encouraged Orwell to finish his second book: Burmese Days (while he was still teaching), hoping that its exotic
subject matter, in a little known country would be appealing. At this time, a potential fiancé walked away from
him, recognizing that he was too busy at this time. Sadly, Gollancz did not want to publish it, fearing libel suits
from the limited number of British subjects who had worked with Orwell. Fortunately, Harper's was willing to
publish it, as long as few changes were made to limit the chance of libel. Author Shelden believes the best
aspect of the novel is its portrayal of the damaging effects of imperialism on both the rulers and the ruled,
forcing people to behave irrationally. After an ill thought-out motorcycle ride in the rain, Orwell was
hospitalized for several weeks at the end of 1933 with a fourth bout of pneumonia that nearly killed him.
5.4 BOOKLOVER'S CORNER (Future Wife)
5.4.1 CLERGYMAN'S DAUGHTER
Upon recovery, Orwell accepted a suggestion from Aunt Nellie to go live and work with her two friends in
Hampstead, working in a small bookshop called Booklover's Corner, mainly selling second-hand books. His
half-day work schedule allowed him to finish his next novel: A Clergyman's Daughter, based on a girl friend
from his parent's new home town in Southwold. He was very unhappy with his writing, as he was comparing
himself with James Joyce's Ulysses that he was reading. By October, 1934 he had completed his first draft and
sent it off to his agent, who showed it to Gollancz, who accepted it - subject to the usual anti-libel alterations.
5.4.2 KEEP THE ASPIDISTRA FLYING
By March, 1935 as his last book first appeared to reasonable reviews, Orwell was hard at work on his next
novel: Keep The Aspidistra Flying. This novel, Orwell planned to be a 'work of art', was very autobiographical
as its protagonist was a struggling writer who abandoned a 'good job' and works part-time in a small bookstore.
In effect, Orwell turns on himself and satirizes his own self-defeating attitudes and lack of self-confidence, his
author hero gives up on his literary ambitions and becomes a successful copy-writer in an advertising agency,
launching a new campaign for a foot deodorant. He submitted the typescript in person to Gollancz in 1936. He
was so happy with it that he hosted a small party for some friends of his landlady, who was studying
psychology at University College, London. This is where he met his first wife, Eileen.

5
 6
5.4.3 THE FIRST 'MRS. ORWELL' (Eileen)
Orwell was immediately attracted to Eileen O'Shaughnessy and announced after the party that she was 'the sort
of girl he'd like to marry'. She was born in 1905 and now nearly 30, she was by then a slender woman, with
broad shoulders and dark brown hair. She was the daughter of a proud Irish family who had come to Tyneside
about a 100 years ago. Her father was a Collector of Customs (a well-paid government job) and she had one
other sibling, an older brother (Laurence) who became a very successful surgeon and TB specialist.

Eileen was educated at Sunderland High School and won a scholarship to St. Hugh's College at Oxford
University (all women), gaining her degree in English Letters in 1927. As she only gained a Second Class
Honors degree, she did not pursue an academic career but accepted her first job offer: a teaching position in a
private boarding school for girls that she left after one term. She then had several small jobs, including running
her own secretarial agency in London, which she gave up in 1933 when she decided to pursue a degree in
educational psychology. Orwell first proposed to her on their first dinner date, soon after the party. Her dry wit
was shown when she admitted to her friend that she had promised herself to accept the first marriage proposal
after she turned 30 (an approaching 'deadline'). She was not intimidated by him and could readily discuss
literature and poetry. According to author Shelden: she was probably one of the most intelligent women he
would ever meet; and as her surviving letters show, she was an excellent writer with a strong sense of style and
probably helped Orwell in his subsequent writing.
5.4.4 ROAD TO WIGAN PIER
Orwell's publisher, Victor Gollancz was a newly committed socialist and wanted Orwell to write a book about
unemployment and general living conditions in the North of England; Orwell agreed to a 12-month project. He
planned a short visit north as he did not want to be away from Eileen for too long. After a series of contact
introductions, Orwell met an electrician who worked in the mines in Wigan, Lancashire; he soon found poor
lodgings in the home of another (unemployed) miner that was so bad he had to quickly move into a rental in a
stinking tripe-shop. He spent his days touring the town and surrounding area, examining housing conditions
and interviewing workers, making extensive notes. Ironically, he discovered that Wigan pier - the butt of jokes
for some years - had been demolished years ago. Orwell actually visited three coal mines that was really tough
for the tall Orwell, as he had to crawl over a mile to reach the coal-face as the tunnel was only 4 feet high; this
put him into bed for days to recover each time. The coal dust also took its toll on his weak chest. He found out
that the miners were suffering a phenomenally high rate of accidents, over 8,000 miners had died in the mines
in the 7 years from 1927 to 1934. More miners had died each year than soldiers in the World War I disaster of
Gallipoli. He realized that there was a kind of war being waged in the North of England - and only one side
was taking casualties. He was also shocked to discover that some of the workers' housing was worse than any
of the slums he had seen in Burma: made worse by the cold, damp climate. He also visited Liverpool, Sheffield
and Barnsley to confirm that Wigan was not unique. These two months pushed him closer to socialism. His
response to the appalling conditions made his writing stronger, so his compassion draws out the reader.
5.4.5 THE FIRST MARRIAGE
After finishing his northern trip, Orwell (always short of cash) was looking for low-cost accommodation. A
few friends told him about an old cottage in the tiny village of Wallington in Hertfordshire that came with a
very low rent plus the opportunity to operate as the Post Office and village store for the other 34 houses, two
pubs and a church. Again, he planned to divide his day in half, so as to finish his Wigan book. His shop sales
were small but sufficient to cover his costs, including the rent. Aspidistra was published in April to poor
reviews and only sold about 2000 copies.

In June, Orwell and Eileen were married in the small Anglican church in front of his parents and sister Avril
along with Eileen's mother and brother. The marriage certificate listed Orwell as 'author' but Eileen had left
college without finishing her MA degree because she could not complete the research thesis that involved some
interviews with school children about their school essays; sadly, there were no nearby children available.

6
 7
The wedding made both of them very happy; they worked together in their garden, she helped him with his
writing and actually taught an illiterate 10 year-old boy to read sufficiently well to get into a grammar school.
Orwell was in a hurry to finish Wigan and persuaded Gollancz to publish it quickly. In fact, Gollancz finally
did pick it for the Left Book Club selection of March 1937. This meant that it sold 44,000 copies and so
resolved Orwell's cash-flow problems thereafter. Both Orwell and Eileen were increasingly concerned about
the political situation in Spain, where the fascist General Franco had rebelled against the elected socialist
government, with support from Mussolini and Hitler. Orwell wanted to join the many international volunteers
going to Spain to fight the growing threat of Fascism. Eileen did not dissuade him but wanted to go with him.
Eventually she did follow him two months later, while Aunt Nellie took care of the Wallington Shop.
6 THE FINAL YEARS (1940s)
This final 25% of this book describes the Running Down phase of Orwell's life, juxtaposed with his authoring
of his two most famous books.
6.1 SOUTHERN LANDS
6.1.1 SPAIN (War)
Initially, Orwell thought he may be lacking the stamina or skill to be a soldier, so his plan was just to report on
what he saw. Finally, he got to Barcelona and was signed up by the 'Workers Party of Marxist Unification' (or
POUM) that was affiliated with the British Independent Labor Party. Ironically, his schoolboy training in the
OTC [see §3.2] made him an instant corporal in charge of 15 men. He was stationed on the quieter Aragon front
(for 4 months) but was involved in some sharp fighting and was occasionally shelled. Actually he was shot by a
sniper in the throat that just missed his carotid artery; luckily he only lost his voice for a few weeks but it got
him a medical discharge. Orwell was sickened at the petty political disputes dividing the anti-fascists that
ultimately forced them both to flee Spain in June, via France. Orwell wanted to write memoirs of his time in
Spain, to appear as Homage to Catalonia, but the left-wing squabbles over Spain had spread to England so
Gollancz was not interested. Fortunately, a new publisher, Frederic Warburg was looking for material and
approached Orwell about his Spanish experiences. Orwell finished his first draft by February, 1938. He was
deeply criticized for exposing the multiple left-wing feuds. He down-played his own story and wrote about the
heroism and decency he had witnessed in others. It does indicate his struggles to make sense of a senseless war.
Homage was published in April to quite good reviews but only sold 700 copies in its first four months; the first
American edition did not appear until 1952.
6.1.2 MOROCCO (Recovery)
By now Orwell was quite exhausted; he had written six books in six years. When he started coughing blood, his
new brother-in-law arranged for him to be admitted to a sanatorium in Kent, where he stayed for the next six
months. Dr. Laurence O'Shaughnessy (the sanatorium's consultant surgeon) suspected TB but could not
confirm it. Orwell was very lucky to be introduced to a rich admirer who wanted to pay for Orwell to stay in a
warm country after he left the sanatorium, so he arranged an anonymous gift of £300. His doctors suggested he
go to Morocco, as it was warmer and cheaper. The Orwells sailed for Gibraltar in September, ending up in
Morocco for over six months, while he was writing Coming Up for Air. This was to be an elegy to the peaceful
Edwardian era before 1914; ironically he was in a race to finish it before the next Great War started that he
feared. His sense of impending doom really got Eileen down. They were both glad to be returning to England.
Gollancz finally published Coming Up in June 1939; it is a lyrical celebration of the sleepy English countryside
along with the sense that the beautiful landscape may be doomed by the relentless movement of vast, unseen
historical forces. The book sold a respectable 3,000 copies. Also, in June, Orwell's father died from intestinal
cancer.
6.2 THE WAR YEARS
Orwell was not surprised by World War II (as he had correctly seen the Spanish War as a fascist rehearsal) but
he was disappointed that he could not play a more active a role, as he had in Spain, due to his poor health.

7
 8
6.2.1 WORLD WAR II
Ironically, Eileen got a full-time job with the Censorship Department in Whitehall and lived (along with her
mother) at the home of her brother Laurence's home and his gynecologist wife, Gwen in Greenwich. Laurence
was a major in the Medical Corps, acting as a chest surgeon with the British Expeditionary Force in France;
sadly he was to die at Dunkirk in 1940 from shrapnel wounds in the chest. Eileen was devastated; made worse
when her own mother died in 1941.

By May 1940 Orwell was missing Eileen too much, so he moved to London where they could share a top-floor
flat near Baker Street. Orwell joined the Home Guard and was made a sergeant based on his Spanish wartime
experience. He was rejected as a regular soldier on health grounds. In August 1941, the BBC offered Orwell a
fulltime job as a Talks Assistant for £640 a year in the Indian Section. This was important to keep the 2 million
Indians fighting for England 'on-side' against constant German anti-colonial propaganda. But the BBC effort
was equally cultural imperialism with a strong English bias with subjects more appealing to British intellectuals,
like 'Poetry and Traditionalism' and 'British Rations and the Submarine War'. Orwell soon realized that he was
unsuitable working in such a bureaucratic and heavily censored organization. Orwell got his revenge later when
he incorporated much of these experiences in describing the 'Ministry of Truth' in his 1984 novel. Finally, in
September 1943, Orwell reached his breaking point and resigned.

Luckily, Orwell's reputation was growing and he was hired as a columnist by the Observer newspaper. This
was supplemented by regular writings in the left-wing weekly Tribune that led to him being offered its literary
editorship. He lasted 15 months, realizing he was a poor executive and found decision-making difficult; so he
fell back into the role of weekly columnist for the Controversy section under the title 'I Write As I Please'. One
of his popular themes was the growing problem of anti-Americanism, fuelled in large part by the growing
number of GIs arriving in England preparing for the upcoming invasion of France in June 1944. Coincidentally,
Eileen took up broadcasting in the spring of 1942 where she oversaw (for the Ministry of Food) the daily
broadcast of the BBC Home Service programme called The Kitchen Front - five minutes of hints for preparing
food under wartime conditions. Eileen wrote scripts for broadcast and organized speakers, like doctors and food
scientists. This was a propaganda show which tried to make people think that food rationing was OK, for
example, by emphasizing all the many ways to eat potatoes (being cheap and home-grown).
6.2.2 FAMILY COMING and GOINGS
Both Orwell's mother and younger sister (Ida and Avril Blair) moved to work in London in 1942; Avril in a
sheet-metal factory and Ida as a shop assistant at Selfridge's: even though she was in her late sixties. She
insisted on working long hours every day until in March 1943 when she began having breathing difficulties.
She was admitted immediately to hospital but died in one week, on March 19 from heart failure but
significantly her death certificate listed both bronchitis and emphysema as secondary causes: this suggests that
Orwell himself inherited his weak lungs from his mother. Interestingly, Orwell rarely wrote about his mother in
his books or personal letters. Author Shelden notes that in the months following his mother's death, he began
yearning more than ever to have a child of his own. Now he was making a regular, good income he felt he
could afford one. At first, Eileen was reluctant to go along with it because she worried that she would not be
able to give enough of herself to a child and her health was too fragile for childbirth. Additionally, Orwell
believed himself to be infertile although this was never proved; so they decided to adopt a young infant.
Fortunately, Eileen's sister-in-law, Gwen regularly dealt with young women who had become pregnant as a
result of brief wartime affairs; so she quickly arranged for the adoption of a boy born on May 14, 1943; they
named him Richard Horatio Blair. This seemed to bring new life to their marriage, with Orwell eagerly
helping: Eileen became devoted to Richard; she even gave up her job at the Food Ministry after she realized
how much she enjoyed motherhood.

8
 9

6.3 FAME, AT LAST

6.3.1 NASTY PIGS (Animal Farm)
Only two months before Richard was born, Orwell completed Animal Farm that would make him a best-selling
author, all over the world. He never dreamed that this short book would have such a strong impact, so he was
totally unprepared for the resulting fame. All he had set out to do was to make an imaginative attack on the
myths of Soviet Communism. He had been thinking about it since his return from Spain and was shocked to
see how readily a revolutionary movement could come under the control of a remote dictator. After he finished
it, no one seemed interested in publishing it, on the grounds that criticizing the Soviet allies was 'playing into
the hand of the Nazis'. Finally in July, he sent the typescript to Frederic Warburg, who quickly accepted it and
paid an advance of £100. However, the paper shortage was so severe that the first edition did not print until
August, 1945. It sold 25,000 hardcover copies in the first five years but the American edition sold 600,000
copies in its first four years. The book confirms Orwell's ideal version of socialism, making it clear that before
the barnyard revolt was subjected to the treachery of the pigs 'the animals were happy as possible'. He could
admit that the odds were against him and still insist that victory was possible; he was rejecting all forms of
dictatorship. Orwell later acknowledged that Eileen had helped with its structure and emphasizing the satire.
In spite of his poor health, Orwell accepted the position of war correspondent for the Observer in Europe to see
for himself the last gasps of Nazism from February to May, 1945.
6.3.2 EILEEN'S DEATH
In March 1945, Eileen learned that she had several tumors in her uterus, so she would quickly need a
hysterectomy, even though her health was poor; she wrote an 8-page letter informing Orwell of her situation
and planned operation. By telegram, they agreed he would not rush back but he did give his consent to the
operation. She had the operation on March 29 but within minutes her body reacted adversely to the anesthetic
(of ether and chloroform) and she suffered a fatal heart attack on the operating table. Eileen was only 39 and
they had been married 9 years. Gwen was the first to be notified and she sent a cable to Orwell, who was
devastated. Orwell hired a young divorcee (Susan Watson) as nurse-housekeeper in July to look after Richard
and him. This gave him the chance to bury himself in work, rather than dwell on his grief, so that he wrote
more than 130 articles and reviews in the following 12 months. Within a year of Eileen's death, Orwell rented a
farmhouse on the remote Scottish island of Jura, so as to escape the pressures of London (there was no
telephone) so as to write his novels. He persuaded the disabled Susan to move there with him but he was also
looking for a new wife in his life; in fact, three young women turned down his offers marriage at this time.
Susan only lasted two months in Jura because Orwell's younger sister Avril came to do the job herself. Orwell's
situation became desperate because his older sister, Marjorie died from kidney disease within two weeks of her
48th birthday; Orwell and Avril were the last two survivors of the Blair clan. Avril remained his helper until his
death. However, Orwell was in constant need of medical attention and Jura had no hospital and only one doctor
25 miles away, so in August Orwell, Richard and Avril returned to London.
6.4 THE PYRRHIC VICTORIES
6.4.1 A GRIM FUTURE (1984)
In August 1946 Orwell began writing his last long novel (unlike any earlier ones); it was tentatively entitled:
"Last Man in Europe". Most of it was written on Jura, by October he had about 50 pages in rough draft. Orwell
was pleased to be released from Gollancz's onerous contract of first-refusal on his future books, so he wanted
his new book to be published by his courageous friends at Secker and Warburg. The grim story was matched by
the weather: the worst winter for many years, inducing a national fuel crisis so bad that the government imposed
drastic power reductions on both industrial and private consumers. Although his health continued to decline,
Orwell was able to complete the first draft by December, 1947; he over-stressed his lungs with several brisk
long island walks. He suffered another severe attack, coughing up blood, so that he had to go to a specialist
lung hospital near Glasgow, where he was finally diagnosed with TB. His friend, David Astor arranged for him
to get a new research drug (streptomycin) from America that had showed promise since its discovery in 1944.

9
 10
However, it was too new to the Scottish doctors, who at first gave too large a dosage that produced severe side-
effects, losing both skin and hair, but his lungs did improve, so he could return to Jura in July. He personally
had to retype his own manuscript but all was finished by November 1948 but at a high cost. He was coughing
blood again, so his sister-in-law, Gwen got him into an advanced sanatorium at Cranham in Gloucestershire.
Frederic Warburg had read the draft and was convinced that this was an important book but it needed a better
title. Orwell was not making a prophecy for a specific future year, so he just switched the last two digits of the
current year when he had finished it; this was a master-stroke of good luck, as the short, snappy title (1984)
helped it to be selected by America's Book-of-the-Month Club for enormous sales. It came out in June 1949 in
both the UK and the U.S.A. to acclaim everywhere, even by most literary critics.

It is a work of fiction but it was firmly rooted in Orwell's own past; pulling in memories of school bullying, his
police work in Burma, his days in Spain, the BBC days and even the devastation in Germany in 1945. This was
Orwell’s real masterpiece portraying a global society of total control in which people are not allowed to have
thoughts that in any way disagree with the corporate state. There is no personal freedom and very advanced
technology has become the driving force behind a surveillance-driven society: snitches and cameras are
everywhere. People are subject to the Thought Police, who deal with anyone guilty of thought crimes. The
government (or “Party”) is headed by Big Brother, who appears on posters everywhere with the warning: “Big
Brother is watching you.” Make no mistake: the Internet of Things and its twin, the Internet of Senses, is just
Big Brother in disguise. Really, if Orwell had a genuine crystal-ball he would have set it in 2021. This was not
a simple extrapolation of Hitler or Stalin, who both used ideology to disguise their abuse of power; it is a
sincere warning, by a sensitive artist, to us all of how Power Corrupts, especially in large organizations.
6.4.2 A SECOND WIFE (Sonia)
I found the story of Orwell's second wife somewhat tragic, as it was not a love-marriage (as with Eileen) but a
marriage of mutual convenience. Sonia Brownell was the first woman to accept Orwell's series of proposals
[see §6.3.2]. He first met her in 1945 when she started as Cyril Connolly's editorial assistant at his magazine
Horizon but she was soon running it, as Connolly spent more time away, writing. She was very good looking
and presented a tough appearance (both attractive to Orwell) but this hid deep insecurities. Her father had been
a freight broker in Calcutta, where she was born in August 1918, with him dying soon. Her mother later
returned to England to run a London boarding house that provided enough income to send Sonia to school at the
Convent of the Sacred Heart, followed by two years at a Swiss 'Finishing School' where she polished her
French.

Sonia visited Orwell in September 1949 when he had been transferred to University College Hospital, London
where he could be treated by one of the top TB specialists in Britain; this was near where Sonia lived. Shelden
claims that she did not love Orwell but knew that if they were married she would have lots of money and also
control of Orwell's literary estate that promised to be huge. Orwell wanted very much to stay alive and he
thought marrying Sonia might provide the extra inspiration he needed to continue fighting for his life; she had
become the object of his fantasies and marrying her would be (for him) a dream come true; he also knew she
was well qualified to deal with publishers and agents. On October 13 the couple married in a brief wedding held
at Orwell's bedside in the hospital, Astor was his best man and the hospital chaplain conducted the ceremony.
For the next three months Sonia visited him every day and took care of his business affairs and correspondence.
6.4.3 ORWELL'S DEATH
Orwell's health steadily deteriorated; the saddest thing was that Avril kept Richard away for fear that he might
also catch the nasty infection from his father. Orwell's lungs gave out shortly after midnight, he died on January
21, 1950. He was only forty-six. He was buried at All Saints Church, a 13th century relic in the village of
Sutton Courtney, Oxfordshire, where the Astors had an estate. Richard benefited from a large life insurance
policy but everything else went to Sonia. Sadly, Sonia became a mean and unhappy drunk, dying in 1980.
Richard led a quiet but happy (industrial) life after being raised by Avril, who lived until she was 70.

10
 11

7 LEGACY
7.1 WRITINGS
7.1.1 NOVELS
Ultimately Orwell admitted that he was not a natural novelist. He had difficulty inventing imaginary characters,
especially female protagonists. He also found it hard to generate structural storylines, providing readable
momentum. His earlier novels are rarely read today but his later work is world famous. Orwell's work has
taken a prominent place in the school literature curriculum in England, with Animal Farm a regular examination
topic at the end of secondary education and 1984 a regular examination topic below university entrance. A
2016 poll saw Animal Farm ranked as the UK's favourite school book.
7.1.2 ESSAYS & JOURNALISM
Although Orwell is best known today for his famous two books: in the 1930s and 1940s he was better known
for his journalism and numerous essays; available today in his four volume Collected Essays, Journalism and
Letters (1968).
8 EPILOGUE
8.1 PERSONALITY
Orwell was a complex character, who might well be called a depressive, as he spent much of his whole life
anticipating failure, even after the tremendous success of Animal Farm. He confided in his private diary of a
deep sense of inadequacy that he was cursed with, from boyhood. He rationalized his unacknowledged ambition
that caused him to write continuously as a need for the money but he did want to share his opinions with others.
Although he was quiet and presented a low-key image to the public, Shelden believes Orwell was deeply
motivated by strong passions. He did not view himself as attractive to women but he is reputed to have had
several lovers with Eileen [§5.4.3] being the love of his life and he really loved his adopted son, Richard
[§6.2.2]. Orwell was noted for very close and enduring friendships with only a few friends, but these were
generally people with a similar background or with a similar level of literary ability. He was not comfortable in
crowds or with strangers and his discomfort was made worse when he was outside his own class. Though
representing himself as a spokesman for the common man, he appeared out of place with real working people.
8.2 POLITICS
The 1930s was a decade obsessed with politics and most European intellectuals adopted a socialist (or Left-
Wing) position. Many people saw Orwell as a socialist, especially after his two books on working-class poverty
but he was never happy repeating the 'Party Line'. In fact, he was quite argumentative with committed socialists,
like his publisher, Gollancz; so much so, that he had to find a new publisher for Animal Farm. Orwell always
objected to any tendency to conformity and centralized bureaucracy; he forever opposed ideology. Orwell was
always critical of Stalin, unlike many Left-Wing intellectuals; he was scarred for the rest of his life by his
experiences in Spain; especially the torture of some of his friends. Orwell had a life-long romantic view of
England (especially his childhood Edwardian era) but was critical of the exploitive nature of Capitalism.
8.3 HEALTH and DEATH
Orwell had problems with his lungs since he was a baby. He made this worse by becoming an addicted smoker.
He was also infected with Dengue Fever when in Burma and had to return to England to recover. Orwell was a
big man (6 foot 3 inches) but he was not careful about his health. For example, in 1933 he went for a long ride
on his motorcycle in mid-December, dressed in light clothing but it began to rain and he was soaked to the skin.
He had to be admitted to hospital for two weeks as it was feared he may not survive his fourth attack of
pneumonia and his mother had to be sent for but the crisis had passed before they arrived. Although tested for
tuberculosis (TB) several times in his life, the results were usually negative; it was not until the end of 1947 that
he was finally diagnosed as having the disease but by then his lungs were in such a bad condition that he only
survived for another 25 months.

11
 12

9 CONCLUSIONS
9.1 ACHIEVEMENTS
Orwell's talent as a writer was as a reality-commentator in the forms of sketches, essays, reviews and non-
fiction books. He succeeded in making 'political writing' into an art. Shelden writes that Orwell always believed
in his ideas and would fight for them, even a Capitalist England when threatened but that kind of loyalty could
not be explained as easily as it could be felt. Orwell had an enduring impact on writing about social realism that
swept the English artistic scene in the 1950s, as people realized again they had won a war for the privileged.
9.2 FAILURES
Orwell was not a natural novelist and had difficulty describing realistic characters as well as giving his novels a
coherent structure. Author Shelden is not too impressed with his literary style and he has studied many. Orwell
had a stormy marriage with his first wife, Eileen; both had brief affaires with others, while still married. He also
had difficulty making and keeping life-long friends, illustrating a high level of egotism and work-obsession.
9.3 CONFESSION
I read this book because I, like many, was well aware of Orwell's reputation but knew little about his personal
life. I was surprised to find many parallels with my own life, although I was trained as a scientist but finally
discovered that I enjoyed writing essays and book reviews. I too benefitted from going to a good secondary
school with excellent teachers, rather than an opportunity to make good life connections, as at Eton College. I
was raised in a large Lancashire cotton town (Bolton) ten miles from Wigan, so I was very familiar with the
poor conditions of most of the local population. I too reacted negatively to the English class system, like
Orwell, perhaps even more so, as it forced me to emigrate. Although we both married clever women called
Eileen of Irish background, I met and married my wife much sooner (at 21) so we had a life-long happy
marriage of over 50 years. I suspect that Orwell may have been an Asperger (like me) as he was also very self-
driven and could not stop himself from pursuing and completing goals once set. Contrary to opinions of
psychiatrists, this is not an aspect of autism [see my Accountant review for a more accurate discussion]. I must
admit, that I doubt if I would have befriended Orwell at any stage of his life; he seemed too self-absorbed, even
more than me.
9.4 RECOMMENDATIONS
This book has many good points: not the least of which is that the author, Shelden writes well and knows how
to write a good biography, even when some parts are a little too detailed. The book has many good photographs
a comprehensive index, a sold bibliography and enough footnotes to satisfy any scholar. I would have liked a
few more dates to anchor the historical exposition. I can recommend this book but with some strong
reservations; most importantly: too much detail. Shelden is too much of a professional biographer not to omit
events that he thinks history needs to know about but will probably bore too many regular readers. Casual
readers will have learned about the major highlights and events in the life of this important writer from this
alone. Perhaps, now is a suitable time for us all to re-read 1984?

12