Since Orwell's death in 1950 his legacy has become twisted and contradictory. People of all political persuasions have either attempted to 'win' him for their side or to 'expose' him as a charlatan. Was Orwell a homophobe? Why was his attitude towards women so negative? Was he a (shudder) Trotskyist? And what about "The List"? These questions and more are examined, and indeed answered, as Hitchens masterfully navigates the reader through the maze of (mis)interpretations of Orwell's considerable literary output. The book is clearly and logically constructed, with chapters on "Orwell and the Left", "Orwell and the Right", "Orwell and the Feminists" and so on. Hitchens maintains that while Orwell was by no means infallible, he possessed the entirely honourable quality of constantly evaluating his own beliefs and prejudices. What emerges is a picture of a remarkably honest, perceptive and consistent man in a world displaying precisely the opposite qualities.
Review by Michael Scutti
Orwell’s Victory, by Christopher Hitchens 823.912 ORW
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