Interest in George Orwell and his dystopian fiction is high
But while warning of one kind of “doublethink”, was he blind to another?
FEW WRITERS have achieved the cult status of George Orwell. He is so much a part of the collective imagination that John Rodden, an Orwell scholar, goes so far as to call him “the most important writer who ever lived”. He was not the best writer of his time, explains Mr Rodden, author of several books on the writer’s “afterlife”, but his universal recognition, continuous publication and repeated spikes in popularity are “an unprecedented phenomenon rivalled only by Shakespeare himself”.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Man of the hours”
Culture August 12th 2023
- Interest in George Orwell and his dystopian fiction is high
- In Japan “Oppenheimer” is causing consternation
- How Provençal rosé became the summer tipple par excellence
- John McPhee revisits story ideas he had but never pursued
- Hip-hop’s future will be less American and more global
- An infamous murderer and the truth about true crime
From the August 12th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Culture
Can Magnus Carlsen convince people to watch chess?
The world’s best player hopes that glamming up the ancient game can make stars of its players
Are internet firms the problem, or are you the problem?
A veteran critic of technology offers his take on a familiar target
The Michelin Guide is no longer the only tastemaker in town
How is it adapting to changing eating habits?
Why “Emilia Pérez” is loved by Hollywood and hated by everyone else
And the Oscar for Worst Picture goes to…
Tofu: never judge a food by its political reputation
Think outside the white plastic box. Here is a carnivore’s guide to tofu
Sex, drugs or chastity?
Pope Francis has written the first memoir by a sitting pope. God help us