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A review by annette_storybeats
Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell
3.0
Keep the Aspidistra Flying is a book I can admire while ultimately disliking it intensely.
I have to admire Orwell's prose, which so beautifully evokes the bleakness and poverty of the world as seen by Gordon Comstock. And the writer does such a good job of showing us Gordon's willful lack of self-awareness that I cannot help but loathe the character.
As the story unfolds we are forced to re-assess Gordon's insistence on preserving the purity of his artistic aspirations, and his rejection of the money god. His deliberate self-destruction finally reveals itself as immaturity and a refusal to accept adult responsibilities.
At the end of the novel, Gordon does seem to have come to some measure of self-knowledge; but, despite appearances, this does not feel like a happy ending. Which is rather the point.
Prepare to be impressed by the skill and depth of Orwell's writing, but infuriated by the character he has created.
(Really this should be a 4-star review - but I gave it 3 stars to spite Gordon).
I have to admire Orwell's prose, which so beautifully evokes the bleakness and poverty of the world as seen by Gordon Comstock. And the writer does such a good job of showing us Gordon's willful lack of self-awareness that I cannot help but loathe the character.
As the story unfolds we are forced to re-assess Gordon's insistence on preserving the purity of his artistic aspirations, and his rejection of the money god. His deliberate self-destruction finally reveals itself as immaturity and a refusal to accept adult responsibilities.
At the end of the novel, Gordon does seem to have come to some measure of self-knowledge; but, despite appearances, this does not feel like a happy ending. Which is rather the point.
Prepare to be impressed by the skill and depth of Orwell's writing, but infuriated by the character he has created.
(Really this should be a 4-star review - but I gave it 3 stars to spite Gordon).