Author Description
"Money is what God used to be. Good and evil have no meaning any longer except failure and success." Disgusted by society's materialism, Gordon Comstock leaves his job in advertising to pursue an ill-fated career as a poet. In his race to the bottom, only Rosemary, his long-suffering girlfriend, challenges Gordon's self-destructive course. The novel contains the most sustained reflections on the role of the author and the artistic imagination anywhere in Orwell's fiction, as the book's protagonist struggles (and ultimately fails) to reconcile his romantic-aestheticist sensibilities with the pressures of the literary marketplace and with social expectations. Completed while Orwell travelled north to work on The Road to Wigan Pier, this novel is a key transitional text in his career. Offering a powerful portrayal of the emotional toll of precarity and the desire to break with capitalism, Keep the Aspidistra Flying is a significant work of mid-century British fiction but it also speaks to our own time. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
Gordon Comstock abandons his career in advertising to wage a personal war against the pervasive influence of money and the societal obsession with material success. Driven by a desire to live outside the capitalist framework, Gordon attempts to survive as a poet while living in poverty. He faces constant friction from his employer, his family, and his girlfriend, Rosemary, who attempts to pull him back toward conventional stability. The narrative follows a linear progression, documenting the physical and mental degradation that accompanies Gordon's self-imposed exile from middle-class life.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- Third-person limited perspective focusing on Gordon's internal monologue
- Satirical depiction of the London advertising industry
- Exploration of the conflict between artistic ambition and economic necessity
- Detailed descriptions of urban poverty and squalor
- Recurring symbolism of the aspidistra as a marker of bourgeois conformity
- Examination of the psychological toll of social alienation
- Realistic dialogue reflecting class tensions in 1930s Britain
- Character-driven narrative focusing on the protagonist's moral rigidity
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
Readers and critics often identify this work as a pivotal exploration of the tension between individual integrity and the demands of a capitalist society. Discussion frequently centers on the protagonist's unlikeable nature and whether his rebellion is a noble pursuit or a manifestation of self-indulgent stubbornness. Many observers highlight the effectiveness of the setting in conveying the suffocating atmosphere of pre-war London. The narrative is noted for its cynical tone and its refusal to offer a simple resolution to the protagonist's existential crisis. Scholars often point to the book as a significant precursor to the political themes that would define the author's later, more famous works.
Page Count:
272
Publication Date:
2021-01-01
ISBN-10:
0191899208
ISBN-13:
9780191899201
Literary Fiction
Satire
Social Commentary
Classic Literature
Fairy Tales
British