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George Orwell began keeping a series of diaries on 9th August 1938 (love that British date formatting!). These diaries were never published. Seventy years later, the diaries are being released day by day in an annotated blog format. According to The Orwell Prize (who are putting up the entries), Orwell’s diaries reveal several dimensions of the man:
From his domestic diaries (which start on 9th August), it may be a largely unknown Orwell, whose great curiosity is focused on plants, animals, woodwork, and - above all - how many eggs his chickens have laid. From his political diaries (from 7th September), it may be the Orwell whose political observations and critical thinking have enthralled and inspired generations since his death in 1950. Whether writing about the Spanish Civil War or sloe gin, geraniums or Germany, Orwell’s perceptive eye and rebellion against the ‘gramophone mind’ he so despised are obvious.
So far, the entries have been amusingly terse and mundane. “Drizzly. Dense mist in evening. Yellow moon.” is the complete entry from August 10. On August 12, Orwell comments on the heat and the ripening blackberries. Where will the diaries go next? Bookmark the site to find out. See also: NPR on Orwell’s Diaries, including interviews with those involved in the project.
Oh how I adore Orwell, and trust me, that is not something you hear everyday from a sixteen year ripe high school student. I still have yet to meet someone besides myself who actually read all of Animal Farm instead of the ever helpful Sparknotes.
Before I turned the pages of Animal Farm I was actually assigned a different dreaded “Orwell ordeal”. My amazing journalism teacher, Mr. Kuchinsky, had us read and analyze Orwell’s Politics and the English Language. We then had to write a paper that Senior have described as the hardest assignment in their entire West Orange High School career. I somehow managed an A, only because I just rewrote in my own words what K had spit out in class. The thing is, I never really understood exactly what that damn paper was saying until this summer. I read 1984 a few months after completing the paper, but that did not even really help me in understanding the importance of words and language. No, that complete realization came about after finally completing Down and Out in Paris and London. I now plan to reread everything Orwell (except Animal Farm for, as much as I admire the symbolism, I just cannot stand the actual story).
I know, that was probably too long of a build up to what I am about to say. I think seeing inside such an interesting mind must be interesting, even if it is some silly sentence about the weather.
So thank you for this, I truly adore Orwell and the opportunity to read an even more personal account of his!
posted by C. Bukowski. on 8-13-2008 at 4:42 pm
Love Orwell. Thanks for posting about this. I had no idea about the diaries. I’m sure that like many of his other works, it will slowly draw you in, then punch you in nose. Or scissor off your tongue!
posted by Pete on 8-13-2008 at 8:39 pm
I’m a big Orwell fan, too. I know what C. Bukowski. means about Animal Farm though–my least favorite of the bunch. It would never have been so popular if the Army didn’t distribute it to troops.
Anyway, I think I’ve reread 1984 about ten times, which is unusual since most of my books are read once then passed along or shelved.
Thanks for another cool link. Still playing Seed….
posted by adrienne on 8-13-2008 at 9:36 pm