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With gorgeous yet appalling detail, Theroux’s biographical historical novel underlines the violence and injustice witnessed by a youthful George Orwell. Listeners interested in Orwell’s own take on this span will want to check out his 1934 novel Burmese Days.
The prolific Theroux (The Mosquito Coast) has long been a expert writer of fiction and travel narratives, so this biographical historical novel, about the young adult life of the soon-to-be George Orwell, is a natural for him.
As with any sibling rivalry, there are two sides to the story, and much of the tension hangs on whose perception is correct. Is Frank truly a villain, or is Cal an unreliable narrator whose perceptions are skewed by his experiences with Frank? Or are both statements true at once? A fraught psychological drama rich with mythic overtones.
Care to visit Ecuador and Zimbabwe? Ride in a helicopter with Elizabeth Taylor and go surfing with Oliver Sacks? Bone up on works by Henry David Thoreau and Hunter Thompson? You can do it all with this essay collection from the shape-shifting author probably still best known for The Great Railway Bazaar...
Be selective when recommending this one. There is little balance and even less joy, but there is, sadly, some truth that many will recognize. [See Prepub Alert, 11/14/16.]
A literary travelog that will interest readers of Southern history and literature and anyone with an interest in American urban history and the plight of the poor. [See Prepub Alert, 3/30/15.]