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This book is part biography, part fiction and part memoir of the author. A strange combination and I wasn‘t sure what to make of it at first. I like George Orwell‘s work but this book looks at his wife Eileen and her role and influence on his work. And how she has been ignored by everyone including Orwell. It left me thinking that Orwell was a completely self absorbed a-hole!! The book had me questioning assumptions but rounded them out perfectly

What a line. (Anne Olivier Popham)

‘Listen to this for a thank-you note,‘ she tells Lettice, finding Wells‘s letter. “Why do you attack me in this way? Is it some perverted jealousy or some insane political machinations. Read my early works you shit.”‘ Lettice chuckles.
‘Poor man,‘ she says. ‘Probably thinks you were trying to kill him.‘
‘Yes,‘ Eileen says. ‘Death by plum cake.‘

These anxieties of authenticity exist because when words go inside a reader, they make magic. They fizz and pop and conjure. They change minds. Your words may cast a spell on the reader but they cannot be felt to be a con-artist's trick, for then the reader will feel de- frauded. All the reader wants is for the avatar sitting behind the table to match their inner picture.

When she'd turned around George was at the door, hands on hips, waiting for his answer. She saw then that to him she belonged here with the animals and the house and the garden.

'Spain is a good idea,' she'd said, reaching the back step. 'I'm sure we could be useful.'

He'd looked startled. 'But I'll be at the front. There'd be nothing for you to do.'

25-7 Mar 24 (audiobook)
This book is reminiscent of Virginia Woolf‘s A Room Of One‘s Own and it probably suffered as a result.
Funder tries to discover Orwell‘s first wife, Eileen, hidden in Orwell‘s writing - his letters, articles and novels. Orwell is not likeable. And Eileen was without doubt a clever woman who influenced and enabled his work. I object, however, to some of the assumptions Funder makes and her positioning of herself in the text.

Bit of a deal right now...

#WomensPrizeNF

After reading this, I must admit that I‘m glad I‘ve never read any of Orwell‘s book. There‘s no pedestal to push him down from

He hardly mentions his wife in his correspondence and books, even when she‘s there helping him out. Which makes it easier for his previous biographers to not include her either. He‘s also a cheater and on at least two occasions he‘s trying to force himself on women. And still there‘s more red flags surrounding him.

#WeeklyForecast

I‘m currently reading three books; the poetry collection Physical which I hope to finish, Wifedom that I want to continue reading and Marklund‘s latest crime novel. The only thing with the Marklund is that is thought it was translated into Norwegian and it‘s the Swedish edition and I wasn‘t quite present for that.

I also want to read the latest crime novel from Bolt and start The Silent Death

I‘ll just leave that there

I actually really liked this, which surprised me as there had been some mixed reviews on Litsy, so I had considered waiting until the #womensprize shortlist came out before reading it.

I particularly liked where the author pointed out all of the omissions in Orwell‘s work, where he‘d left out Eileen to suit his own narrative.

I didn‘t like the author infrequently inserting her own life into the book - either go all in or not at all!

So instead of going home I pulled In around the corner at a second-hand bookshop, Sappho.
[…]
Sappho is the opposite of a mall: no one is trying to sell you anything. In fact, the tattooed woman at the till sighs ruefully when you buy one of their books, as if money couldn‘t, possibly, make up the loss. This place is entirely soul.

(Picture found online when searching Sappho bookstore, not sure it‘s the right one, but gave the right feeling)

This fascinating book is a look at the life of George Orwell‘s wife Eileen as well as a critique and full-throated denunciation of patriarchy. I was fully engrossed and engaged the entire time despite half expecting to bail early. Also, the audiobook is really well done. I‘m so glad the women‘s prize put this one on my radar, as I never would have read it otherwise and I would‘ve missed out!

2/16 Women's Prize long list Nonfiction

3.5⭐

While I found this readable, it was a bit long. Towards the end I started dreading picking it up as I spent a lot of time trying to piece out what was fact and what was Funders embellishments. I enjoyed her research and her criticism. The parts where she is able to walk us through their lives, but I wish her own scene setting work has been left out.

I recommend picking up the physical book if you are able, there are many photos throughout the text.

"How did she get here?"
"How did I get here?"

"I did find her [Eileen], but in scraps of facts, ripped up like a chew toy - a blue eye, the corner of a shoulder blade under a suit jacket.........Eileen was a whisp of a human but inhumanly strong; her nickname, for reasons no one remembers, was Pig."

I‘m all for recognising the contributions made by people (usually women) around “geniuses” & I‘m happy to acknowledge that many “geniuses” are flawed human beings, but I can‘t get on with this book. I‘m irritated by the author stating her interpretations as fact, by her acceptance of some sources at face value while criticising other biographers for it & also by the way she imposes herself into the narrative. I‘m just irritated by it generally.

Such a well researched and well written book. The minimization of women‘s lives not only by society in the 1930/40s but also subsequently by successive biographers is obvious and fury invoking.

“I am part proud and part heartbroken, which may be the defining emotional condition of parenting young adults.”

Currently reading and this quote hit home for me as the mother of a 14-year-old.

“We watch as those who were our children come to see the world — from which we have spent over a decade and a half vainly sheltering them — for what it is. Including, of course, us.”

A real love/hate relationship with this. The first half is a mish- mash of stuff I just couldn‘t get into. I disliked the fictional bits, didn‘t think they added anything.
I did like the modern commentary and analysis of patriarchy and the Orwell‘s marriage. I wanted to hug Eileen and offer her support.
I think Orwell did some genius writing, but falls short of any respect as a man. Sadly, not uncommon with great writers.

There are so many sentences and paragraphs in this book that i want to remember forever that I‘ve given up jotting them down, instead I‘m ordering a copy of the book for myself. This is a wonderful feminist tale about the life of George Orwell‘s ‘invisible‘ wife and her huge influence on his work and about the invisibility of women, the erasure of women from history and of the lives of wives in this very patriarchal world. #biography #feminist

Thank you for all your lovely wishes, cards and gifts, for those already received (and read!) too.
Litsy friends know you so well 😘

Excellent. A biography of George Orwell‘s wife Eileen that challenges our view of his treatment of her, the role of wives (or artists) in history and the form a biography can take. I love Funder‘s clean prose and her clarity of thought. She includes fictional vignettes that are imagined based on Eileen‘s letters & source documents. She explicitly brings it into the modern day with reflections on her own experience. Great for book clubs.

George Orwell the man, is a shit!
Eileen O‘Shaughnessy his wife has been erased from his history, as is so often the case.
I‘m filled with rage and sadness for her.
What a tremendous book. Anna Funder is a phenomenal writer! I also loved Stasiland and will search out everything else she has written.

Not a popular opinion, but I didn't care for this book. Seemed like a mish-mash of information to me🤷

Yes! What a unique book. An exploration of the life of Orwell‘s wife Eileen O‘Shaughnessy who was instrumental in his work, but all but erased from it. A fascinating feminist biography. Moving, affecting and gripping.
I feel like I need to start a movement,
“Eileen O‘Shaughnessy: know her name!”
🔥💪🙏

Just finished in the early hours of the morning. Wow. So much research , so much insight. I got to know Anna as well as Eileen and George Orwell. The best book I‘ve read this year.
Stasiland prompted a visit to Berlin. This has me thinking of so many things.
I highly recommend this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10/10.

Holy moly. One chapter in & I‘m hooked @Jeg #currentlyreading

There is so much in this book that " speaks" to me. I could be putting quotes on here every few minutes. This bit about double think shouts at me.

I am loving this book. I think I will be reading it all day.

Arrived today. Can‘t wait to read it.