… Why I’ve Had Enough of George Orwell - The American Interest. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
I think the corruption of discourse he wrote of is still with us. I did not know of his anti-semitism, but that would make him fit right in with many of today's anti-Israel types.
I'm working my way through Orwell's less-read books now (and plan to write blog posts about them), and while I think it's true that American conservatives and liberals have made a highly selective Orwell in their own image, I keep encountering a writer who's obsessed with being truthful about what he sees while taking great pains to point out, repeatedly, that there are things he can't see and can't know. He admits that he may not be right, but he strives to be honest. That's not a bad role model for American and British writers.
ReplyDeleteI've not yet come across his personal observations about Jews, but when I do, I plan to face them honestly, as a reader of Orwell should. My opinion of him as a person may be lessened, but I don't need to make an idol of him to appreciate his desire for clarity and honesty. Many writers don't even try.
That seems a fair and honest approach. Keep us informed.
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