George Orwell: The Politics of Literary Reputation

Abstract

The current stature of George Orwell, commonly recognized as the foremost political journalist and essayist of the 20th century, provides a notable instance of a writer whose legacy has been claimed from a host of contending political interests. The clarity and force of his style, the rectitude of his political judgement and his personal integrity have made him, as he famously noted of Dickens, a writer well worth stealing. Thus, the intellectual battles over Orwell's posthumous career point up ambiguities in Orwell's own work as they do in the motives of his would-be heirs. This study examines how Orwell's legacy as a writer developed and the importance of his work both during and after his lifetime. John Rodden seeks to bring Orwell's work into proper focus while providing insight into the phenomenon of literary fame.

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