Who Is Big Brother? A Reader’s Guide to George Orwell (Guest: D.J. Taylor)

Ill Literacy: Books with Benson

Heartland’s Tim Benson is joined by award-winning novelist, critic, and biographer D.J. Taylor to discuss his new book, Who Is Big Brother? A Reader’s Guide to George Orwell. They discuss Orwell’s books, life and thought, including his conflicted relationship with religion to his competing anti-imperialism and fascination with empire. They also discuss Taylor’s recently released, completely overhauled biography, Orwell: The New Life.

Get the books here: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300272987/who-is-big-brother/ & https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Orwell/D-J-Taylor/9781639364510

Show Notes:

The Critic: Andrew Doyle – “The making of a modern prophet”
https://thecritic.co.uk/The-making-of-a-modern-prophet/

First Things: John Wilson – “The Lure of Orwell”
https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2023/05/the-lure-of-orwell

The Guardian: Blake Morrison – “Orwell by DJ Taylor review – a very English socialist”
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jun/01/orwell-by-dj-taylor-review-a-very-english-socialist

Law & Liberty: Theodore Dalrymple – “Orwell's Arresting Ambiguities”
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/orwells-arresting-ambiguities/

Literary Review: David Dwan – “An Unsociable Socialist”
https://literaryreview.co.uk/an-unsociable-socialist

The Spectator: Camilla Cassidy – “Will we ever know the real George Orwell?”
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/will-we-ever-know-the-real-george-orwell/

The Times: John Carey – “Orwell: The New Life by DJ Taylor review — great writer, terrible husband”
https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/orwell-the-new-life-by-dj-taylor-review-great-writer-terrible-husband-0t8w7qrlx

Wall Street Journal: Dominic Green – “‘Orwell’ Review: A Fresh Biography of Truth’s Champion”
https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/orwell-review-champion-of-an-ordinary-truth-e439ecf9