A Kind of Compulsion, 1903-1936

Front Cover
Secker & Warburg, 1998 - 600 pages
This volume begins with Orwell's letters home from St. Cyprian's Preparatory School from the age of eight. Orwell illustrated many of these letters and the edition reproduces his simple but charming drawings. Whilst at Eton he contributed to several college publications and these, with several of his early stories, are printed here. It was also a time when he wrote poetry and all the poems of these years are included. Whilst in Burma he wrote sketches and draft that were lead to Burmese Days; all are now published here. Reprinted for the first time since their publication in Paris in 1928 - 1929, and now with English translations, are the articles he wrote to expose the sufferings of the unemployed, tramps and beggars, the imperialist exploitation of other people, a literary essay and an essay on censorship, all of which would be centres of concern for Orwell throughout his life. In 1930 Orwell had published the first of his 379 reviews of some 700 books, plays and films. In 1931 'A Hanging', the first of his most important essays, was published. The volume includes the text of his school play, King Charles II, which features (as Charles 1) in A Clergyman's Daughter.

From inside the book

Contents

General Introduction
xvii
29
xix
Introduction
xxix
Copyright

226 other sections not shown

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About the author (1998)

George Orwell was born Eric Arthur Blair on June 25, 1903 in Motihari in Bengal, India and later studied at Eton College for four years. He was an assistant superintendent with the Indian Imperial Police in Burma. He left that position after five years and moved to Paris, where he wrote his first two books: Burmese Days and Down and Out in Paris and London. He then moved to Spain to write but decided to join the United Workers Marxist Party Militia. After being decidedly opposed to communism, he served in the British Home Guard and with the Indian Service of the BBC during World War II. After the war, he wrote for the Observer and was literary editor for the Tribune. His best known works are Animal Farm and 1984. His other works include A Clergyman's Daughter, Keep the Aspidistra Flying, The Road to Wigan Pier, Homage to Catalonia, and Coming Up for Air. He died on January 21, 1950 at the age of 46.

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