To Orwell Today,
re: ORWELL BIOGRAPHIES

Jackie,

Can you tell me which is the best biography of Orwell to read, and why? I have read D.J. Taylor's biography and would like to read one or two others to get a range of perspectives.

Thanks,
Stephen Maule

Greetings Stephen,

If you are only going to read two biographies then I recommend either Michael Sheldon's Orwell, The Authorized Biography (1991) or Jeffrey Meyers' Orwell, Wintry Conscience of a Generation (2001) followed by Gordon Bowker's Inside George Orwell (2003).

Those biographies (Sheldon and/or Meyers and Bowker) will give enough of an understanding so that a person can get a deeper enjoyment out of reading Orwell's books knowing as they do what lay behind his writing.

All the best,
Jackie Jura

PS - After reading those couple of biographies you will still be able to enjoy the other ones should you decide to read them as well.