George Orwell is in the news again! (with Evelyn Waugh)

George Orwell

Some people just can’t keep out of the news.  I recently wrote in this blog about George Orwell’s new blog, which is on the blatherblog blogroll — that’s a tongue twister! 

Now Orwell is the subject of a new book along with Evelyn Waugh.  The book, The Same Man: George Orwell and Evelyn Waugh in Love and War, is by David Lebedoff.  The book sounds like a fascinating history of their times as well as a discussion of the work and lives of these two literary giants. They both had widely different views on a number of issues, such as religion, the Spanish Civil War and economics.

Here’s are two New York Times book reviews.  The book must be worth reading, since it merits TWO reviews in the Times.  Here’s Michiko Kakutani’s review: Literary Soul Mates or Authors Who Were Polar Opposites?  Here’s what Jim Holt had to say about the book: Two of a Kind

If this isn’t enough about George Orwell, you can go to my blog post Newspeak   Cathy

Evelyn Waugh

October 2008 Books — The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Literary Society, The Little Book

“The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.  Go to www.randomhouse.com to find information about the book, including a video of Annie Barrows talking about the book and her co-author, her aunt, who recently died.

“The Little Book” by Selden Edwards.

George Orwell is a Blogger!

George Orwell.

George Orwell’s diaries are now available in blog form.  A prolific writer, Orwell wrote about everything, including everyday life, writing, and, of course, politics.  The blog posts mirror his diary entries from seventy years ago.  On Sept. 7, his political entries from 1938 begin on the blog.  We all know what terrible events were happening in Europe at that time.

The blog address is www.orwelldiaries.wordpress.com  The blog is sponsored by the Orwell Prize for writing, in association with the Orwell Trust, Political Quarterly and Media Standard Trust in Great Britain.  An article in the New York Times about this blog inspired me to write about Orwell on my own blog.  Here’s the link to my Orwell Article, which will lead you to more links, including the New York Times link……….Cathy

Our Avatar

This is our “avatar,” which will appear whenever we make a comment.  I was tempted to use Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” which is how we feel whenever we pay $25 for a book (less at Costco and amazon.com, and free at the library, if it’s available, always my favorite option) and discover it’s terrible and can’t even pass it along as a good read if we want to live with ourselves.  We’re devoted to reading, though, good or bad.  A feverish reader rapidly turning the pages to find out what happens, up all night in her closet so she doesn’t wake the family would have been a better avatar, but I couldn’t find one.  Cathy

The House on Fortune Street

 

Here are links to two reviews of “The House on Fortune Street.”  The first is by a woman, the second by a man.  They are interestingly different in how they describe the characters and the story. Cathy

Romance Languages

Home as a Power Base and Balm to an Arid Heart

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle (September 2008 book)

This is the September book.  Here’s a link to a New York Times book review about “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” Talking to Dogs, Without a Word

Welcome to our Book Club Blog! (August 2008 Books)

                                                                                                                                                                                We can post book reviews, book club dates, books, whatever we want on this site. 

The books for August are “The House on Fortune Street” by  Margot Livesey and “The Double Bind” by Chris Bohjalian.  UPDATE:  We’d recommend both books.

Click on the “comment” at the bottom of this post to get the review of “The Double Bind” that Chris found.  

Cathy