Keep the Aspidistra Flying

"One cannot help but be struck by the degree to which he (George Orwell) became, in Henry James's words, one of those upon whom nothing was lost. By declining to lie, even as far as possible to himself, and by his determination to seek elusive but verifiable truth, he showed how much can be accomplished by an individual who unites the qualities of intellectual honesty and moral courage." -- Christopher Hitchens
Keep the Aspidistra Flying, though it is one of Orwell's least known novels, explores his usual themes--the various forms of oppression of the individual by society. Here the comfortable middle class life is symbolised by the aspidistra, and is governed by the "Money God". Gordon struggles to break free of the Money God, but will he eventually keep the aspidistra flying?
George Orwell (born Eric Blair, 1903, Motihari, Bengal, died Jan 1950, London) was a leading British writer of the twentieth century. He studied at Wellington College and Eton (1917-1921) where he was a King's Scholar. After Eton, he followed family tradition and joined the Indian Imperial Police in Burma, until 1927 when, disgusted by imperialism, he resigned to pursue his boyhood dream of being a writer.
He published an autobiographical book Down and Out in London and Paris, with Victor Gollancz Ltd. under his pen name of George Orwell. This established his literary career. Orwell was a prolific journalist, essayist, novelist and nonfiction writer. He is remembered for his prescient writing and his unwavering commitment to truth and clarity of expression. His last two novels--Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four--have placed him at the pinnacle of British literature.

George Orwell (1903-1950)
Popularly known by his pen name 'George Orwell', Eric Arthur Blair was an English writer, critic, journalist, and essayist. Orwell's writings have been lauded for insightful commentary on issues concerning totalitarian forms of oppression, and for advocating democratic socialism and social justice. He was especially against the atrocities committed by the Soviet Communist Party and the dictatorial reign of Joseph Stalin.
As a journalist, Orwell invested himself in observing the everyday realities around him. As a result, his non-fictional texts, such as Down and Out in Paris and London, deeply engage with the social injustices that he witnessed around him. It was while serving in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) that Orwell witnessed violence and atrocities being committed by fascist regimes - an experience that made a deep impact on him. His fictional works, especially Animal Farm and 1984, are allegories set in a dystopian world governed by highly oppressive forces, where power is arbitrary and unchecked, and people's thoughts, emotions, and ideas are subject to state surveillance.
Orwell's works continue to resonate with the readers of the 21st Century in critiquing fascist forces around the world.