The making of a modern prophet

Andrew Doyle is a writer and comedian

Andrew Doyle

IF THE GHOST OF GEORGE ORWELL is haunting anyone, it’s likely to be D.J. Taylor. In his will, Orwell insisted that no biography should be written after his death. His widow, Sonia Brownell, spent the next few decades fending off would-be biographers, and even enlisted Malcolm Muggeridge as a decoy who pretended to be busy at work on the project. Yet having produced the acclaimed biography Orwell: The Life in 2003, D.J. Taylor has now written a second. Even if he has flagrantly defied the great author’s wishes, we should all be grateful for his labours. Taylor is not only a compelling writer, but is also able to distil the essence of a notoriously elusive man. We can never really know Orwell, but Taylor’s work brings us closer to the truth…

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The Critic (Digital) - 1 Issue, June 2023

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