burmese days end

[lukgem]

ive just finished burmese days and found it an excellent read,i am not happy with the end though.how dare he do that to flory and flo,its a very accomplished book and i became attached to flory and found him very human indeed.i thought he might get the happiness he so badly craved but ended up with a really bad taste in my mouth and as if ive had my mind violated.
anyone have any idea why the book ended in such a grim and dark place?
please help me.

[lukgem]

ive calmed down a bit now and understand its up to the author how he/she ends their work.personally if i could create something so beautiful i would find it very hard to highlight the very fine line between happiness and absolute tragedy and probobly stick with the former.as a member of the human race(provisional) i have forgiven orwell and proceeded to read the clergymans daughter.

[The Atheist]

Sorry, I hadn't seen your post.

Yes, it does have rather a bitter ending, but that's Orwell all over - he didn't really go for happy endings.

It definitely emphasises what he saw as the hopelessness of British rule in Asia.

You're right, too, Flory is a great character, easy to empathise with - even though he's reasonably unsavoury himself, he stands out amongst the bigotry and distasteful behaviour of all the others.

If you add in Orwell's habit of treating his characters to autobiographical traits, it's plain he didn't have a great opinion of himself for being part of it. Read his essay, Shooting an Elephant if you get the chance, plus another about a hanging, which name escapes me right now. Straight out of Kyauktada.

A Clergyman's Daughter is no picnic either, but it does again contain good autobiographical detail in Dorothy. Lemme guess, Coming up for Air after that?

:D

[burmesedays]

You know, I wondered that myself, until I read a couple of his other books, including down and out in paris and london. This made me realize that the reason why all of George Orwell's books end so dismally is that that is the only thing he knows to write about. Since his whole life up to a certain point was a collection of poverty and sadness, he ends his books all the same, as when he writes books, the main character is usually an allegory for himself.

[Logos]

.... A Clergyman's Daughter is no picnic either, but it does again contain good autobiographical detail in Dorothy. .... I've just started reading this, (yellowing paper-back dog-eared find from used bookstore, Penguin 1964) love the blurb on the back:

"George Orwell's first novel, describing the shabby genteel world that repelled him". :p

--

[The Atheist]

Since his whole life up to a certain point was a collection of poverty and sadness, he ends his books all the same, as when he writes books, the main character is usually an allegory for himself.

For certain.

Yet, the strange thing is, he didn't need to be that way. If you get the chance, read Keep the Aspidistra Flying. It gives an insight into the perversity of Orwell's nature - he'd rather sleep on the streets than sully himself with the life of an "ordinary man".

I really suspect that he'd harboured a mental disorder. Just as well he lived when he did - now, we'd bung him full of bennies and he'd never write a word!


I've just started reading this, (yellowing paper-back dog-eared find from used bookstore, Penguin 1964) love the blurb on the back:

"George Orwell's first novel, describing the shabby genteel world that repelled him". :p

--

There are a few redeeming characters in that one; notably Mr Warburton and Nobby. It's also one of the few of Orwell's works which is capable of raising a laugh.

Hope you enjoy it!

[burmesedays]

While on the subject of Burmese Days, I think it is great how he seemed to lay off the politics in this book, (even though there were subtle themes about english imperialism throughout the book) and commented on more simpler topics such as love and hate. I think that sometimes Orwell is a little too intellectual in parts of his books.

[lukgem]

hello everyone,thanks to the athiest,burmese days and logos.i will read the essays athiest has reccommended,many thanks.i have now finished the complete novels of orwell and feel i have benefited greatly from reading his words.
would any contributors like to use this thread to talk about the politics, characters,language,and humanity of orwells work?
i look forward over the coming weeks to expanding discussions with your esteemed selves,many thanks.

[The Atheist]

would any contributors like to use this thread to talk about the politics, characters,language,and humanity of orwells work?

Have a look at some of the threads already here, including the sticky ones.

We love talking Orwell!

[wat??]

While on the subject of Burmese Days, I think it is great how he seemed to lay off the politics in this book, (even though there were subtle themes about english imperialism throughout the book) and commented on more simpler topics such as love and hate. I think that sometimes Orwell is a little too intellectual in parts of his books.

Burmese Days is very political.

[kev67]

The ending was very bleak. I read it over ten years ago. I thought when I read it, Orwell had been influenced by writers like Joseph Conrad, whose every book ends bleakly. I do not usually like miserable endings, but I did not think a happy ending would have been realistic for this book.