Wifedom: Mrs. Orwell's Invisible Life by Anna FunderMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
After reading first few chapters of this book I was quite impressed with author's care for details and diligence.
I was also impressed by Anna's Funder talent to present wifedom as magical ability to knit a fabric of satisfactory family life.
With some difficulty I could swallow her accusations of patriarchal system for unequal treatment of men and women.
And here comes a marital life of George Orwell and Eileen O'Shaughnessy.
Very unsatisfactory life for Eileen.
And at that point I lost most of my interest for this book.
I acknowledge, it is my fault, simply I am not interested in stories which lead to nowhere and that is exactly how I receive this book.
I am additionally disappointed that so much effort of such smart author has been invested...
Update -
June 2025 - 1.5 years later I read this book again, this time more diligently.
Again, I found it quite frustrating but this time I will be more specific.
First question?
Why Eileen O'Shaughnessy married Eric Blair?
Just w rhetoric question, no answer needed.
Why she stayed in this marriage when she realised that Eric was not faithful to her?
Probably she was still in love because there were no obstacles which could limit her decision.
I feel very sorry for her but this is irrelevant.
June 2025 - 1.5 years later I read this book again, this time more diligently.
Again, I found it quite frustrating but this time I will be more specific.
First question?
Why Eileen O'Shaughnessy married Eric Blair?
Just w rhetoric question, no answer needed.
Why she stayed in this marriage when she realised that Eric was not faithful to her?
Probably she was still in love because there were no obstacles which could limit her decision.
I feel very sorry for her but this is irrelevant.
Few secondary remarks...
Spanish War - the outcome was Homage to Catalonia - I consider it as a very poor book, as poor as was Orwells experience in Spanish war trenches.
There is a significant point - Soviet Communists taking some control over the revolution. Unfortunately it is presented in a very messy way and I had no patience to concentrate on all the details.
Strangely enough Anna Funder put quite significant effort reporting these events but she did not clarify anything.
Spanish War - the outcome was Homage to Catalonia - I consider it as a very poor book, as poor as was Orwells experience in Spanish war trenches.
There is a significant point - Soviet Communists taking some control over the revolution. Unfortunately it is presented in a very messy way and I had no patience to concentrate on all the details.
Strangely enough Anna Funder put quite significant effort reporting these events but she did not clarify anything.
Biographies of G. Orwell...
A. Funder is furious about obvious omissions in some 7 biographies of G. Orwell - Eileen is barely mentioned there.
I agree - it is not right.
My explanation - G. Orwell was nobody until he published Animal Farm and1984. Both books were published after Eileen death so her presence in Orwell's life was already bit remote.
A. Funder is furious about obvious omissions in some 7 biographies of G. Orwell - Eileen is barely mentioned there.
I agree - it is not right.
My explanation - G. Orwell was nobody until he published Animal Farm and1984. Both books were published after Eileen death so her presence in Orwell's life was already bit remote.
One important point raised in the book - A. Funder suggested that Animal Farm shows a strong influence of Eileen's O'Shaughnessy style of narration and thinking.
I fully agree.
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