keep the aspidistra flying by george orwell

Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave it a grade A−. Enlivened with vivid autobiographical detail, George Orwell's Keep the Aspidistra Flying is a tragically witty account of the struggle to escape from a materialistic existence, with an introduction by Peter Davison in Penguin Modern Classics.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it 3 out of 4 and wrote: 'For me it works not only as a reasonable adaptation of an Orwell novel I like, but also as a form of escapism, since if the truth be known I would be happy as a clerk in a London used-book store. Elley praised the casting but was critical of the uncinematic direction. ĭerek Elley of Variety magazine, called it a terrific adaptation, and a 'constant, often very funny delight to the ears'. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 83% based on reviews from 23 critics. The title Keep the Aspidistra Flying is a pun on the socialist anthem ' Keep the Red Flag Flying' but with the aspidistra houseplant instead representing middle-class English respectability. Partly autobiographical, it sits alongside Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four as a reminder of Orwell’s lucid narrative style and his abilities as a politically and socially engaged writer. His girlfriend and co-worker, Rosemary (Bonham Carter), fears he may never settle down with her when he suddenly disavows his money-based lifestyle and quits his job for the artistic satisfaction of writing poetry. First published in 1936, Keep the Aspidistra Flying is the author’s third novel, and one of his most outspoken works of social criticism. Gordon Comstock (Grant) is a successful copywriter at a flourishing advertising firm in 1930s London. The screenplay was written by Alan Plater and was produced by Peter Shaw. Keep the Aspidistra Flying (released in the United States, New Zealand, South Africa and Zimbabwe as A Merry War) is a 1997 British romantic comedy film directed by Robert Bierman and based on the 1936 novel by George Orwell.

Keep the aspidistra flying by george orwell