Showing Signs of Orwell Fatigue

The Unexamined Orwell is the seventh book John Rodden has authored, co-written, or edited on the subject of George Orwell (two more are in the offing), and its scattershot nature testifies to the dwindling returns of his ongoing obsession. In three sections, Rodden profiles five potential heirs to the tradition of disinterested, honorable men speaking truths plainly and loudly, examines Orwell’s impact and influence in East Germany before after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and rounds out his book with short, scattered hypothetical investigations into potential influences and what Orwell might have accomplished had he lived longer. Often tiresome, and failing, in spite of good intentions, to offer any kind of unified argument, The Unexamined Orwell nonetheless serves up insights that should draw the attention of the author’s admirers.