Terrifying Tales

Whenever anyone asks me to namecheck my favourite British author, it’s always a difficult question. Not because I don’t know the answer – that part is easy – but because I always feel the need to justify it.

Iain Banks, Ian Rankin and Irvine Welsh all rank up there for me but it’s George Orwell who really stands out. The reason behind justifying it? Well, the aforementioned writers have all scribed much better books. And from Orwell’s short selection of novels and non-fictional works, not one of them rates in my top three. But there’s something about him which I love.

Try these:

Homage to Catalonia – A fascinating tale of Orwell’s own personal experiences during his time serving in the Spanish Civil War.

1984 – The work for which Orwell is perhaps most famous. 1984 gives a glimpse into a terrifying world of Big Brother and a totalitarian regime which isn’t that far removed from life today.

Animal Farm – Set out more like a kid’s book, this short novel paves the way for 1984 and echoes the events preluding 1917’s Russian Revolution. The cartoon adaptation is also worth checking out.