Description
Coming Up for Air – George Orwell
Discover Coming Up for Air by George Orwell, a reflective and sharply observed classic exploring nostalgia, social change and the growing fear of war.
George Bowling is a middle-aged insurance salesman trapped in an ordinary suburban life. Troubled by the sense that another war is approaching, he begins to remember the seemingly peaceful world of his childhood.
Hoping to escape the pressures of modern life, George secretly returns to Lower Binfield, the small English town where he grew up. However, the town he remembers has been transformed by development, industry and changing social values, forcing him to confront the impossibility of returning to the past.
First published in 1939, the novel captures the anxiety of pre-war Britain while examining memory, progress, disappointment and the loss of an idealised childhood. It combines Orwell’s social insight with humour, irony and a deeply personal sense of unease.
This English paperback edition is ideal for readers of George Orwell, classic literature, literary fiction and novels about social change and the conflict between memory and reality.
Why You’ll Love It
- A thoughtful and underrated novel by George Orwell
- A powerful exploration of nostalgia, memory and social change
- Captures the atmosphere and anxiety of Britain before the Second World War
- Combines literary fiction, social commentary and Orwell’s characteristic humour