Rebecca Solnit
Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit is proof—although proof is hardly necessary—that Solnit is a great thinker whose prose is articulate, insightful, and thought-provoking. In this book, she takes as her starting point an invitation to view the roses George Orwell planted in the Hertfordshire garden of his rented cottage in Wallington. Solnit explores George Orwell’s life, politics, writing, and passion for gardening and for all things of the earth. Solnit begins most of the seven sections in the book with variations of the words, “In the spring of 1936, a writer planted roses.” From these very simple words, she introduces us to the brilliant mind of George Orwell.
Solnit Traces Orwell’s career, includes biographical details of his life and political convictions, cites copiously from his essays and novels, and probes his ideas. She explains why Orwell changed his name from Eric Blair to George Orwell. She explores the impact his slave-owning ancestors in Jamaica had on his political views. She argues convincingly that his passion for social justice was intertwined with his passion for gardening, for connecting with nature, and for the ordinary and mundane that endowed his life with meaning. She highlights Orwell’s discerning eye for detail and for list-making. She commends him for having the courage of his convictions and for putting his life on the line for his political beliefs. Through his writing Orwell, exposed the brutal working conditions of coal miners by experiencing first-hand what work in a coal mine was like. He joined the fight against fascism in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. He argued vociferously about the crucial role language plays in determining the nature of society—whether it is totalitarian or one premised on liberty and individual freedoms.
Orwell’s words and thoughts are catalysts for Solnit’s own journey. She explores the symbolism of roses. She takes the reader to Colombia to expose the horrendous working conditions of those employed in the assembly line production of roses. She looks into the origins of the political slogan “Bread and Roses” and analyzes its symbolism. She draws connections with Tina Modotti’s roses and Stalin’s lemons. She echoes Orwell’s concern for the distance between a product—whether it is coal or roses—and the back-breaking labor it took to produce it. Like Orwell, she sings the praises of art as an act of resistance and as a means of replenishing the soul. And she concludes with a discussion of Orwell’s 1984.
Solnit’s elegant meanderings and far-reaching connections cover a wide range of topics. At its core, this is a collection of interlinked essays, political in nature, about the struggle for justice and freedom; the goals of totalitarian governments and the means by which they achieve them; the exploitation of labor; human suffering; and the devastations caused by climate change. It is also about the beauty and joy to be found in nature, in art, and in the mundane activities of everyday life. And, finally, it is a celebration of the sensitive, grounded, socially conscious, progressive, and brilliant mind of George Orwell.
Very highly recommended for the revelations about George Orwell and for the lucidity of Solnit’s insights and the elegance of her prose.