Wifedom

Mrs. Orwell's Invisible Life

By: Anna Funder

Narrated by: Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood, Jane Slavin

This is the story of the marriage behind some of the most famous literary works of the 20th century —and a probing consideration of what it means to be a wife and a writer in the modern world

"Simply, a masterpiece...Funder not only re-makes the art of biography, she resurrects a woman in full." —Geraldine Brooks, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, author of Horse

At the end of summer 2017, Anna Funder found herself at a moment of peak overload. Family obligations and household responsibilities were crushing her soul and taking her away from her writing deadlines. She needed help, and George Orwell came to her rescue.

"I’ve always loved Orwell," Funder writes, "his self-deprecating humour, his laser vision about how power works, and who it works on." So after rereading and savoring books Orwell had written, she devoured six major biographies tracing his life and work. But then she read about his forgotten wife, and it was a revelation.

Eileen O’Shaughnessy married Orwell in 1936. O’Shaughnessy was a writer herself, and her literary brilliance not only shaped Orwell’s work, but her practical common sense saved his life. But why and how, Funder wondered, was she written out of their story? Using newly discovered letters from Eileen to her best friend, Funder re-creates the Orwells’ marriage, through the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War in London. As she peeks behind the curtain of Orwell’s private life she is led to question what it takes to be a writer—and what it is to be a wife.

A breathtakingly intimate view of one of the most important literary marriages of the twentieth century, Wifedom speaks to our present moment as much as it illuminates the past. Genre-bending and utterly original, it is an ode to the unsung work of women everywhere.

*Includes a downloadable PDF of photographs and notes from the book

Sad but undoubtedly accurate

This deserves more stars but I hope not to listen to it again. I'm not a huge fan of his work but have read Animal Farm and 1984 each a couple of times, and marveled at the allegory and prescience. The Road to Wigan Pier has been on my wait list for a while but now I don't think I'll read that one either. Maybe.

a different perspective

As a writer working on a book of historical fiction about a marriage, I found the construction and insights novel. Well done. The voices in the narration also helped breathe life into the story.

Hearing rather than reading brought it to life

Very original and interesting, loved author’s personal story as well. Very thought provoking. Have chosen for my book club.

Wonderful book. Sounded like theatre

I loved this book from the first minutes. Gripping story and read so well. I felt as if I were watching a play

Intriguingly compelling!

Yes, I recognize that the author’s stated prejudice that a male conspiracy to protect Orwell’s work and reputation have worked to minimize any contribution of his first wife, Eileen, even to the point of her disappearance from the written record. And those are serious charges, but Funder does a great job of supporting her thesis with Eileen’s letters and whereabouts (Spain, for instance) during important episodes of his life. Orwell comes off as a pretty disagreeable husband and partner, but somehow Eileen managed to hang onto her marriage through the toughest thick/thin times.

I especially appreciated Funder’s connection of patriarchy, colonial imperialism, and racism as forces that attempt to impose control over those women, countries, and races with less power than their oppressors.