Review – Orwell
Written by Pierre Christin
Illustrated by Sébastien Verdier
Published by SelfMadeHero
Released in May, 2021
SUMMARY
ORWELL: The Graphic Novel, is written by Pierre Christin with illustrations by Sébastien Verdier and follows the life of the prophetic author and deity of dystopia, George Orwell.
Born into a self proclaimed lower-upper-middle class, Eric Blair travels the world in search of humanity and its societal secrets. Along the way he finds himself; his true self that we know now as one of the most influential writers, George Orwell. This is the real-life story of how the world changed a man, and how that man changed the world.
ART
The minimalistic use of colour by Verdier is ironically Orwellian by design; making what colour there is stand out amongst the overall black and white. Only utilized when significant or interesting items are in show, like seeing a wonderful world of culture in a bleak existence through Orwell’s eyes.
In contrast to but within the same vein, colour floods the pages when artists illustrate the fictional worlds in which Orwell created. The imagining mind needs colour.
Furthermore, the graphic novel has a variety of art styles from a variety of different artists which can be dissonant and confusing at first. As one progresses however, you’ll be overjoyed to find a Monet-like pastel buried between the monotony.
WRITING
From what I gather, Orwell would take a boring and bleak existence and imagine it to be more exciting or interesting, simply through the use of visceral characterisation as opposed to any fantastical or otherworldly ideas. A coping mechanism for the times surely, that coincidentally proved in the end to be groundbreaking in its real-world sociology.
With both Christin’s summation of the life of Orwell and the typewritten word of Orwell himself, we are presented with a seamless and simultaneous third and first person narrative. Moreover, the details while not wholly accurate in some cases, are a testament to how dedicated Christin is to recreating the life of Orwell.
Orwell’s style of writing is a reminder that even through all his bleak storytelling and dystopian nightmares, he is a man of revolutionary change and beauty.
OVERALL
In conclusion, ORWELL is a fantastic and big brotherly look into the life of a child once known as Eric Blair, becoming the man that will be fondly remembered, George Orwell. I’m familiar enough with the more notable of his works such as Animal Farm & 1984, in most cases I was shockingly more attuned to them than the real-world politics laid out here in black and white that inspired them.
Despite the small liberties taken to maintain cohesive storytelling, this is a truly inspired memoir dedicated to the Orwellian life of George Orwell.
Leave a comment or rating if you agree with our Review of Orwell.
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