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This from my copy of Gordon Bowker’s biography of Eric:
Just before leaving for Morocco Orwell began a Domestic Diary, mostly nature notes following the tradition of Gilbert White and W.H.Hudson, which he kept up throughout his time in Africa and on his return to Wallington. They reveal his love of lists, of detail, of how things work and his encyclopaedic knowledge of flora and fauna. His old teacher Mr Sillar’s enthusiasm had produced a more-than-enthusiastic disciple.
Clearly it’s the one day at a time aspect of this “blog” that makes the egg business so :ahem: eggs-cruciating. If we were handed the journal wholely and were allowed to skim over this nonsense, I’m sure we would be duly impressed by this heretofore little known side of Orwell.
It just makes me wonder what the folks behind the Orwell Prize thought would be the general reader’s reaction to the numerous “posts” that would be nothing more than egg counts.
Returning to this diary after an absence of two weeks (it is summer holidays here in Oz) I am intrigues to catch up on the holiday news chez Orwell. Not exactly big into Christmas, I have to say – I was hoping he would have slit the throats of one of the chooks to roast for dinner with Eileen. But no, he is keeping them all on the nest. And why not?? They are obviously great layers, and he doesn’t want to limit that eggcount.
I hope fellow bloggers celebrated the 4-egg milestone with fireworks, and in Ed Webb’s case with a joyous haiku.
January 6, 2009 at 9:49 am
This from my copy of Gordon Bowker’s biography of Eric:
Just before leaving for Morocco Orwell began a Domestic Diary, mostly nature notes following the tradition of Gilbert White and W.H.Hudson, which he kept up throughout his time in Africa and on his return to Wallington. They reveal his love of lists, of detail, of how things work and his encyclopaedic knowledge of flora and fauna. His old teacher Mr Sillar’s enthusiasm had produced a more-than-enthusiastic disciple.
January 6, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Zamboge – thanks for that bit of context, interesting.
But it still doesn’t fully explain this egg business.
January 6, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Maybe we have the wrong journal. Like maybe there is a super interesting one that is on his night stand and this is the one he kept in his study.
January 6, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Live close to the earth,
And you will soon realise
Our fragility
January 6, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Clearly it’s the one day at a time aspect of this “blog” that makes the egg business so :ahem: eggs-cruciating. If we were handed the journal wholely and were allowed to skim over this nonsense, I’m sure we would be duly impressed by this heretofore little known side of Orwell.
It just makes me wonder what the folks behind the Orwell Prize thought would be the general reader’s reaction to the numerous “posts” that would be nothing more than egg counts.
January 6, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Thank you, Ed Webb, for the daily haiku.
January 6, 2009 at 10:53 pm
I don’t understand why people expect him to have been writing incredible things on a constant day-today basis.
I love all the eggs. Yes, it is a little frustrating… but surely it will make the gems found in the Orwell diaries all the more worthwhile.
January 7, 2009 at 5:59 am
Returning to this diary after an absence of two weeks (it is summer holidays here in Oz) I am intrigues to catch up on the holiday news chez Orwell. Not exactly big into Christmas, I have to say – I was hoping he would have slit the throats of one of the chooks to roast for dinner with Eileen. But no, he is keeping them all on the nest. And why not?? They are obviously great layers, and he doesn’t want to limit that eggcount.
I hope fellow bloggers celebrated the 4-egg milestone with fireworks, and in Ed Webb’s case with a joyous haiku.