Barnhill: A Novel

by Norman Bissell

George Orwell left post-war London for Barnhill, a remote farmhouse on the Isle of Jura, to write what became Nineteen Eighty-Four. He was driven by a passionate desire to undermine the enemies of democracy and make plain the dangers of dictatorship, surveillance, doublethink and censorship.

Typing away in his damp bedroom overlooking the garden he curated and the sea beyond, he invented Big Brother, Thought Police, Newspeak and Room 101 - and created a masterpiece.

Barnhill tells the dramatic story of this crucial period of Orwell's life. Deeply researched, it reveals the private man behind the celebrated public figure - his turbulent love life, his devotion to his baby son and his declining health as he struggled to deliver his dystopian warning to the world.

• ISBN13: 9781913025519
• Publish Date: 16 October 2020 (first published 4 June 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Luath Press Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Are you more than a little bit obsessed with George Orwell's 1984? Well then, you're going to enjoy reading Barnhill: A Novel.

Norman Bissell's novel takes place at Barnhill – the location that George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair) famously tucked himself away in – and the birthplace of 1984. Essentially, Barnhill is a dramatization of George Orwell's time there and the creation of a novel that will always resonate with its readers.

Like me, you might be wondering where Barnhill is actually located. Barnhill is on the Isle of Jura, Scotland. If you look up the photos, it looks appropriately isolated but also oddly striking and comforting. I can see why an author would seek peace and solitude here.

Maybe it's because I don't read too many historical fiction novels (at least not without a fantasy twist – what can I say, I have a preference), but I'm struggling to find words to describe this novel.

It's informative and interesting, much like a biography or autobiography. I'd recommend it for fans of the author, though perhaps those that already know every detail of his life would be annoyed by this portrayal. I'm not sure.

Overall, I enjoyed Barnhill and what I was able to glean from its telling. Though it does make me want to reread 1984, something I've been craving anyway.

Thanks to Luath Press and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks