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Wifedom

Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life

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Wifedom

By: Anna Funder
Narrated by: Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood, Jane Slavin
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A blazing, genre-bending masterpiece from one of the most inventive writers of our time

Looking for wonder and some reprieve from the everyday, Anna Funder slips into the pages of her hero George Orwell. As she watches him create his writing self, she tries to remember her own...

When she uncovers his forgotten wife, it's a revelation. Eileen O'Shaughnessy's literary brilliance shaped Orwell's work and her practical nous saved his life. But why—and how—was she written out of the story?

Using newly discovered letters from Eileen to her best friend, Funder recreates the Orwells' marriage, through the Spanish Civil War and WW II in London. As she rolls up the screen concealing Orwell's private life she is led to question what it takes to be a writer—and what it is to be a wife.

Compelling and utterly original, Wifedom speaks to the unsung work of women everywhere today, while offering a breathtakingly intimate view of one of the most important literary marriages of the 20th century. It is a book that speaks to our present moment as much as it illuminates the past.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Anna Funder (P)2023 Penguin Audio Art & Literature Authors Europe Gender Studies Great Britain Social Sciences Women Marriage Thought-Provoking War

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Critic reviews

"Funder skilfully deploys fictional techniques to make the material jump off the page: crafted scenes with their own story-arcs, naturalistic dialogue, fully-realised characters with their own plotlines." Independent on Sunday)

"Meticulous and compassionate." (London Review of Books)

"Rigorously researched, tenderly told." (Independent)
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I thoroughly enjoyed following Aileens story. Without having any prior knowledge of her life, I was so shaken by her experience, it’s a book that will live with me for some time.

Absolutely enthralling.

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I enjoyed this book so much. A fascinating insight into to interesting lives of the Orwell’s. Really well narrated and I would highly recommend.

Fascinating

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The only thing I disliked about this book was the funny voices and attempted accents throughout certain sections of the book. This was amateurish and took me a while to get over. Otherwise an excellent take on the role of women as wives and a reminder that the comfortable patriarchy which surrounds us and glues us into our roles has yet to be fully challenged. Also a revelation about how many of Georgio‘s ideas found a source with his wife.

Fantastically interesting take on the life of the wife of George Orwell

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But I must admit it has changed my perception both of Orwell and, despite there being a plethora of feminist literature about, also the role of the ‘wife ‘.

Wonderful book

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How did I not know that this celebrated author was such a misogynist and alleged rapist arsehole. His wife Eileen deserved a sainthood for putting up with him let alone that she was the genius and he was nothing. He deserves nothing. All hail the brilliance that was Eileen who typed and edited his works. Who financially supported him all the while he was cheating on her left right and centre under the guise of an open relationship which she did not agree to. She should have left the monster.

What an absolute sod

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Heartrending and challenging, Wifedom asks some crucial questions about a partner’s role in an artist’s life.

Recovered from erasure

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I'd read negative reviews of Wifedom and being a lover of George Orwell's work, felt compelled to read/listen to this book. The excellent narration aside, I'm very happy I did. The old adage 'behind every great man ...' is brought to life in Wifedom. I was listening to Homage to Catalonia in tandem, at one point, which made it even more poignant. The accusation in reviews that you can't compare a marriage of nigh on 80 years ago, to contemporary ones, might be true, but you can always compare the inherent humanity of any individual, throughout the ages. Well researched and great book. Highly recommended.

Excellent Audio

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Very good, I enjoyed it and have been thinking about it and it’s staying with me.

Very good

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An excellent listen. The narration is very good apart from a couple of poorly-done Scottish accents when Orwell is on Jura.
This is compelling and insightful. Using only a relatively small amount of Eileen’s own correspondence, and some very sharp observations of Orwell’s writings and that of his biographers, the author teases out the driving forces behind Orwell’s marriage and other relationships. Don’t expect to come out of this unmoved or, indeed, feeling much fondness for Orwell as an individual. Great book.

Powerful and moving

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It’s a great journey learning about the authors as people and lives behind their books.

Beautiful listen

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