Episode 101: D.J. Taylor - Why Orwell Matters

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D.J. Taylor is a novelist, a literary critic, and the author of two biographies of George Orwell: Orwell: The Life, and Orwell: The New Life. During our conversation, D.J. talks about Orwell's life, why Orwell's books, particularly his two on totalitarianism, Animal Farm and 1984, have endured so many years after his death, and the relevance of his ideas and insights to modern times.

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00:00 Intro

00:34 Who was George Orwell?

02:48 Why is Orwell so intriguing to D.J. Taylor?

04:46 Orwell's relevance over the past 20 years

08:06 How did Orwell capture totalitarianism so clearly?

13:15 The totalitarian impulse in Orwell

17:51 Orwell's commitment to his beliefs

21:44 A power of facing unpleasant facts

26:32 The void filled by the decline of religion

30:00 What was Orwell for?

34:43 Orwell's final years on Jura

38:33 Criticisms of Orwell

45:04 How would Orwell view modern times?

51:52 Euphemism and Newspeak today

54:28 Famous quotes from Orwell

55:30 Why does Orwell endure?