Book, Line and Thinker

“You hear, on the slight breeze, the tunt tunt, tunt tunt  before you see the boat . ”   'Cove' is about a man, on a kayak, who is struck by lightning. Throughout the book, Jones doesn't waste a single word. It's a masterclass in language, and demonstrates the beauty of efficient prose. Many writers are addicted to complication. Some people think that a complex sentence is the pinnacle of language, and fasten clauses together into fleshy masses of polysyllabic words. As readers, we're encouraged to marvel at ornamental prose. 'Simple' is seen as a pejorative term. However, 'Cove' offers an alternative. Jones has a distinctive voice. He always uses sparse and desolate language, and never uses five words when a single one will do. To begin with, this style feels shallow, as though something is missing. But that feeling goes away. The further you get into the book, the more enthralled you feel by its mounting depths. As though wading into t...

“M r. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes. ”   This fabled fable has already been subject to countless reviews. But it can't hurt to write another one, can it? This allegorical novella was first published in 1945, and describes a group of animals which take over a farm in the name of Animalism. However, things soon take a turn for the worse. Napoleon, one of the pigs, assumes a dictatorship over the other animals. The entire story is an allegory of the Russian Revolution, and Napoleon himself plays the part of Joseph Stalin. Obviously, there's a lot to say about the historical context of this book. Orwell was very clear in his intentions, and openly explained that Animal Farm was a commentary about Soviet Russia. He left no room for doubt on this matter. In fact, he initially found it difficult to publish the book, because some people feared that it would damage the diplomatic relation...