50 pages 1 hour read

Coming Up for Air

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1939

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Book Brief

George Orwell

Coming Up for Air

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1939
Book Details
Pages

288

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

England • 1930s

Publication Year

1939

Publisher

Mariner Books Classics

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Lexile Level

1060L

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Super Short Summary

Coming Up for Air by George Orwell is an interwar novel following George Bowling, a middle-aged insurance salesman in the late 1930s, who copes with anxieties about the impending war while reminiscing about his childhood in Lower Binfield. The novel explores themes like trauma, surveillance, totalitarianism, and nostalgia, culminating in Bowling’s realization that his cherished past has irrevocably changed.

Contemplative

Nostalgic

Melancholic

Bittersweet

Serene

Reviews & Readership

3.9

20,672 ratings

65%

Loved it

28%

Mixed feelings

7%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Coming Up for Air by George Orwell is praised for its keen insight into English middle-class life pre-WWII, blending nostalgia with a growing sense of darkness. Critics appreciate Orwell's vivid prose and compelling protagonist, though some find it lacks the intensity of his later works. Overall, it's a poignant reflection on change and disillusionment.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Coming Up for Air?

Readers who enjoy George Orwell's Coming Up for Air often appreciate introspective narratives exploring nostalgia and societal change. Fans of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World or J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye may find resonance in this semi-autobiographical novel's examination of pre-war disillusionment and personal reflection.

3.9

20,672 ratings

65%

Loved it

28%

Mixed feelings

7%

Not a fan

Character List

George Bowling

A World War I veteran and an insurance salesman who navigates middle age with nostalgia for his youth and pre-war life. His reflections and memories often reveal his dissatisfaction with modern life and internal conflicts.

George's wife, who is depicted as consistently anxious about financial matters and engaged with various social causes. She has a history of financial insecurity that influences her character.

George's first sexual partner, remembered mostly for her physicality in his youth. Her encounter with George later in life contrasts with his recollections of their younger days.

A retired schoolmaster whom George visits, living in a world filled with classical books and ideas. He maintains an indifferent attitude towards contemporary political issues.

Book Details
Pages

288

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

England • 1930s

Publication Year

1939

Publisher

Mariner Books Classics

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Lexile Level

1060L

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