“PaulTherouxhasexploitedthisbiographicallacunawithgreatshrewdnessandgusto...hisfictionalaccountofBlair’slifethere[Burma]isavalidandentirelycredibleattempttoaddfleshtotheskeletalfactswehaveofthistime.[...]thisnovelisoneofhisfinest,inalongandredoubtableoeuvre.“--NewYorkTimesBookReviewFromtheacclaimedauthorofTheMosquitoCoastandTheBadAngelBrotherscomesarivetingnewnovelexploringoneofEnglishliterature’smostbelovedandcontroversialfigures--GeorgeOrwell--andtheearlyyearsasanofficerincolonialBurmathattransformedhimfromEricBlair,theBritishRajpoliceman,intoOrwelltheanticolonialwriter.Atagenineteen,youngEtongraduateEricBlairsetsailforIndia,dreadingtheassignmentahead.Alongwithseveralotheryoungconscripts,hewouldbetrainedforthreeyearsasaservantoftheBritishEmpire,overseeingthelocalpolicemeninBurma.Navigatingthesocial,racial,andclasspoliticsofhisfellowBritishatthesametimeashelearnedthelocallanguagesandstruggledtocontrolhismenwouldprovedifficultenough.Butdoingallofthiswhilegrapplingwithhisownself-worth,hissensethathewasnotcutoutforthis,issoonoverwhelmingfortheyoungBlair.Eventually,hisclasheswithhissuperiors,andthedramathatunfoldsinthishot,beautifulland,willchangehimforever.
