From frontline reporting to a trailblazing comic novel and a prophetic dystopia, George Orwell's books reflect his life and times. Here is a ranking from 10 to 1.
10 A Clergyman's Daughter (1935)
In this novel, Orwell's protagonist is a repressed young woman, Dorothy Hare, who loses her memory, identity, and faith. Orwell considered it 'tripe' except for the dream-like chapter where Dorothy sleeps rough in Trafalgar Square, influenced by James Joyce. Sample line: 'There's quite enough evil in the world without going about looking for it.'
9 Burmese Days (1934)
Orwell's debut novel draws on his experience as a colonial policeman in Burma. It evokes the corruption and guilt of imperialism through the story of jaded teak merchant John Flory. The novel establishes Orwell's interest in disillusioned, self-hating people. Sample line: 'It is a corrupting thing to live one's real life in secret.'
8 Coming Up for Air (1939)
Written when Orwell was a pacifist, this novel features narrator George Bowling, an insurance salesman who takes a nostalgic trip to his boyhood home. It reflects Orwell's fears of fascism and war. Sample line: 'Fishing is the opposite of war.'
7 The Road to Wigan Pier (1937)
Part reportage on working-class life in northern England, part polemic for a better socialism, this book was published by the Left Book Club. The first half remains powerful. Sample line: 'We spend our lives in abusing England but grow very angry when we hear a foreigner saying exactly the same things.'
6 Down and Out in Paris and London (1933)
Orwell's first book, a memoir of dishwashing in Paris and tramping in England, shows his tragicomic eye for detail and empathy for the downtrodden. Sample line: 'It is fatal to look hungry. It makes people want to kick you.'
5 Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936)
Gordon Comstock, a misanthropic poet obsessed with money, is Orwell's finest comic creation. The novel rants against 1930s capitalism, influenced by George Gissing. Sample line: 'How can you be attractive to a girl when you've got no money?'
4 The Penguin Essays of George Orwell (1984)
This collection showcases Orwell's range, from political essays to nature writing. Sample line: 'The truth, it is felt, becomes untruth when your enemy utters it.'
3 Homage to Catalonia (1938)
Orwell's account of fighting in the Spanish civil war combines experience and insight, describing combat and the spread of lies. Sample line: 'The whole experience of being hit by a bullet is very interesting and I think it is worth describing in detail.'
2 Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)
Orwell's final book is a dystopian novel combining political argument with spy thriller and love story elements. Its influence on fiction and language is immense. Sample line: 'Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimetres inside your skull.'
1 Animal Farm (1945)
Orwell's perfect book, an allegory of the Soviet Union, almost went unpublished due to its political content. Its deadpan prose and themes of language and memory make it timeless. Sample line: 'And remember also that in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him.'
The Ministry of Truth: A Biography of George Orwell's 1984 by Dorian Lynskey is published by Picador.
