Coming Up For Air by George Orwell

Name: Coming Up For Air
Author: George Orwell

Coming Up For Air is a novel by George Orwell, first published in 1939. It tells the story of George Bowling, a middle-aged insurance salesman living in an English town in the 1930s. George is feeling trapped in his mundane life and decides to take a holiday to his childhood home in the countryside. On his journey, George reflects on his past and the changes that have taken place in his life since he was a child. He also meets a variety of characters, including a mysterious old man who claims to be a prophet. As George's holiday progresses, he begins to realise that the world is changing rapidly and that he must come to terms with the fact that he can no longer cling to the past. The novel is a powerful exploration of the effects of modernity on the individual, and of the need to accept change and move on. It is also a poignant reflection on the passing of time and the inevitability of death.

By George Orwell · First published 1939 · Genre: Social Realism, Satire, Dystopian Fiction · 23 chapters · 83,579 words

First lines

'He's dead, but he won't lie down' -Popular song

The idea really came to me the day I got my new false teeth.

What this Textopian page supports

Coming Up For Air is listed on Textopian as a novel by George Orwell, dated 1939 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: George Orwell
Date: 1939 CE
Language: English
Genres: Social Realism, Satire, Dystopian Fiction, Political Fiction
Length: 83,579 words
Structure: 23 chapters, 689 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Genres

Social Realism — The novel is set in a working-class English town and follows the life of George Bowling, a middle-aged insurance salesman, as he attempts to escape the drudgery of his life by taking a holiday to his childhood home. The novel is a critique of modern industrial society and its effects on the individual.
Satire — The novel is a satire of the modern world, with its focus on consumerism, materialism, and the effects of industrialization on the individual.
Dystopian Fiction — The novel paints a bleak picture of a world in which the individual is powerless against the forces of industrialization and consumerism, and in which the only escape is a return to a simpler, more natural past.
Political Fiction — The novel is a critique of modern industrial society and its effects on the individual, and is a commentary on the political and social issues of the time.