I am indebted to the Belgian,
Pierre Ryckmans, writing in
The New York Review as Simon
Leys, for this quotation from
the recently published letters
of George Orwell, writing as
Eric Blair. I am indebted to
his selectivity and to his
gift for building the predic-
ate for this summary state-
ment, so that I could cite it
for this extraordinary portrait.
Orwell's remark, from his final
illness to a sweetheart from
his youth, is an escalation,
in the same vein, of an early
confession of one's own, we
forget nothing. I'm very glad
to be reminded, too, of things
I had seen Orwell saying, I do
not want completely to abandon
the world-view I acquired in
childhood .. I think that by
retaining one's childhood love
of such things as trees, fishes,
butterflies and toads, one makes
a peaceful and decent future a
little more probable.
Have you seen, today, a more
charming portrait than this one?
I was pitched into something re-
sembling embarrassed enchantment
(whatever that could be) simply to
catch it from the corner of my eye
on a brisk tour d'horison of the
web as I awaited the debate in New
Hampshire. I do not expect the
question to be asked, What do you
think of toads; I do not expect
serious journalism tonight.
But I expect this question from
every estimable moral voice ever
to open its mouth, from Heraclitus
to Beethoven, to Einstein to my
friend Tassos' infant nephew, pos-
sibly now walking. I'd interrogate
anyone who sought power to shape
the experience of this life, with
this question.
Pierre Ryckmans, writing in
The New York Review as Simon
Leys, for this quotation from
the recently published letters
of George Orwell, writing as
Eric Blair. I am indebted to
his selectivity and to his
gift for building the predic-
ate for this summary state-
ment, so that I could cite it
for this extraordinary portrait.
Orwell's remark, from his final
illness to a sweetheart from
his youth, is an escalation,
in the same vein, of an early
confession of one's own, we
forget nothing. I'm very glad
to be reminded, too, of things
I had seen Orwell saying, I do
not want completely to abandon
the world-view I acquired in
childhood .. I think that by
retaining one's childhood love
of such things as trees, fishes,
butterflies and toads, one makes
a peaceful and decent future a
little more probable.
charming portrait than this one?
I was pitched into something re-
sembling embarrassed enchantment
(whatever that could be) simply to
catch it from the corner of my eye
on a brisk tour d'horison of the
web as I awaited the debate in New
Hampshire. I do not expect the
question to be asked, What do you
think of toads; I do not expect
serious journalism tonight.
But I expect this question from
every estimable moral voice ever
to open its mouth, from Heraclitus
to Beethoven, to Einstein to my
friend Tassos' infant nephew, pos-
sibly now walking. I'd interrogate
anyone who sought power to shape
the experience of this life, with
this question.
Simon Leys
The New York Review
of Books, LVIII, 9
The Intimate Orwell
NYREV, Inc., 2011©
Merci pour l'hommage !
ReplyDeleteJ'aime beaucoup ce blog, et mets "google translation" à contribution chaque jour...
You present an elegantly affecting blog in superlative taste, and with very handsome diversity of subject. This morning, I researched incorporating the translation "gadget" at this page and was advised by 'blogger' that these applications have errors and are momentarily unavailable. I especially appreciate, then, your readership under these trying conditions, even of this acknowledgment.
ReplyDeleteI am only sorry that events in the US intervened last evening, to find these portraits no longer at the top of the page. I hope readers will refresh themselves in their spirit, repeatedly.