Keep the Aspidistra Flying

Yeesh. You know when satire is so spot-on that it becomes too uncomfortable to bear? That is what happened here with Gordon Comstock, a pretentious poet who yearns to escape money’s corrupting influence on his artistic aspirations by quitting his job and trying to live a life of “integrity.” Gordon has to learn the hard way what Maugham succinctly states in Of Human Bondage: “Money is like a sixth sense without which you cannot make a complete use of the other five.”



It turns out that poverty ain’t all it’s cracked up to be (it also doesn’t hurt that Gordon has no talent or work-ethic). Gordon is just the worst and reading about his spectacular screw ups made me genuinely uncomfortable. If you too hate money and have a show more strong stomach for unsavory characters, maybe give this one a go if; if not, don’t feel too bad about skipping out on this early Orwell experiment. show less

Keep the Aspidistra Flying and Burmese Days are my favourite Orwells so far. Both have flawed protagonists who look at their surroundings and relationships in unorthodox ways. In each, the respective protagonists are pressured to submit to these external influences. There are a few simple formulae which make Orwell's earlier works addictive, of which Keep the Aspidistra Flying is a great example.

First, Orwell focuses on issues familiar to him. The inner thoughts of Gordon Comstock, a young struggling writer who works in a bookshop, are crafted with exceptional realism. It makes me want to read a biography of Orwell to understand the author better: his A Collection of Essays and Down and Out in Paris and London are good starts, but show more somehow I feel there is more behind the words.

Second, the simplicity of Orwell's language makes his writing accessible. This adds poignancy to Gordon's depressing lifestyle: struggling to make ends meet; ignored by acquaintances; ingrained insecurity; loss of all respectability. The battle with the "money-god" is internal as well as external. Hearing a clear voice, whose meaning is sometimes coherent but often confused, helps the reader join a turbulent journey with minimal effort.

Third, the novel deals with the unseen realities of being poor. It's not just about being hungry, cold and dirty. It's about the stigma attached to having no money. How can one accept charity from a friend without damaging their friendship? How can a man maintain a relationship with a woman whom he can't afford to treat? How can you accept the sacrifices your sister has made for you, knowing that they can never be repaid? More than all this, how, when you have nothing in the world, can you believe that all those whom you hold dear don't see you as a failure?

Favourite Quotes

"No rich man ever succeeds in disguising himself as a poor man; for money, like murder, will out."

"Gordon never spent more than an hour or two with Ravelston. One’s contacts with rich people, like one’s visits to high altitudes, must always be brief."

"The money-god is so cunning. If he only baited his traps with yachts and race-horses, tarts and champagne, how easy it would be to dodge him. It is when he gets at you through your sense of decency that he finds you helpless." show less

In this mordant and darkly comic novel, Gordon Comstock , a struggling and insecure poet decides to take himself out of the money world. He lives in squalor, becomes increasingly depressed, withdraws from normal social interaction, and insults his friends. In spite of his resolve, to live on almost nothing, he is constantly borrowing money from friends, some of whom continue to put up with him. His vigorously self-centered world view and contempt for societal norms would remind us of Holden Caulfield, except Comstock is thirty, and should be past this sort of immature rebellion. His long-suffering girlfriend, unaccountably keeps coming back to him, even after a near rape, and eventually it is only her pregnancy that forces Gordon to show more join the adult world, with all its compromises and responsibilities. show less

Essentially this is every art students' dilemma, or at least it was back in my day, to sell out and deal with the Man or be true to our art and starve in an attic. Whether to find one's place within the system or try to forge a unique life outside of it. One thing we had in common was pot plants. An aspidistra in Orwell's case, another kind of 'pot' plant in mine.

As the story works itself out Gordon discovers two more things, things we had in common - we were really rather average poets and artists, and the answer to all the problems caused by following one's (mediocre) calling and being permanetly broke, was the Man himself, call him Filthy Lucre. After all, there is a limit to how much cash you can borrow and still feel yourself an show more independent soul. Also, at least for a man, it's much harder to get laid.

So what did we all do? We sold out. Are we happy with our decision and our lives, well, let's say we all made accommodations.

It's not a bad read, amusing in parts, but Gordon is such a tiresome creature and it was all a bit, in a not-too-distant historical sense, been there, done that.

Not Orwell's best book, but still pretty good. show less

Orwell’s flawed but nevertheless important novel about a young man’s single-handed struggle against capitalism is an easy and often amusing read.

Gordon Comstock, whose inflexible philosophy drives him further and further into destitution, starts out in a low-paid but reasonable job with a reasonably attractive girlfriend and semi-decent accommodation. But each of these reminds him only of his servitude of a system he loathes. As the novel progresses, he gradually abandons one after the other.

It’s a tragic and lamentable tale, not least because the honest among us all sympathise with the inability to maintain our ideals in a world which falls far short of perfect. As Gordon takes yet another ill-considered course of action of which show more he is the only victim, you can’t help but wince despite understanding his motivation.

It’s only his friends that stand firm while all around him crumbles and this leads to an ending that, for me, seemed more like Orwell compromising his ideals rather than his character.

Again, like Tender is the Night which I’ve just reviewed, my greatest interest in the novel was the discovery that it mirrors so much of the author’s own experience. Knowing that really does add a dimension to reading it that simply wouldn’t be there otherwise.

Orwell can definitely spin a yarn and, for me, this is an important novel because it shows how the art form can be used to communicate an ideal so much more realistically than any treatise can. I’d find it hard to motivate myself to read about alternatives to capitalism in non-fiction form. But give me a novel that explores the subject and I’m fascinated and will emerge far more able to debate its merits. Orwell was very good at that even if his ideals were not, alas, cherished by the world he wrote for. show less

Reason read: TBR takedown for June 2025.
This is not my favorite of my Orwell reads but then again, he created a character I absolutely could not stand. Gordon Comstock is a man who quits a good job to protest capitalism and "the love of money". He is a wanna be writer, dabbling at writing poetry. It's all fine and good to have principals but he takes advantages of others who work for their money when he decides to live below what can sustain him. But I disliked him for more than that. He is a man who cannot handle is booze. He is a man who needles his girlfriend into having unprotected sex "if she loves him". Cheats on her with other women. And most of all he cannot even handle money in a respectable manner. The title is the most show more interesting part of this book. An Aspidistra is a plant that can be grown in most conditions even with hardly any light. In fact it doesn't like too much light. Kind of like our Gordon Comstock. The Aspidistra is a symbal of the middle class in Victorian times. The title is supposedly "hooray for the middle class".

The novel explores themes of poverty, materialism, and the search for authenticity in a world dominated by consumerism. I think this was a rather stupid novel all in all. Gordon self imposes poverty. He wants as much as the next guy, makes a show of denying himself but in the end he really isn't denying himself. There is nothing authentic about Gordon until he quits fooling himself. show less

Poor Gordon: he wants to be completely divorced from money, or the desire for making more money. He hates money, he says, and yet he allows the thought of it to rule his life: instead of simply keeping the job that paid okay and might possibly bring in some more cash, he must quit and take a shitty no-pay job that leaves him completely frustrated because he barely has enough money to live. His pride won't allow him to accept money from anyone, even Dutch treat with his sweetheart.

I love Orwell: his writing that is so direct and clear; his sly and self-deprecating sense of humor; his startling kowledge of human weaknesses, and his great compassion for those weaknesses--all these combine to make a moving, funny, and very satisfying show more expreience every time I read his work. One feels that G.O. stares straight at you, unblinking, and just lays his thoughts out for you to examine. show less