Keep the Aspidistra Flying

By: George Orwell

Narrated by: Richard E. Grant

Length: 9 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Gordon Comstock loathes dull, middle-class respectability and worship of money. He gives up a 'good job' in advertising to work part-time in a bookshop, giving him more time to write. But he slides instead into a self-induced poverty that destroys his creativity and his spirit. Only Rosemary, ever-faithful Rosemary, has the strength to challenge his commitment to his chosen way of life. Through the character of Gordon Comstock, Orwell reveals his own disaffection with the society he once himself renounced.

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Richard E Grant's narration is superb.

It's a pleasure to listen to Grant's reading of this rather bleak novel. Excellent. Keep the Aspidistra Flying is of course essential Orwell and deserves to be read. Things essentially have not changed much since 1934 in terms of social problems. You will however want to reach out and shake the story's lead character, Gordon Comstock. The interesting thing is that, at the same time, you recognise that there is, perhaps, a bit of the Gordon Comstocks in all of us. For those times when you want to be reminded what life is and what choices we have.

Gordon's Grey World is Colored with Grant

Where does Keep the Aspidistra Flying rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

At times certain wonderful books, by towering authors and read by notable narrators often end up with a rather dull effect. For 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying', narrated by the immensely talented Richard E. Grant, this is not the case. The atmosphere of Orwell's terse satire is fully developed in this dramatic reading by Grant, who manages to deliver character after character without loosing any of the pacing allowing the social and political underscore of the book to be fully experienced by the listener.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Keep the Aspidistra Flying?

Of the many painfully satirical moments in the performance to look out for is the exchange between Gordon Comstock and the french waiter at the country pub.- enjoy.

Orwell and Grant, perfect.

If Richard E Grand could just narrate everyting for Audible that would be dashed smashing and jolly. Loved it. fantastic as always Orwell.

Aspidistra as flag stand-in=biting sarcasm

Frequently painful account of (a) man's war on money. You will cheer him on while recognizing the futility of his struggle. Thank you, George Orwell, for saying the difficult things elegantly. The narrator is absolutely perfect. His imitation of an American accent while reading ads from an American magazine is not to be missed.

Loved the narration; hated the technical glitches

Richard E. Grant narrated this book wonderfully. After just a few minutes I looked up all the other books that he narrated, since he had, in that short time, become a favorite. But technically speaking, this was the worst audible.com book I have ever had: "End of CD 3," "Beginning of CD 4," no break whatsoever between the last word of a chapeter and the announcement of the next chapter, almost as if they were one word. "Swordchapter 3" or "novelschapter 7' and so forth. Still, for all that I will probably listen again. It's a memorable story, I like to fall asleep to a book, and Richard E. Grant is a perfect narrator to read you to sleep like a kind and trustworthy uncle.

Down to the Wire

Okay, this book had me on the edge of my last nerve. It seems to be the Orwell way to write about what really matters. Dr. T.

Narrator perfect, protagonist beastly!

Great reading with immense effort and skill applied. Characters all distinct, story is good if uncomfortable to read in parts due to the main character being a complete ass to all his friends! Orwell leads a book shop working poet into darkness and depression and let's h play out his fate. Recommended!

fantastically sarcastic performance

What a pleasure to listen to Richard Grant capture every nuance and drop of sarcasm in Orwell's great prose masterpiece, The book feels very modern in sensibility; the narrator is exceptionally brilliant and funny. It was really a delight.

You can't kill an aspidistra

What did you love best about Keep the Aspidistra Flying?

The scene where Gordon finally sells a poem and ends up blowing the money on booze and tarts. You can feel his hangover when he wakes up in jail. Gives me a headache just thinking about it.

What did you like best about this story?

Gordon's tenacity, although like everyone he ends up with his own aspidistra.

What does Richard E. Grant bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

If you have seen any of his movies you know what an amazing actor he is, in fact he starred in the film adaptation of the book. No one could have done a better job than Mr. Grant. Check out Withnail & I. "We've gone on holiday by mistake..."

If you could take any character from Keep the Aspidistra Flying out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Ravelston because he would pay.

Any additional comments?

Orwell said he wrote the book because he needed money. Quite ironic.

Genius

This is a perfect work by Orwell. The best novel I have read by him so far. The performance by Richard E Grant could not be better - he is the perfect casting for Gordon Comstock.

Be aware that this copy has a sound fault in chapter 7. There is about 40 seconds of skipping that make that tony section of the book inaudible.