ORWELL, George
 
Animal Farm, published by Secker & Warburg in 1946. Signed and inscribed by Orwell. 
 
Description
 
Inscribed by George Orwell, in parody of Leo Tolstoy: ‘For ‘Horatio’ Low, in memory of seven was of mangles* and because— the trouble about talking— is that someone has talked of it much better. Leo / mangels*’
An exceptional insight into Orwell’s mischievous humour. The book is signed by Orwell as ‘Leo’, referring to Tolstoy’s opinionated essay on Shakespeare. In which, grave misreading by Tolstoy extended into a critique of Shakespeare’s work and immortality. Orwell had addressed the erroneous diatribe, later, in his own essay, Lear, Tolstoy and The Fool (1947).
This inscription carries a solemn meaning and addresses the Shakespearian character, Horatio; it parodies the opinion expressed in Leo Tolstoy’s critique of Shakespeare. Notably, Orwell mocks the mistakes, not the man himself. In addressing ‘Horatio’ as ‘Leo’, Orwell highlights that Tolstoy’s alternative to eternity is to not speak, or be, at all. And here thus are connected Hamlet’s voice of man and story and the words which live long after death.
The reversal of intended meaning in Animal Farm’s seven commandments is evident also in this inscription. A self-violation akin to, ‘all animals are equal, but some more equal than others’ is used to the same effect here. By intentionally correcting mangles to mangels, Orwell points to the bureaucratic revisionism he had satirised in Animal Farm. He performs a linguistic joke of the highest order, juxtaposing provision and destruction and a totalitarian regime which crushes those whose voice has been taken away. Importantly, the presence of both words on the same page transforms the academic debate about Orwell’s linguistic choices.
Both Orwell’s and Shakespeare's works (Animal Farm, 1984, King Lear) have a thematic focus on speech and speechlessness. It is echoed in this parody of Tolstoy. The brevity with which it is expressed as well as the confluence of all the ideas contained reflects Orwell's literary genius.
Inscribed in Orwell’s blue fountain pen, used in the period of 1944-1948. The inscription bears his nuanced style of annotation. Perhaps the most obvious allusion is to his signing many of his letters with, “Geo” Orwell, here changed for “Leo”.