Order of George Orwell Books

George Orwell (1903–1950) was the pen name of British writer Eric Arthur Blair, who wrote political fiction and non-fiction books. Orwell was known for his sharp social commentary, and clear, unadorned prose. His work spans novels, essays, reportage, and criticism, often exploring themes of authoritarianism, class, language, and individual conscience. Orwell’s influence on modern political thought and dystopian literature is immense, with Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four remaining touchstones of 20th‑century writing.

George Orwell made his debut as an author in 1933 with Down and Out in Paris and London, published under his newly adopted pseudonym. Below is a list of George Orwell’s books in order of when they were originally released:

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Graphic Novels

Publication Order of Essays

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Gothic Fantasy Books

Publication Order of Odyr Graphic Novels

(with Odyr)

Publication Order of Anthologies

If You Like George Orwell Books, You’ll Love…

• Aldous Huxley
• Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Ray Bradbury

George Orwell Synopses: 1984 (sometimes written as “Nineteen Eighty-Four“) is a standalone novel by George Orwell. Imagine a future where personal freedom has all but vanished, and the state dictates every corner of daily life.

Amid the shattered remains of post‑apocalyptic London, Winston Smith toils under a regime that suppresses independent thought and enforces absolute obedience to the enigmatic Big Brother. The Party watches everything, shaping reality itself.

When Winston begins to doubt the Party’s version of truth, his quiet rebellion leads him into a forbidden love affair with Julia. But in a world of ever‑present telescreens and Thought Police ready to crush the slightest hint of dissent, their defiance becomes a perilous gamble.

Animal Farm is George Orwell’s sharp, allegorical novella about a band of farm animals who rise up against their negligent owner, Mr. Jones, dreaming of a community built on equality, freedom, and shared prosperity. But once the pigs assume control – led by the ambitious and increasingly tyrannical Napoleon – their utopian vision warps into a regime as cruel and exploitative as the one they overthrew.

Through its portrayal of manipulation, propaganda, and the steady erosion of ideals, the story becomes a biting satire of totalitarian rule, particularly Stalinist Russia. Its most iconic line, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others,” captures the bitter irony at the heart of the tale.

Burmese Days draws on George Orwell’s own experiences as a member of the British Indian Imperial Police in the 1920s. Set in a society rigidly split along racial lines, the novel portrays a world where prejudice is ingrained and the local population is treated as inherently inferior by their European rulers. In this climate of distrust and exploitation, corruption thrives, leaving the disillusioned timber merchant John Flory increasingly isolated.

Orwell’s first novel, Burmese Days anticipates the themes that define his later masterpieces – 1984 and Animal Farm – including the abuse of power, the machinery of oppression, and the moral cost of empire. It remains a striking examination of how colonial rule degrades both the dominated and the dominators.

Set in 1938 London, Coming Up for Air follows George Bowling, a middle‑aged insurance salesman trapped in a stifling suburban routine with his wife and two children. Feeling increasingly imprisoned by domestic life and by his own disappointments, George seizes the chance – after a small betting windfall – to slip away and revisit the village of his childhood, hoping to recapture a moment of peace by fishing in a carp pool he remembers from thirty years earlier. But the pool has vanished, the village is unrecognizable, and his brief escape is overshadowed by an accidental