Orwell On H.G.Wells

But because he belonged to the nineteenth century and to a non-military nation and class, he could not grasp the tremendous strength of the old world which was symbolised in his mind by fox-hunting Tories. He was, and still is, quite incapable of understanding that nationalism, religious bigotry and feudal loyalty are far more powerful forces than what he himself would describe as sanity.

The people who have shown the best understanding of Fascism are either those who have suffered under it or those who have a Fascist streak in themselves.

Wells is too sane to understand the modern world. Since 1920 he has squandered his talents in slaying paper dragons. But how much it is, after all, to have any talents to squander.

[Heavily edited from George Orwell: ‘Wells, Hitler and the World State’, August 1941]