Page "The Road to Wigan Pier" Paragraph 1

According to Orwell biographer Bernard Crick, publisher Victor Gollancz first tried to persuade Orwell's agent to allow the Left Book Club edition to consist solely of the descriptive first half of the book.

When this was refused Gollancz wrote an introduction to the book.

" Victor could not bear to reject it, even though his suggestion that the " repugnant " second half should be omitted from the Club edition was turned down.

On this occasion Victor, albeit nervously, did overrule CP objections in favour of his publishing instinct.

His compromise was to publish the book with introduction full of good criticism, unfair criticism, and half-truths.