BDGOH Praise
“‘Burning Down George Orwell’s House’ is a sweet book full of delights. Since many of its best passages are rhapsodies on single malt whiskies, one is tempted to call it a wee bonny dram of a tale.”
—Christopher Buckley, New York Times Book Review
[A]n evocative novel of place that makes pointed commentaries about the ‘wired world’ of the 21st century that 1984 intuited. … As all good comedies do, Ervin’s novel contains a sober question at its core.”
—Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s “Fresh Air”
“A glorious debut.”
—Philadelphia Inquirer
“Ervin’s debut novel follows in the tradition of classic comedies where a supposedly cosmopolitan outsider tests his welcome in an insular old-world village. Both come in for some good-natured satire.”
—Newsday
“A whisky-soaked hoot worth hollering about.”
—Austin Chronicle
“The novel is so entertaining […] it’s a breezy bit of fun for anyone who dreams of Scotland, enjoys a wee dram of scotch and wonders what it might be like to leave modern life behind – at least for a few hours.”
—Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Big Brother might not be watching [Ray Welter] but the island’s eccentric locals sure are and also, possibly, a werewolf. High comedy ensues as Welter tries to find himself, Orwell and the savage beast.”
—New York Post
“Wry and engaging… Nineteen Eighty-Four casts a long shadow over countless books—but not this one… Ervin has achieved something uniquely refreshing: a book that shows the taste and restraint to pay knowing, affectionate and humorous tribute to George Orwell without trying to prove him right—or to create some redundant simulacrum of his work.”
—Paste Magazine
“You will get thirsty, and if you can muster up a fire in a fireplace, you’ll be set.”
—Black Sheep Dances
“Burning Down will appeal to those who have wondered what ditching our smart phones and laptops would do to make our lives less complicated. What geographically remote island could we retreat to for some peace of mind and, obviously, some world-class scotch?”
—The Santa Fe Writer’s Project Quarterly
“A dramatic, thoughtful, and at times comic revisiting of (and attempt to escape from) Orwell’s world.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Captures the stark and chill atmosphere of the small island, on which strangers are unwelcome and apparently very good whiskey is consumed in copious quantities.”
—Booklist
“Ervin writes with skill and a penchant for the absurd… Very funny.”
—Library Journal
“Ervin excels at atmosphere and fish-out-of-water interactions.”
—Publishers Weekly