Coming Up for Air

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Insurance salesman George "Fatty" Bowling lives with his humorless wife and two irritating children in a dull house in West Bletchley, a historyless London suburb. In 1938, as fears of impending war loom, George wins a bet on an unlikely horse, giving him a bit of extra cash. Faced with choices between a weekend with a woman or spending it on trivial items, a chance encounter with a poster in Charing Cross sparks a journey into his memories of boyhood in Lower Binfield, the village where he grew up. His recollections are vivid, painting a nearly lost world untouched by war's fear and aftermath, specifically the serene year of 1913. He longs for the feeling of tranquility and freedom from fear that defined that time. However, George discovers that even Lower Binfield is not immune to the encroaching darkness of war. Readers familiar with Orwell's work will recognize his themes of individuality, memory, history, and language, finding in Fatty Bowling a relatable and engaging character—warm, witty, and reflective—navigating a world increasingly losing its ability to think and remember.