Mrs. Orwell
Mrs. OrwellWriter: Andrea Chalupa
Artist: Brahm Revel
Publisher: 23rd St.
Publication Date: March 2026
Let’s get this out of the way — it’s a good time to talk and think about George Orwell. Global authoritarianism is on the rise, new technologies have enabled disinformation at a previously unthinkable scale, and actors of all stripes are evoking his name. And I also think it’s a good time to talk and think about Orwell in new ways, and that’s exactly what writer Andrea Chalupa and artist Brahm Revel have achieved in their stunning new work of graphic historical fiction, Mrs. Orwell.
Mrs. Orwell, as the title makes clear, is actually a book about George Orwell’s wife, the poet Eileen Blair. And it uses many of the events from their real lives together, including their time spent in Spain, involved in the Spanish Civil War. As good historical fiction does, it uses these events as a framework, subsequently filling in characterization, motivations, and, most importantly for our purposes here, excellent graphic novel scenes.
Revel is a wonderful visual storyteller, and his work is so adept at moving through time in clear, meaningful ways. Equally adept is Revel at suspense and action, which there is a surprising amount of (at least to me) in this story, particularly during the time the couple spends in Spain, which I feel like I read in all of five minutes, so immersed was I in the book for those segments.
So, that’s one of the major strengths of the book. It’s set in a romantic era, during romantic times, when people were having romantic ideas, and it’s drawn by a storyteller who knows exactly how and when to accentuate all of that.
The other quality that really makes this book standout is the script’s deep love for and understanding of Eileen Blair. Blair in the pages of Mrs. Orwell is not a perfect person. There’s no varnishing of the halo here, as is sometimes the case in historical fiction and biopics. But she is a formidable, brilliant, and unsung figure. One who is complex and, the script subtly hints, perhaps a bit doomed.
And her contributions to Orwell’s work, and thereby the world, are so artfully conveyed in these pages, right from her studies under JRR Tolkien on through to the encouragement and notes she gave on Orwell’s work, including both Animal Farm and 1984. Mrs. Orwell is kind to all of its characters in spite of their flaws, and the end result is a story that feels as honest as it does vital, a book that will perhaps be vital for those who want to better understand Orwell and all things Orwellian, and be entertained as they come to that understanding too.
Mrs. Orwell is out this month from 23rd St.
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