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sydsnot71's review against another edition
4.0
Orwell's reputation rests, mainly, on 'Animal Farm' and '1984'. His other novels are considered less good. Who reads 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying' these days? Even 'A Homage to Catalonia', 'The Road To Wigan Pier' and 'Down and Out in Paris and London', the non-fiction, sits in the shadow of Animal Farm and 1984.
The essays range across various topics: literary criticism - the essay on Charles Dickens is a particularly fine example; cultural studies* - essays on 'Boys' Weeklies' and 'The Art of Donald McGill'; Writing; Social history - 'The Lion and the Unicorn' and Memoir - 'The Spike'; 'A Hanging' and 'Shooting an Elephant' being the best known but 'Such, Such Were the Joys' is probably the best, even if you wonder sometimes how true Orwell's memories are. I wrote a long essay at University on 'The Road to Wigan Pier' and discovered that he moved guest houses in Wigan because the first one he stayed at was a little too nice and he went to one that was notoriously awful. Ever since then I've felt that he was always looking for the lowest experience to strengthen his case. When he talks about the hospital in Paris where he was a patient in 'How The Poor Die' I felt that although he was telling the truth about his experience that the hospital he was in was a particularly bad example, which he admits himself.
I highlighted so many passages, which still ring true at the moment. Perhaps because we are living in a world flirting with totalitarianism again and where some of the questions Orwell was asking and answering are once again live. You can also see the threads in his Essays that are going to come together in '1984'.
He does hammer away at some particular enemies - the pro-Soviet left; pacificists; Catholics; Tories; Anarchists etc - and he is very good at pointing out the hypocrisy and the way we edit news and history to suit our political beliefs. Most of the time he is honest enough to face up to his own.
On the subject of the British left, he's excellent at pointing out how they refuse to face up to the basic patriotism of the British working class, a problem that Jeremy Corbyn failed to deal with. I was going to say he doesn't idealize the working class, but in a way he does. He does genuinely seem to believe, as he is to reiterate in '1984', that if there is any hope it it is the 'proles'.
There are some awkward moments. He throws the word 'pansy' around a couple of times, the language on race is of its time but I recommend that everyone should read these. Especially if you want to write non-fiction. I have so many sections highlighted that one could use in a contemporary arguement.
*For want of a better phrase.
The essays range across various topics: literary criticism - the essay on Charles Dickens is a particularly fine example; cultural studies* - essays on 'Boys' Weeklies' and 'The Art of Donald McGill'; Writing; Social history - 'The Lion and the Unicorn' and Memoir - 'The Spike'; 'A Hanging' and 'Shooting an Elephant' being the best known but 'Such, Such Were the Joys' is probably the best, even if you wonder sometimes how true Orwell's memories are. I wrote a long essay at University on 'The Road to Wigan Pier' and discovered that he moved guest houses in Wigan because the first one he stayed at was a little too nice and he went to one that was notoriously awful. Ever since then I've felt that he was always looking for the lowest experience to strengthen his case. When he talks about the hospital in Paris where he was a patient in 'How The Poor Die' I felt that although he was telling the truth about his experience that the hospital he was in was a particularly bad example, which he admits himself.
I highlighted so many passages, which still ring true at the moment. Perhaps because we are living in a world flirting with totalitarianism again and where some of the questions Orwell was asking and answering are once again live. You can also see the threads in his Essays that are going to come together in '1984'.
He does hammer away at some particular enemies - the pro-Soviet left; pacificists; Catholics; Tories; Anarchists etc - and he is very good at pointing out the hypocrisy and the way we edit news and history to suit our political beliefs. Most of the time he is honest enough to face up to his own.
On the subject of the British left, he's excellent at pointing out how they refuse to face up to the basic patriotism of the British working class, a problem that Jeremy Corbyn failed to deal with. I was going to say he doesn't idealize the working class, but in a way he does. He does genuinely seem to believe, as he is to reiterate in '1984', that if there is any hope it it is the 'proles'.
There are some awkward moments. He throws the word 'pansy' around a couple of times, the language on race is of its time but I recommend that everyone should read these. Especially if you want to write non-fiction. I have so many sections highlighted that one could use in a contemporary arguement.
*For want of a better phrase.
aniahollinshead's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
I really enjoyed the essays about his personal experiences, as well as some of his political musings, and the miscellaneous pieces about toads and bookshops. I’ve always really enjoyed Orwell’s style and the unique way in which he observes the world. However, I did struggle through a great number of essays focusing on writers and their political standpoints, mainly because I hadn’t read some of their works, rendering the essay largely unrelatable (although this did encourage me to look into reading Kipling and Tolstoy’s essay on Shakespeare!).
aarongertler's review against another edition
5.0
I don't have much to say here: The man can think, and the man can write. You knew that already, but it's nice to have a series of reminders.
I don't know whether all the essays I review below appear in this book (I read from the Orwell Foundation's website instead), but I'm sure most do, and other essays in the book are likely of a similar standard of quality.
Highlights from Orwell's work:
* The Prevention of Literature
* Antisemitism in Britain
* Books vs. Cigarettes
* How the Poor Die
* In Defense of P.G. Wodehouse (worthwhile even if you don't know or don't like P.G. Wodehouse)
* A Hanging (the most memorable, and the most devastating)
I don't know whether all the essays I review below appear in this book (I read from the Orwell Foundation's website instead), but I'm sure most do, and other essays in the book are likely of a similar standard of quality.
Highlights from Orwell's work:
* The Prevention of Literature
* Antisemitism in Britain
* Books vs. Cigarettes
* How the Poor Die
* In Defense of P.G. Wodehouse (worthwhile even if you don't know or don't like P.G. Wodehouse)
* A Hanging (the most memorable, and the most devastating)
blairmahoney's review against another edition
4.0
I've been dipping into this on and off for most of this year and finally finished it. Orwell can come across as a bit insufferable at times on various topics, not least because of his conviction that he's right and everyone who thinks differently is an idiot. He does have the saving grace of quite often being right, though. And he's always entertaining.
mrbrownsays's review against another edition
4.0
It was not an easy read. But as a historical artefact it was interesting. From the doss houses to the anti totalitarian rhetoric, the essays about the Spanish civil war or his time in Burma it was the essays from Orwell's own experience I found most interesting. The literary criticism was a bit self serving, boring and actually not very good.
I noticed a few things:
- The Spanish civil war means a lot more to the left in Britain than it does to any other strata
- Orwell was both consistent and demonstrated personal growth in these essays
- He doesn't have many nice words to say about literary greats
- For someone so judgemental about figures from his near history he has a lot opinions that would be judged very poorly in 2020.
I noticed a few things:
- The Spanish civil war means a lot more to the left in Britain than it does to any other strata
- Orwell was both consistent and demonstrated personal growth in these essays
- He doesn't have many nice words to say about literary greats
- For someone so judgemental about figures from his near history he has a lot opinions that would be judged very poorly in 2020.
cal_jessamine's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
bradland's review against another edition
5.0
Interesting to read Orwell's perspective on society in the mid-20th century.... many of the problems of his era still rear their ugly head today with depressing regularity.
tombennett72's review against another edition
5.0
As a modern reader, I find it amazing that this was written nearly 80 years ago.
It's very easy to recognise the Britain that Orwell writes about: whilst Britain has lost the respect for privacy that Orwell celebrates here (thanks to Murdoch and Rothermere, many British people seem to have become gouls who delight in the detail of others' lives) there is so very much that describes the UK of today.
Fascinating. Read it.
It's very easy to recognise the Britain that Orwell writes about: whilst Britain has lost the respect for privacy that Orwell celebrates here (thanks to Murdoch and Rothermere, many British people seem to have become gouls who delight in the detail of others' lives) there is so very much that describes the UK of today.
Fascinating. Read it.