bole1709's review against another edition
3.0
Ja dok Orvel objašnjava odnos svih crkvi u Engleskoj:
Već od svoje prve knjige, Niko i ništa u Parizu i Londonu, Orvel sebe postavlja kao društvenog kritičara koji će ostati do kraja života gde u svakoj provlači drugi aspekt društva. Svi sastojci onog Orvela koji će, 10-ak godina od ove knjige, napisati 1984. i Životinjsku farmu su i ovde, zanimljive ideje, cinično i satirično posmatranje društva, elementi njegovog života itd, ali ovoj knjizi fali kohezije koja bi je učinila delom vrednog ozbiljnijeg razmatranja. Zato i ne čudi podatak da je Orvel ostavio u amanet da se ova knjiga posle njegove smrti ne štampa.
Doroti, sveštenikova ćerka (ko je to mogao da nasluti iz naslova?), živi teško u relativno malom mestu u Engleskoj. Otac joj je zadrti mizantrop, pa ona održava koliku-toliku vezu sa parohijanima kojih nema mnogo. Tu se provlači ta kritika engleskog društva, a onda Doroti dobije amneziju, niko ne zna šta se sa njom desilo i bum, sad je ona na poljima i bere hmelj. Kad prođe sezona branja, prelazi da bude učiteljica. Poprilično skokovito, bez preteranih poveznica i razvijanja karaktera (tu uključujem i Doroti). Između svega toga se provlači njeno sećanje na pokušaj silovanja sa Vartbartonom, ateistom i njenim suštim antipodom, da bi ona ostala sa njim u nekom čudnom odnosu kojem je izraz kombinacija možda i najpribližniji i koji ostavlja više pitanja nego odgovora. A kako da zaboravim i celo jedno poglavlje u samoj sredini knjige koje je napisano kao drama i nema nikakvu svrhu u priči, već je samo razgovor par beskućnika koji su se našli jedno veče u Londonu.
Zanimljivo delo sa te strane socijalne kritike na koju sam ja posebno slab, ali generalno, ništa preterano vredno spominjanja.
Već od svoje prve knjige, Niko i ništa u Parizu i Londonu, Orvel sebe postavlja kao društvenog kritičara koji će ostati do kraja života gde u svakoj provlači drugi aspekt društva. Svi sastojci onog Orvela koji će, 10-ak godina od ove knjige, napisati 1984. i Životinjsku farmu su i ovde, zanimljive ideje, cinično i satirično posmatranje društva, elementi njegovog života itd, ali ovoj knjizi fali kohezije koja bi je učinila delom vrednog ozbiljnijeg razmatranja. Zato i ne čudi podatak da je Orvel ostavio u amanet da se ova knjiga posle njegove smrti ne štampa.
Doroti, sveštenikova ćerka (ko je to mogao da nasluti iz naslova?), živi teško u relativno malom mestu u Engleskoj. Otac joj je zadrti mizantrop, pa ona održava koliku-toliku vezu sa parohijanima kojih nema mnogo. Tu se provlači ta kritika engleskog društva, a onda Doroti dobije amneziju, niko ne zna šta se sa njom desilo i bum, sad je ona na poljima i bere hmelj. Kad prođe sezona branja, prelazi da bude učiteljica. Poprilično skokovito, bez preteranih poveznica i razvijanja karaktera (tu uključujem i Doroti). Između svega toga se provlači njeno sećanje na pokušaj silovanja sa Vartbartonom, ateistom i njenim suštim antipodom, da bi ona ostala sa njim u nekom čudnom odnosu kojem je izraz kombinacija možda i najpribližniji i koji ostavlja više pitanja nego odgovora. A kako da zaboravim i celo jedno poglavlje u samoj sredini knjige koje je napisano kao drama i nema nikakvu svrhu u priči, već je samo razgovor par beskućnika koji su se našli jedno veče u Londonu.
Zanimljivo delo sa te strane socijalne kritike na koju sam ja posebno slab, ali generalno, ništa preterano vredno spominjanja.
rustycups's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
fyodoralekseyev's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I can see why Orwell thought of this as one of his worst. I still thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it to be pretty brilliant. I think if it was written today, and retrofitted to make more sense today it'd be one of the best of the year it'd be published.
jajiya04's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sarajain's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
rosekk's review against another edition
3.0
The book had some things going for it. I liked the circular shape of the plot, with the main character arriving back where they started and the question of how their changed view points and experiences may actually affect their day to day life left to the reader to consider. It highlights the way the moment to moment aspects of life usually take precedent over the things that we would consciously think of as important.
Other aspects of the story did not work as well for me. The amnesia element of the plot annoyed me. Amnesia is a common (and frequently abused) trope, and usually I'm able to suspend disbelief when it comes to things like that. In this instance it came so suddenly out of nowhere, and got the most half-hearted explanation, that the whole idea seemed to loom over the book for me, even though it isn't all that important in relation to the rest of the story.
There's a section in the middle of the book where the style changes from a fairly standard 3rd-person past-tense, to snatches of conversation from a range of different characters, many of whom appear nowhere else in the book. On the one had, this actually does a fairly effective job of giving a sense of what that setting is like, and what the lives of people living like those characters might be like. On the other, it's a random one-off interruption to the book, and gives a window into a kind of life the main character quickly escapes and never really looks back to or reflects on. So while the idea worked in principle, the execution in the context of the rest of the book betrayed it.
So on the whole, there were ideas to admire in the book, but plenty else that held it back.
Other aspects of the story did not work as well for me. The amnesia element of the plot annoyed me. Amnesia is a common (and frequently abused) trope, and usually I'm able to suspend disbelief when it comes to things like that. In this instance it came so suddenly out of nowhere, and got the most half-hearted explanation, that the whole idea seemed to loom over the book for me, even though it isn't all that important in relation to the rest of the story.
There's a section in the middle of the book where the style changes from a fairly standard 3rd-person past-tense, to snatches of conversation from a range of different characters, many of whom appear nowhere else in the book. On the one had, this actually does a fairly effective job of giving a sense of what that setting is like, and what the lives of people living like those characters might be like. On the other, it's a random one-off interruption to the book, and gives a window into a kind of life the main character quickly escapes and never really looks back to or reflects on. So while the idea worked in principle, the execution in the context of the rest of the book betrayed it.
So on the whole, there were ideas to admire in the book, but plenty else that held it back.
willywoolley's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
lolabrown's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
madeliefw's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75