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A review by sydsnot71
Essays by George Orwell
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.