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A review by laurenjpegler
Notes on Nationalism by George Orwell
4.0
RATING 4.5 stars
I had a hunch I would enjoy this, but I didn't expect to like it so much. I've read a couple of Orwell's novels, and his political narratives tend to interest me more than anything else. He has such a way with describing contemporary affairs, whether that be politically, socially or economically. I just knew I had to pick this Penguin Modern up as soon as it was released, and I'm so glad that I did. This contains three essays from Orwell's larger collection Essays (which wasn't where these were originally published, but can now all be found).
The first essay was 'Notes on Nationalism', which discusses nationalism and how this blurs reality. People become manipulated and disillusioned by nationalism, thus leading them to be ignorant and lacking common sense. Out of all the essays, this was the one I found difficult to follow at times. I think it may be because I'm not that glued up on nationalism, and the way Orwell discussed it got confusing at times. However, despite this, it was very passionate and convincing. This, obviously, is a good thing - he put forward interesting arguments, which has made me want to read up on this topic more.
The second essay was 'antisemitism in Britain'. I really enjoyed this essay. It was something I'm quite familiar with, so I was constantly interested in his arguments. He wrote accessibly, and made references to a variety of literature that is bred on antisemitism. He highlighted the fact that almost everyone (I must point out, he was chiefly talking about Britain in this essay) is a perpetrator of Jew hating. It has been prevalent in society way before the war started, but it has since intensified with Hitler's regime. As I said, I really enjoyed this essay. Orwell pointed out the hypocrisy of his countrymen; he was biased, making him the perfect candidate to write about his nation. Definitely my favourite from the collection.
The last essay was 'The Sporting Spirit'. Orwell used sports, chiefly football and boxing, as metaphors for nationalism. He suggests that sport are wars without guns. They are bred on violence, patriotism, and nationalism. Sports implants the idea that their nation is the best, thus leading to prejudices and rivalries amongst countries. In all honesty, I didn't think I would like this essay. It's concern with sports (and I hated sports) but, surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. Orwell's arguments were extremely convincing. The way he used sports (an accessible and universal thing) as his main route to explore these ideas were extremely interesting.
I'd definitely recommend this. I can't wait to read the entirety of is Essays.
I had a hunch I would enjoy this, but I didn't expect to like it so much. I've read a couple of Orwell's novels, and his political narratives tend to interest me more than anything else. He has such a way with describing contemporary affairs, whether that be politically, socially or economically. I just knew I had to pick this Penguin Modern up as soon as it was released, and I'm so glad that I did. This contains three essays from Orwell's larger collection Essays (which wasn't where these were originally published, but can now all be found).
The first essay was 'Notes on Nationalism', which discusses nationalism and how this blurs reality. People become manipulated and disillusioned by nationalism, thus leading them to be ignorant and lacking common sense. Out of all the essays, this was the one I found difficult to follow at times. I think it may be because I'm not that glued up on nationalism, and the way Orwell discussed it got confusing at times. However, despite this, it was very passionate and convincing. This, obviously, is a good thing - he put forward interesting arguments, which has made me want to read up on this topic more.
The second essay was 'antisemitism in Britain'. I really enjoyed this essay. It was something I'm quite familiar with, so I was constantly interested in his arguments. He wrote accessibly, and made references to a variety of literature that is bred on antisemitism. He highlighted the fact that almost everyone (I must point out, he was chiefly talking about Britain in this essay) is a perpetrator of Jew hating. It has been prevalent in society way before the war started, but it has since intensified with Hitler's regime. As I said, I really enjoyed this essay. Orwell pointed out the hypocrisy of his countrymen; he was biased, making him the perfect candidate to write about his nation. Definitely my favourite from the collection.
The last essay was 'The Sporting Spirit'. Orwell used sports, chiefly football and boxing, as metaphors for nationalism. He suggests that sport are wars without guns. They are bred on violence, patriotism, and nationalism. Sports implants the idea that their nation is the best, thus leading to prejudices and rivalries amongst countries. In all honesty, I didn't think I would like this essay. It's concern with sports (and I hated sports) but, surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. Orwell's arguments were extremely convincing. The way he used sports (an accessible and universal thing) as his main route to explore these ideas were extremely interesting.
I'd definitely recommend this. I can't wait to read the entirety of is Essays.