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jessife's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Racism, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Homophobia, Ableism, Racial slurs, and Misogyny
It’s ‘of its time’ but the casual discrimination is pretty jarring. That aside it’s an interesting readguaylibro's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Worth a read for Orwell fans, people interested in working class history, or armchair psychologists who'd like to read about people at their lowest.
Enjoyable for me to see Orwell's early writing and opinions (or lack of opinions) in a whimsical story, which should for all its content, be far less whimsical. A lot of dark themes, misogyny, and anti-semitism glossed over unconsciously, which makes it a very different look at Orwell as a young man, rather than the older, wiser, more ideological and reflective Orwell I'm familiar with.
That lack of guidance, and only occasional politicising, makes it a much more open read. It feels like an account of events that you can view whichever angle you like, instead the usual firm political treatise.
Enjoyable for me to see Orwell's early writing and opinions (or lack of opinions) in a whimsical story, which should for all its content, be far less whimsical. A lot of dark themes, misogyny, and anti-semitism glossed over unconsciously, which makes it a very different look at Orwell as a young man, rather than the older, wiser, more ideological and reflective Orwell I'm familiar with.
That lack of guidance, and only occasional politicising, makes it a much more open read. It feels like an account of events that you can view whichever angle you like, instead the usual firm political treatise.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Rape
Moderate: Antisemitism and Misogyny
Minor: Murder
elsemma's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
I have read many reviews of this book since finishing it yesterday and not one mentioned that the first chapter is essentially just a rape scene?? I knew what this book was about generally but this was very unexpected. I also don’t see what it added? Maybe this is a very modern perspective but I feel like a brutal attack should add something to the overall argument of the book and this didn’t? I felt like Orwell gave a better description of the characters throughout that this “scene setting”
Anyway, overall this book was okay. Like I said I knew the overall ideas of this book and so nothing overly shocked me. Orwell’s ability to describe is of course on show here and it as always is exemplary.
He also makes extremely valid points about poverty and the experience of it that I think this book can be used (even today) as a way to explain poverty to someone who has never felt it.
That being said, I feel like there were parts which were monotonous? This book shouldn’t have been shorter by any means but sometimes I feel like Orwell goes too simple.
Anyway, overall this book was okay. Like I said I knew the overall ideas of this book and so nothing overly shocked me. Orwell’s ability to describe is of course on show here and it as always is exemplary.
He also makes extremely valid points about poverty and the experience of it that I think this book can be used (even today) as a way to explain poverty to someone who has never felt it.
That being said, I feel like there were parts which were monotonous? This book shouldn’t have been shorter by any means but sometimes I feel like Orwell goes too simple.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: Sexism, Misogyny, and Alcohol
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