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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
George Orwell was one of the most significant writers of the 20th century. Partly it’s the man, partly the era that he lived through. Of Orwell’s novels, most are fair, one or two extraordinary, Animal Farm’s re-enactment of the major stages of any revolutionary uprising being his best. For high grade Orwell though, you have to turn to his non-fiction.
The Road to Wigan Pier, like Down and Out in Paris and London, is a book of two halves. The first half depicts Orwell’s experiences travelling around the industrial towns of Lancashire and Yorkshire in the 1930s, investigating the conditions of the poor. The second half is written in essay form. It examines class consciousness and is Orwell’s passionate defence of socialism. It contains the famous words, ‘The working classes smell’.
Which is what the middle class were taught, we are told, and Orwell takes his own strata of society to task for their snobbish attitudes to those lower down the food chain. However, as with all his writings, it as much what The Road to Wigan Pier tellsus about an important epoch in history that matters. Thirties politics was dynamic, unlike today, with widely divergent opinions fighting for supremacy, occasionally even fighting side by side. The road to Wigan Pier led George Orwell all the way to Catalonia to sign up against the fascists. These days he’d be labelled an insurgent.
The Road to Wigan Pier isn’t patronising or pompous, it merely sets out Orwell’s observations and his opinions and asks that they be added to the aggregate of intellectual thought on the subject. That it is done with such forthrightness is all the better. And yet like so many books written against the backdrop of the great depression, The Road to Wigan Pier speaks to the modern world with new relevance. It reminds us how far Britain has come.
The Road to Wigan Pier, like Down and Out in Paris and London, is a book of two halves. The first half depicts Orwell’s experiences travelling around the industrial towns of Lancashire and Yorkshire in the 1930s, investigating the conditions of the poor. The second half is written in essay form. It examines class consciousness and is Orwell’s passionate defence of socialism. It contains the famous words, ‘The working classes smell’.
Which is what the middle class were taught, we are told, and Orwell takes his own strata of society to task for their snobbish attitudes to those lower down the food chain. However, as with all his writings, it as much what The Road to Wigan Pier tellsus about an important epoch in history that matters. Thirties politics was dynamic, unlike today, with widely divergent opinions fighting for supremacy, occasionally even fighting side by side. The road to Wigan Pier led George Orwell all the way to Catalonia to sign up against the fascists. These days he’d be labelled an insurgent.
The Road to Wigan Pier isn’t patronising or pompous, it merely sets out Orwell’s observations and his opinions and asks that they be added to the aggregate of intellectual thought on the subject. That it is done with such forthrightness is all the better. And yet like so many books written against the backdrop of the great depression, The Road to Wigan Pier speaks to the modern world with new relevance. It reminds us how far Britain has come.
Another essay style memoir of his time living with the working class and seeing how bad the conditions are for those performing the necessary and sometimes unsafe jobs that don’t pay well, but can be done by those who can perform physical labour. The second part of the book is more of a look at society as a whole and the types of class approaches including capitalism, communism and socialism. Another very interesting read from early 20th century England before the 2nd world war.
This is a mostly great read. Orwell's depiction of poverty and his ultimate conclusion are fantastic. His visions of the future and grasp of Science Fiction seems less sound, though I admit it's been awhile since I read [b:Brave New World|5129|Brave New World|Aldous Huxley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575509280l/5129._SY75_.jpg|3204877]. I also thought his picturesque depiction of a working class family that Orwell believes will be lost in 200 years to be a little overly romanticized. Despite these flaws, I think this might be an essential read for everyone.
I have wanted to read this for ages. I wasn’t disappointed. Particularly liked passages in Chapter X such as :
“every revolutionary opinion draws part of its strength from a secret conviction that nothing can be changed”
and
“This is the inevitable fate of the sentimentalist. All his opinions change into their opposites at the first brush with reality”.
Made me smile.
“every revolutionary opinion draws part of its strength from a secret conviction that nothing can be changed”
and
“This is the inevitable fate of the sentimentalist. All his opinions change into their opposites at the first brush with reality”.
Made me smile.
Boek in twee delen. In het eerste deel ontstond er bij toch wat ongemak tijdens het lezen; een relatief welvarende schrijver (zeker niet rijk) die over de aller armste van zijn land schrijft. Ondanks dat er altijd wel een zeker niveau van respect aanwezig was in zijn teksten en hij fantastisch beeldend kan schrijven bleef het vreemd lezen.
Het tweede deel bestond eigenlijk uit een serie van essays over het ‘Brits zijn’, sociale en economische klassen en het Socialisme die ik met heel veel plezier heb gelezen. Deze werkte ook zeer verklarend voor het eerste deel van het boek. Al met al van genoten!
Het tweede deel bestond eigenlijk uit een serie van essays over het ‘Brits zijn’, sociale en economische klassen en het Socialisme die ik met heel veel plezier heb gelezen. Deze werkte ook zeer verklarend voor het eerste deel van het boek. Al met al van genoten!
“We need to talk less about ‘capitalists’ and ‘proletarians” and refer to them more as ‘the robbers’ and ‘the robbed’.”
The book ends or this were phenomenal. The exploration of working class life, particularly situations in coal mines and in lower class housing in Britain, and the end with its criticism of socialistic organizing inadequacies were so relevant and accurate even for today’s ever more fascist-sympathizing culture.
It’s a shame that none of what Orwell discusses here was ever culturally internalized or implemented, but this can still serve as a hopeful and thoughtful playbook for improving discuss of morality and social progress, liberty, and justice in a society trending toward fascism. And, if orwell’s prophecy proves accurate, reframed and refined evangelization of socialistic principles is the only real counter to fascism in the modern “mechanized” society.
Plenty here to be critiqued (like orwell’s unique ability to pretentiously side with the unpretentious), but I found it all so interesting and insightful.
The book ends or this were phenomenal. The exploration of working class life, particularly situations in coal mines and in lower class housing in Britain, and the end with its criticism of socialistic organizing inadequacies were so relevant and accurate even for today’s ever more fascist-sympathizing culture.
It’s a shame that none of what Orwell discusses here was ever culturally internalized or implemented, but this can still serve as a hopeful and thoughtful playbook for improving discuss of morality and social progress, liberty, and justice in a society trending toward fascism. And, if orwell’s prophecy proves accurate, reframed and refined evangelization of socialistic principles is the only real counter to fascism in the modern “mechanized” society.
Plenty here to be critiqued (like orwell’s unique ability to pretentiously side with the unpretentious), but I found it all so interesting and insightful.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected, especially after some of the other reviews I read. The second half especially gave an interesting insight into George Orwell and his views.
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
informative
fast-paced
challenging
hopeful
fast-paced