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thayawar's review against another edition
4.0
Juicy, gritty, super interesting and I loved Orwell’s sassy little side memes about Spanish and Catalonians !! Also hilarious that he flexes that he couldn’t fight because nowhere in Spain did they make shoes big enough for his feet so he was waiting on a cobbler to make him some :’)))
sylviatp's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.25
biglupa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.25
solbloch's review against another edition
5.0
"Meanwhile nothing happened, nothing ever happened."
It's getting tiring to call every book I read an imperishable must-read, but I have a hard time thinking of a person with any interest in literature or history who would not appreciate this book. To the nonpolitical, there will be some drudgery to get through, especially the long passages comparing the Anarchist/Trotskyist groups -- UGT, the CNT-FAI, the POUM -- and the Communists/Stalinists -- the PSUC. Important no doubt, as these are parties to the conflict in Barcelona (well, the PSUC controlled police, and the CNT-FAI and POUM mostly, if memory serves).
On this issue of CNT-FAI/UGT/POUM vs PSUC is where my personal political views diverge from that of Orwell, and where I struggle to see why the Anarchist groups should not disband and give in truly to helping the government win the war. It appears true that their contribution seems to have been of vital importance in the beginning of the war, but it seems to me that all else being equal, the more organized military force will win, from that premise perhaps the militiamen should have earlier acquiesced to the government's will and disbanded. As the POUM did later become the 29th.
Either way, if you disagree with Orwell's bias, which he makes clear time and time again, you are free to do so well within the bounds of the text. He provides the Communist lines on all these issues which are naturally ridiculous. Having recently read the first in a three part biography of Stalin, I can see through the Pravda-esque lines in all the Communist papers cited. That being said, it cannot be missed that Orwell relies often on eye witness mostly from POUM/CNT-FAI sources, the veracity of which could be doubted. Without having read more history, I find myself unable to make sure claims about a lot of historical events in the book.
Meanwhile, I have yet to mention that this primarily is a document about the Spanish Civil War, a fight between the Republican Government and the Fascist Franco supporters. Well, that somehow is a less important part of the book than the infighting. In a macro view, Orwell notes that he agrees that the war should be the focus over the internecine struggle of Anarchists and Communists, however, he dedicates massive portions of the book to decrying the Communist propaganda, and defending the Anarchist view on issues. I'm in no position to hypothesize the result of the a People's Army absorbing the militia, but it does seem somewhat useful.
Leaving to last to mention Orwell's description of Spain and Spaniards, absolute gold. The Spanish soul, not one for totalitarianism, shown when the police searching Mrs. Orwell's room thoroughly, except for searching in and under the bed for "they were also Spaniards, and to turn a woman out of bed was a little too much for them." The Spanish soul, one of deep humanity and decency, shines through every page. Though throughout much of Orwell's time on the front, the action is stifled somewhat, the occasional terror of war does slip through, the contrast striking.
It's getting tiring to call every book I read an imperishable must-read, but I have a hard time thinking of a person with any interest in literature or history who would not appreciate this book. To the nonpolitical, there will be some drudgery to get through, especially the long passages comparing the Anarchist/Trotskyist groups -- UGT, the CNT-FAI, the POUM -- and the Communists/Stalinists -- the PSUC. Important no doubt, as these are parties to the conflict in Barcelona (well, the PSUC controlled police, and the CNT-FAI and POUM mostly, if memory serves).
On this issue of CNT-FAI/UGT/POUM vs PSUC is where my personal political views diverge from that of Orwell, and where I struggle to see why the Anarchist groups should not disband and give in truly to helping the government win the war. It appears true that their contribution seems to have been of vital importance in the beginning of the war, but it seems to me that all else being equal, the more organized military force will win, from that premise perhaps the militiamen should have earlier acquiesced to the government's will and disbanded. As the POUM did later become the 29th.
Either way, if you disagree with Orwell's bias, which he makes clear time and time again, you are free to do so well within the bounds of the text. He provides the Communist lines on all these issues which are naturally ridiculous. Having recently read the first in a three part biography of Stalin, I can see through the Pravda-esque lines in all the Communist papers cited. That being said, it cannot be missed that Orwell relies often on eye witness mostly from POUM/CNT-FAI sources, the veracity of which could be doubted. Without having read more history, I find myself unable to make sure claims about a lot of historical events in the book.
Meanwhile, I have yet to mention that this primarily is a document about the Spanish Civil War, a fight between the Republican Government and the Fascist Franco supporters. Well, that somehow is a less important part of the book than the infighting. In a macro view, Orwell notes that he agrees that the war should be the focus over the internecine struggle of Anarchists and Communists, however, he dedicates massive portions of the book to decrying the Communist propaganda, and defending the Anarchist view on issues. I'm in no position to hypothesize the result of the a People's Army absorbing the militia, but it does seem somewhat useful.
Leaving to last to mention Orwell's description of Spain and Spaniards, absolute gold. The Spanish soul, not one for totalitarianism, shown when the police searching Mrs. Orwell's room thoroughly, except for searching in and under the bed for "they were also Spaniards, and to turn a woman out of bed was a little too much for them." The Spanish soul, one of deep humanity and decency, shines through every page. Though throughout much of Orwell's time on the front, the action is stifled somewhat, the occasional terror of war does slip through, the contrast striking.
A shell comes screaming over. Children of fifteen fling themselves on their faces. The cook dodges behind the cauldron. Everyone rises with a sheepish expression as the shell plunges and booms a hundred yards away.
I am walking up and down the line of sentries, under the dark boughs of the poplars. In the flooded ditch outside the rats are paddling about, making as much noise as otters. As the yellow dawn comes up behind us, the Andalusian sentry, muffled in his cloak, begins singing. Across no man's land, a hundred or two hundred yards away, you can hear the Fascist sentry also singing.