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rainbowbookworm's review
4.0
Musings on Orwell, his life, his roses, other roses, the themes he tackled in his writings, and what feels like related marginalia. Each essay is fascinating in its own right.
caropullen's review
4.0
Especially loved hearing about her trip to the Bogotá rose factory, Stalin’s lemon trees and Rebecca’s appreciation for Jaffa cakes - “…soft cookies with a layer of marmalade capped with dark chocolate.”
Thank you Donna for my signed copy of this book x
Thank you Donna for my signed copy of this book x
emmaemooney's review
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Rebecca Solnit never ceases to amaze me with her intelligent and graceful prose, and to somehow be a poet, art historian, and social scientist all at the same time, among other things. Some chapters definitely stood out more than others to me, and many of them confidently stand alone (loved the one about Tina Modotti). I listened on audiobook but would love a hard copy to revisit some of my favorite sections.
Let me also add that, especially if you haven’t read Solnit before, you certainly don’t need to be familiar with or even specifically interested in Orwell to begin with, to enjoy this book. Solnit weaves together a multitude of topic related to him, to roses, and the contexts of both.
Let me also add that, especially if you haven’t read Solnit before, you certainly don’t need to be familiar with or even specifically interested in Orwell to begin with, to enjoy this book. Solnit weaves together a multitude of topic related to him, to roses, and the contexts of both.
exactly_here's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
papelgren's review against another edition
4.0
Solnit's book is a stunner. Relevant, thoughtful, and surprising. She uses one small fact about Orwell to dive down many engaging rabbit holes about imperialism, capitalism, and fascism. The bits of reportage about rose production and Orwell's personal history are a gift, but the real strength is her ability to meditate on language and the state of the world using gorgeous language all her own.