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A review by velarin
W hołdzie Katalonii by George Orwell
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
I enjoyed Orwell's dry way of writing in his fiction but Homage to Catalonia was a tough one to get through.
The descriptions of daily life in wartime, experience of living in the trenches were a highlight of his book.
The political aspects of the war however? Almost made me stop reading. For someone without the grasp on the history of Spanish Civil War, this book did not clarify a lot. Which is understandable because it was written by a contemporary for people of his time but so much of its depth was completely lost on me.
It was, however, fascinating to see the seeds planted in Orwell's mind by the experience of this war that later flourished in 1984 and Animal Farm. What was really inspiring as well was Orwell's constant reminding about his bias. It was so refreshing to see a political writer exclaim "Yes, I am biased, take that into account." I had fun watching him mercilessly critique fascists and communists.
The descriptions of daily life in wartime, experience of living in the trenches were a highlight of his book.
The political aspects of the war however? Almost made me stop reading. For someone without the grasp on the history of Spanish Civil War, this book did not clarify a lot. Which is understandable because it was written by a contemporary for people of his time but so much of its depth was completely lost on me.
It was, however, fascinating to see the seeds planted in Orwell's mind by the experience of this war that later flourished in 1984 and Animal Farm. What was really inspiring as well was Orwell's constant reminding about his bias. It was so refreshing to see a political writer exclaim "Yes, I am biased, take that into account." I had fun watching him mercilessly critique fascists and communists.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War