Homage to Catalonia (1938)

This is an interesting first-hand account of the Spanish Civil War. Beginning with Orwell's enlistment in December 1936 and ending with his fleeing Spain in June 1937, the book is notable for its descriptions of life on the front and for its keen-eyed observations of the politics in Barcelona during this critical time. Of particular interest is the way Orwell skewers both the press on the right and the left, and shows a strong contempt for those who would stretch the truth or outright lie in order to match the narrative of their side. In a world where accusations of "alternative facts" fly left and right, Orwell's take on this critical juncture in history remind us that, in the words of Mark Twain, "history never repeats itself but it rhymes."

The Folio Society edition of this book follows Orwell's request to his literary executor that the political chapters be moved to appendices at the end. It incorporates a number of photographs, posters, and other era illustrations that greatly add value to the reading experience. ( )

NA

A great but very non-chalant description of the Spanish civil war. Very interesting to see it from the perspective of an insider. ( )

7/10

A really interesting book by George Orwell, recounting his time fighting in the Spanish Civil War against the fascists in the P.O.U.M party. As a fan of 1984, this book was extremely interesting, as you could see Orwell's inspirations. Secret police, dangers of authoritarianism, propaganda and doctored media, witch hunts, etc all show up in this book.

I loved reading about the politics and cultural revolution happening in Catalonia at the time. The 3 way power dynamic between the Leninists, fascists, and anarchists/socialists was very interesting, with the eventual descent into right wing totalitarian communism. I was less interested in the actual war stories, however that was most of the book. I tend to just not be that interested in war stories. ( )

JG5