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Title: My Country Right or Left 1940-1943: The Collected Essays Journalism & Letters of George Orwell (Collected Essays Journalism and Letters of George Orwell, Vol 2) by Sonia Orwell, Ian Angus, George Orwell ISBN: 1-56792-134-5 Publisher: David R Godine Pub. Date: October, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Some of the best essays in the English language
Comment: ...Country Right or Left is part of a four volume set of essays commissioned by Orwell's wife Sonia. Whatever the criticisms that have been made of her stewardship of Orwell's legacy, these four volumes contain much of the best of Orwell's essays, letters and diary excerpts. This volume covers the early war years and much of the writing is shaded by that war.
This is Orwell at his finest, on one hand a confirmed socialist dedicated to fighting the right whether the Tory party or fascism; one the other hand an anti-Stalinist and critic of the left and always an anti-totalitarian.
Contained within "My Country Right or Left" is some of Orwell's best writing. In "Pacifism and the War", a notorious piece at the time, he accuses pacifists of aiding the fascist cause. "The Art of Donald McGill" is an essay about, of all things, postcards that are popular among the middle and lower classes. The postcards themselves, Orwell argues, say much about England's political and social attitudes. It's actually a perceptive piece of pop art and social commentary. Among my favorites is the essay concerning Mark Twain (Mark Twain- Licensed Jester). Orwell, a great admirer of Twain's, is critical of him for not being forceful enough in his social criticism. He accusation is that Twain pulls his punches far too often. It's a great piece of criticism and is Orwell at his finest.
What holds a large amount of this Volume together are the letters to the Partisan Review, a New York publication that contracted with Orwell to write commentary on England during this early war period. The issues vary from English politics, reflections on the clothing worn by the masses, attitudes towards democracy and so on. All well written, never dull and very often wrong in their predictions. There is much more here including excerpts from his diary, letters to other major figures of the day and reflections on the Spanish Civil War.
This is some of the greatest essay writing in the English language. Even sixty years later the essay's read clearly and give insight to Orwell's thinking.
Rating: 5
Summary: Orwell--the Noam Chomsky of the War Era
Comment: This is a great collection of essays and other writers by one of the foremost socialist critics of totalitarianism and domination. It is also a great book for admires of writers such as Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn and Edward said, as all share the same overarching purpose: to be a tireless critic of power and domination wherever it may be found. It is ironic to the extreme that so many conservative revisionists attempt to claim Orwell as their own, which is due to the tragically myopic misreading of his writings, especailly 1984 and Animal Farm. Both books are condemnations of totalitarianism, and in the case of Animal farm, the final page attests to Orwell's repugnance of capitalism. Let it not be forgotten that Orwell fought in the Spanish Civil War in the aid of the socialist-anarchists. This is truly a great collection, which should be required reading for those who may not be familar with Orwell's non-fiction work.
Rating: 5
Summary: Forceful, spare and morally incisive prose
Comment: This is the second volume of the four that make up Orwell's collected essays, journalism and letters. It is a fascinating work of political and literary commentary and commitment, written at one of the darkest moments in British history, when our nation was under attack from an enemy of monstrous evil.
Not the least inspiring aspect of Orwell's writings at this time - highly topical now, as the free world confronts terrorism - was his determination to rebut the defeatism of leftist intellectuals. This volume contains his famous and invigorating exchange, from the American magazine Partisan Review, with some minor literary figures (a forgotten poet named D.S. Savage; the future writer on sex, Alex Comfort) about the merits of pacifism. Orwell tells the peace campaigners of his day (this was in 1942) defiantly, "Pacifism is objectively pro-Fascist. This is elementary common sense. If you hamper the war effort of one side you automatically help out that of the other. Nor is there any real way of remaining outside such a war as the present one. In practice, 'he that is not with me is against me.' "
That devastating truth has great modern relevance. Those who suppose such people as Noam Chomsky and Susan Sontag to be serious social critics would do particularly well to read this book.
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Title: In Front of Your Nose, 1945-1950 (Collected Essays Journalism and Letters of George Orwell, Vol 4) by George Orwell, Ian Angus, Sonia Orwell ISBN: 1567921361 Publisher: David R Godine Pub. Date: October, 2000 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: George Orwell: An Age Like This 1920-1940: The Collected Essays, Journalism & Letters (Collected Essays Journalim and Letters of George Orwell, Vol 1) by George Orwell, Ian Angus, Sonia Orwell ISBN: 1567921337 Publisher: David R Godine Pub. Date: 31 October, 2000 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell ISBN: 0156421178 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: October, 1969 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Why Orwell Matters by Christopher Hitchens ISBN: 0465030491 Publisher: Basic Books Pub. Date: 17 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
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Title: The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell ISBN: 0156767503 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: September, 1973 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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