Sunday 17 November 2013

George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia




George Orwell is an enigma to me. A very great one. I just get engrossed in anything he has written. He has the ability to be depressing, defeatist, morose and yet... 

I can't put down anything he writes. I've never known anyone as compelling as this man.

This is a biographic tale of his soul-searching exploits during the Spanish Civil War. I think this is the pinnacle of his lifetime endeavour and real sacrifice for an alternative way of life via socialism. His personal quest.

This is the journey, through his remarkable life, where I believe he realised equality can't work. Especially when he tried to fight in the anarchist's brigade during this terrible civil war in Spain.

After this came Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty Four. Orwell's great works of defeatism reigning supreme. They are the final stage through his life's journey of searching and deep thinking. Sometimes via essays, biographical experience or theoretical fiction.

This author is truly brilliant and you can see the development of his thinking if you read his publications in order.

Homage to Catalonia is a very important book - a very important book indeed. I think it marked the turning point of his search. The part where he threw in the towel while searching for a better way. I think he gave up at this point and the two of his greatest works were to follow.




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