Sometimes referred to as the staging ground for World War II, the Spanish Civil War was the first major arena where communists were pitted against fascists. As a result of global powers like the US and UK refusing to get involved, thousands of volunteers from Western nations flooded into Spain to help fight the fascist-backed Nationalists led by Francisco Franco. One of these volunteers was George Orwell, and Homage to Catalonia recalls his time fighting on the Aragon front for the Partido Obrero de Unificacion Marxista (POUM), a rather small group of anti-Stalinist revolutionaries.
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Orwell's decision to join the POUM was more or less by accident, based on connections he had through the British Independent Labor Party. Orwell actually arrived in Spain at the end of 1936 with little historical context of the war and unaware of the complicated factions fighting against the fascists. "I was not only uninterested in the political situation but unaware of it," Orwell writes. "If you had asked me what I was fighting for, I should have answered: 'Common decency.'" In a chapter perhaps better saved for an appendix, Orwell provides clarity around the hodgepodge of political parties and trade unions that make up the "horrors of party politics."
‍
Stationed in a sleepy post for several months, where nothing really happens, Orwell goes on leave with his wife to Barcelona for a few days. While there, he becomes embroiled in street fighting between the various Republican factions—particularly the Communist militia and his Marxist militia—in what is now referred to as the May Days of 1937. There seems to be some engineering for the fall of the Marxist militia and POUM members become denounced as undercover agents of fascism. As a result, they're unjustly persecuted, taken into jail, and shot. Orwell and his wife manage to narrowly escape the situation and flee successfully to France.
‍
Coming into the war mostly ignorant and leaving barely speaking Spanish, Orwell is not the most reliable narrator. In fact, he warns: "Beware of my partisanship, my mistakes of fact, and the distortion inevitably caused by my having seen only one corner of events." While more of a travel essay than a comprehensive historical analysis, Homage to Catalonia is nonetheless an insightful and (for the most part) enjoyable read—admittedly my attention drifted during the two appendix-like chapters. It's interesting to connect Orwell's observations of the political machines at work and the duplicitous liberal media outlets to his later dystopian themes, i.e. 1984's Ministry of Truth. And I particularly appreciated his wit, mangy depictions of war, and matter-of-fact style.
‍
This style is epitomized during one of my favorite passages of the memoir, when a bullet pierces through Orwell's throat and death flashes before his eyes: "My first thought was, conventionally enough, for my wife. My second was a violent resentment at having to leave this world which, when all is said and done, suits me so well. I had time to feel this very vividly. The stupid mischance infuriated me. The meaningless of it! To be bumped off, not even in battle, but in this stale corner of the trenches, thanks to a moment’s carelessness.” Rather than embroidering this moment with poetic descriptions or melodramatic reflections, Orwell recalls the event with a stark, almost detached realism.
‍
For those who appreciate a raw, authentic portrayal of the human experience, I will always recommend Orwell.
Sometimes referred to as the staging ground for World War II, the Spanish Civil War was the first major arena where communists were pitted against fascists. As a result of global powers like the US and UK refusing to get involved, thousands of volunteers from Western nations flooded into Spain to help fight the fascist-backed Nationalists led by Francisco Franco. One of these volunteers was George Orwell, and Homage to Catalonia recalls his time fighting on the Aragon front for the Partido Obrero de Unificacion Marxista (POUM), a rather small group of anti-Stalinist revolutionaries.
‍
Orwell's decision to join the POUM was more or less by accident, based on connections he had through the British Independent Labor Party. Orwell actually arrived in Spain at the end of 1936 with little historical context of the war and unaware of the complicated factions fighting against the fascists. "I was not only uninterested in the political situation but unaware of it," Orwell writes. "If you had asked me what I was fighting for, I should have answered: 'Common decency.'" In a chapter perhaps better saved for an appendix, Orwell provides clarity around the hodgepodge of political parties and trade unions that make up the "horrors of party politics."
‍
Stationed in a sleepy post for several months, where nothing really happens, Orwell goes on leave with his wife to Barcelona for a few days. While there, he becomes embroiled in street fighting between the various Republican factions—particularly the Communist militia and his Marxist militia—in what is now referred to as the May Days of 1937. There seems to be some engineering for the fall of the Marxist militia and POUM members become denounced as undercover agents of fascism. As a result, they're unjustly persecuted, taken into jail, and shot. Orwell and his wife manage to narrowly escape the situation and flee successfully to France.
‍
Coming into the war mostly ignorant and leaving barely speaking Spanish, Orwell is not the most reliable narrator. In fact, he warns: "Beware of my partisanship, my mistakes of fact, and the distortion inevitably caused by my having seen only one corner of events." While more of a travel essay than a comprehensive historical analysis, Homage to Catalonia is nonetheless an insightful and (for the most part) enjoyable read—admittedly my attention drifted during the two appendix-like chapters. It's interesting to connect Orwell's observations of the political machines at work and the duplicitous liberal media outlets to his later dystopian themes, i.e. 1984's Ministry of Truth. And I particularly appreciated his wit, mangy depictions of war, and matter-of-fact style.
‍
This style is epitomized during one of my favorite passages of the memoir, when a bullet pierces through Orwell's throat and death flashes before his eyes: "My first thought was, conventionally enough, for my wife. My second was a violent resentment at having to leave this world which, when all is said and done, suits me so well. I had time to feel this very vividly. The stupid mischance infuriated me. The meaningless of it! To be bumped off, not even in battle, but in this stale corner of the trenches, thanks to a moment’s carelessness.” Rather than embroidering this moment with poetic descriptions or melodramatic reflections, Orwell recalls the event with a stark, almost detached realism.
‍
For those who appreciate a raw, authentic portrayal of the human experience, I will always recommend Orwell.
Sometimes referred to as the staging ground for World War II, the Spanish Civil War was the first major arena where communists were pitted against fascists. As a result of global powers like the US and UK refusing to get involved, thousands of volunteers from Western nations flooded into Spain to help fight the fascist-backed Nationalists led by Francisco Franco. One of these volunteers was George Orwell, and Homage to Catalonia recalls his time fighting on the Aragon front for the Partido Obrero de Unificacion Marxista (POUM), a rather small group of anti-Stalinist revolutionaries.
‍
Orwell's decision to join the POUM was more or less by accident, based on connections he had through the British Independent Labor Party. Orwell actually arrived in Spain at the end of 1936 with little historical context of the war and unaware of the complicated factions fighting against the fascists. "I was not only uninterested in the political situation but unaware of it," Orwell writes. "If you had asked me what I was fighting for, I should have answered: 'Common decency.'" In a chapter perhaps better saved for an appendix, Orwell provides clarity around the hodgepodge of political parties and trade unions that make up the "horrors of party politics."
‍
Stationed in a sleepy post for several months, where nothing really happens, Orwell goes on leave with his wife to Barcelona for a few days. While there, he becomes embroiled in street fighting between the various Republican factions—particularly the Communist militia and his Marxist militia—in what is now referred to as the May Days of 1937. There seems to be some engineering for the fall of the Marxist militia and POUM members become denounced as undercover agents of fascism. As a result, they're unjustly persecuted, taken into jail, and shot. Orwell and his wife manage to narrowly escape the situation and flee successfully to France.
‍
Coming into the war mostly ignorant and leaving barely speaking Spanish, Orwell is not the most reliable narrator. In fact, he warns: "Beware of my partisanship, my mistakes of fact, and the distortion inevitably caused by my having seen only one corner of events." While more of a travel essay than a comprehensive historical analysis, Homage to Catalonia is nonetheless an insightful and (for the most part) enjoyable read—admittedly my attention drifted during the two appendix-like chapters. It's interesting to connect Orwell's observations of the political machines at work and the duplicitous liberal media outlets to his later dystopian themes, i.e. 1984's Ministry of Truth. And I particularly appreciated his wit, mangy depictions of war, and matter-of-fact style.
‍
This style is epitomized during one of my favorite passages of the memoir, when a bullet pierces through Orwell's throat and death flashes before his eyes: "My first thought was, conventionally enough, for my wife. My second was a violent resentment at having to leave this world which, when all is said and done, suits me so well. I had time to feel this very vividly. The stupid mischance infuriated me. The meaningless of it! To be bumped off, not even in battle, but in this stale corner of the trenches, thanks to a moment’s carelessness.” Rather than embroidering this moment with poetic descriptions or melodramatic reflections, Orwell recalls the event with a stark, almost detached realism.
‍
For those who appreciate a raw, authentic portrayal of the human experience, I will always recommend Orwell.
Sometimes referred to as the staging ground for World War II, the Spanish Civil War was the first major arena where communists were pitted against fascists. As a result of global powers like the US and UK refusing to get involved, thousands of volunteers from Western nations flooded into Spain to help fight the fascist-backed Nationalists led by Francisco Franco. One of these volunteers was George Orwell, and Homage to Catalonia recalls his time fighting on the Aragon front for the Partido Obrero de Unificacion Marxista (POUM), a rather small group of anti-Stalinist revolutionaries.
‍
Orwell's decision to join the POUM was more or less by accident, based on connections he had through the British Independent Labor Party. Orwell actually arrived in Spain at the end of 1936 with little historical context of the war and unaware of the complicated factions fighting against the fascists. "I was not only uninterested in the political situation but unaware of it," Orwell writes. "If you had asked me what I was fighting for, I should have answered: 'Common decency.'" In a chapter perhaps better saved for an appendix, Orwell provides clarity around the hodgepodge of political parties and trade unions that make up the "horrors of party politics."
‍
Stationed in a sleepy post for several months, where nothing really happens, Orwell goes on leave with his wife to Barcelona for a few days. While there, he becomes embroiled in street fighting between the various Republican factions—particularly the Communist militia and his Marxist militia—in what is now referred to as the May Days of 1937. There seems to be some engineering for the fall of the Marxist militia and POUM members become denounced as undercover agents of fascism. As a result, they're unjustly persecuted, taken into jail, and shot. Orwell and his wife manage to narrowly escape the situation and flee successfully to France.
‍
Coming into the war mostly ignorant and leaving barely speaking Spanish, Orwell is not the most reliable narrator. In fact, he warns: "Beware of my partisanship, my mistakes of fact, and the distortion inevitably caused by my having seen only one corner of events." While more of a travel essay than a comprehensive historical analysis, Homage to Catalonia is nonetheless an insightful and (for the most part) enjoyable read—admittedly my attention drifted during the two appendix-like chapters. It's interesting to connect Orwell's observations of the political machines at work and the duplicitous liberal media outlets to his later dystopian themes, i.e. 1984's Ministry of Truth. And I particularly appreciated his wit, mangy depictions of war, and matter-of-fact style.
‍
This style is epitomized during one of my favorite passages of the memoir, when a bullet pierces through Orwell's throat and death flashes before his eyes: "My first thought was, conventionally enough, for my wife. My second was a violent resentment at having to leave this world which, when all is said and done, suits me so well. I had time to feel this very vividly. The stupid mischance infuriated me. The meaningless of it! To be bumped off, not even in battle, but in this stale corner of the trenches, thanks to a moment’s carelessness.” Rather than embroidering this moment with poetic descriptions or melodramatic reflections, Orwell recalls the event with a stark, almost detached realism.
‍
For those who appreciate a raw, authentic portrayal of the human experience, I will always recommend Orwell.
Sometimes referred to as the staging ground for World War II, the Spanish Civil War was the first major arena where communists were pitted against fascists. As a result of global powers like the US and UK refusing to get involved, thousands of volunteers from Western nations flooded into Spain to help fight the fascist-backed Nationalists led by Francisco Franco. One of these volunteers was George Orwell, and Homage to Catalonia recalls his time fighting on the Aragon front for the Partido Obrero de Unificacion Marxista (POUM), a rather small group of anti-Stalinist revolutionaries.
‍
Orwell's decision to join the POUM was more or less by accident, based on connections he had through the British Independent Labor Party. Orwell actually arrived in Spain at the end of 1936 with little historical context of the war and unaware of the complicated factions fighting against the fascists. "I was not only uninterested in the political situation but unaware of it," Orwell writes. "If you had asked me what I was fighting for, I should have answered: 'Common decency.'" In a chapter perhaps better saved for an appendix, Orwell provides clarity around the hodgepodge of political parties and trade unions that make up the "horrors of party politics."
‍
Stationed in a sleepy post for several months, where nothing really happens, Orwell goes on leave with his wife to Barcelona for a few days. While there, he becomes embroiled in street fighting between the various Republican factions—particularly the Communist militia and his Marxist militia—in what is now referred to as the May Days of 1937. There seems to be some engineering for the fall of the Marxist militia and POUM members become denounced as undercover agents of fascism. As a result, they're unjustly persecuted, taken into jail, and shot. Orwell and his wife manage to narrowly escape the situation and flee successfully to France.
‍
Coming into the war mostly ignorant and leaving barely speaking Spanish, Orwell is not the most reliable narrator. In fact, he warns: "Beware of my partisanship, my mistakes of fact, and the distortion inevitably caused by my having seen only one corner of events." While more of a travel essay than a comprehensive historical analysis, Homage to Catalonia is nonetheless an insightful and (for the most part) enjoyable read—admittedly my attention drifted during the two appendix-like chapters. It's interesting to connect Orwell's observations of the political machines at work and the duplicitous liberal media outlets to his later dystopian themes, i.e. 1984's Ministry of Truth. And I particularly appreciated his wit, mangy depictions of war, and matter-of-fact style.
‍
This style is epitomized during one of my favorite passages of the memoir, when a bullet pierces through Orwell's throat and death flashes before his eyes: "My first thought was, conventionally enough, for my wife. My second was a violent resentment at having to leave this world which, when all is said and done, suits me so well. I had time to feel this very vividly. The stupid mischance infuriated me. The meaningless of it! To be bumped off, not even in battle, but in this stale corner of the trenches, thanks to a moment’s carelessness.” Rather than embroidering this moment with poetic descriptions or melodramatic reflections, Orwell recalls the event with a stark, almost detached realism.
‍
For those who appreciate a raw, authentic portrayal of the human experience, I will always recommend Orwell.
