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Homage To Catalonia

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Homage To Catalonia

By: George Orwell
Narrated by: Jeremy Northam
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Summary

Homage to Catalonia is George Orwell's account of his experiences fighting in the Spanish Civil War, and a portrait of disillusionment with his early politics. It also offers a personal background to the subtexts of his later novels, Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. Orwell's experiences include being shot in the neck by a sniper, and being forced into hiding as factions of the Left battled on the streets of Barcelona. Orwell entered Spain intending to gather an experience worth writing as well as to fight Fascism, and wrote Homage to Catalonia within months of his return. His honesty and bitterness make for an unparalleled account of his journey from belief and enthusiasm to a reluctant loss of ideals.

Jeremy Northam has narrated several audiobooks for CSA & Canongate: Orwell's semi-autobiographical account of life on the streets; Down and Out in Paris and London, Brideshead Revisted by Evelyn Waugh, and Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene.

©1938 The Estate of the Late Sonia Brownell Orwell Art & Literature Authors Military & War Travel Writing & Commentary War Military Civil War

Critic Reviews

"If 'peerless prose' could apply to one writer alone, I'd accord it to Orwell"
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Praise for previous CSA WORD recordings:

Simon Callow's remarkable narration brings out the many layers of Orwell's fable, from the light-hearted humour as the animals oust Mr Jones from Manor Farm. . . to the darkness of the Stalinist allegory

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"Given fresh life through this vigorous narration"
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Orwell is a masterful story teller, and this narrator does him splendid justice. This is a personal story set in a moment in history in which Spain became the centre of a global ideological struggle. Orwell provides timeless insights into class, society, humanity and the ever lingering left-right divide.

That said, Orwell seems to forget that he was in a foreign country of which he had almost no understanding, and was a foot soldier in broader struggle of which he had only a worms-eye view - and jumps to conclusions that are not necessarily well founded (thank you Paul Preston). For most of the English speaking world, this will be their only insight into the Spanish Civil War. That, unfortunately, does not make it an authoritative insight.

timeless

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Probably the best book I've listened to on audible. Orwell's retelling of his time fighting in the Spanish Civil War is as entertaining as it is informative. A true tale of the complexities of revolution, it is essential reading for a rounded political education.

Still a must read in 2020

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Nothing ever changes, the story is as new as today. The dancers change but the dance forever the same. Orwell’s simple, precise descriptions are as real as ever. One of the better descriptions of being shot. He gives too much oxygen to the evil that is communism, but maybe you have to be a believer before you can renounce this wicked cult.

The Road to 1984?

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I got this because I was going to Barcelona and thought it would be more insightful and relevant. but it's just an account of his time "fighting" in the Spanish revolution. I do know much more on the subject than I did and knowledge is always a good thing.

I am not really into war stories

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For someone who knows nothing about the Spanish civil war I found this fascinating. Orwell's direct way of writing and calling out what he sees as wrong I find delightful

Fascinating

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