Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
46th out of 114 books
—
19 voters
All Art Is Propaganda: Critical Essays
As a critic, George Orwell cast a wide net. Equally at home discussing Charles Dickens and Charlie Chaplin, he moved back and forth across the porous borders between essay and journalism, high art and low. A frequent commentator on literature, language, film, and drama throughout his career, Orwell turned increasingly to the critical essay in the 1940s, when his most impor...more
Hardcover, 374 pages
Published
October 13th 2008
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
(first published January 1941)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
862)
Orwell: All Art is Propaganda: Critical Essays
In a column on the most famous essay included in this new volume, 'Politics and the English Language' (1946) Robert Fulford drops the rather original suggestion that Orwell's failure to notice Churchill's splendid wartime speeches--in an essay eplicitly devoted to rigorous analysis of double talk and obfuscation in the political rhetoric of his day--was a proof of Orwell's reverse snobbery. Que?
Truth is you could make a pretty good case for Orwell...more
Collection of critical essays. Some very short notes on what stood out.
Some positive reviews of contemporary literature and film. Henry Miller stands out in his view for rediscovering aspects of personal life. He gives Rudyard Kipling a good drubbing for his sadist tendencies, although Orwell also despises T. S. Eliot's poetry, however, and calls him 'Petainist'.
Also discusses the role of popular culture - the bland and repetitive nature of boy's action magazines, cheesy sex humor and pornograph...more
Some positive reviews of contemporary literature and film. Henry Miller stands out in his view for rediscovering aspects of personal life. He gives Rudyard Kipling a good drubbing for his sadist tendencies, although Orwell also despises T. S. Eliot's poetry, however, and calls him 'Petainist'.
Also discusses the role of popular culture - the bland and repetitive nature of boy's action magazines, cheesy sex humor and pornograph...more
Critical essays from Geroge orwell depict his vast knowledge of literature, as well as his understanding of it perversion for "totalitarian" as well as other ends of repression. He is unflinching and severe in his critique of Fascism, Communist Russia and Left wing orthodox writers, Catholicism. His main concern is the abuse of power, which is concomitant with all systems of governance that is not liberal , and yet he understands that pacifism is not the way ahead for society, for it tolerates i...more
All Art Is Propaganda: Critical Essays is a collection of [some of] Orwell's greatest works concerning the usage of art, literature & language. The essay's themselves cover wide ranging topics from Dickens' novels, totalitarianism, Catholicism, weekly boys publications to even Gandhi.
Orwell's views are both uncompromising and earnest to the fullest degree. One of his most well-known beliefs--that pacifism is ultimately complacency, especially in-regards to Nazism & Hitler is a strong cu...more
Orwell's views are both uncompromising and earnest to the fullest degree. One of his most well-known beliefs--that pacifism is ultimately complacency, especially in-regards to Nazism & Hitler is a strong cu...more
All Art is Propaganda is Clash of the Titans for the literati, a series of tightly written essays wherein George Orwell - yes, that's "four legs good/two legs bad," "Big Brother" Orwell - takes on other cultural giants of his time. Whether it's his oblique praise of Kipling, his tweaks at T.S. Eliot, or his fantastically entertaining swings at the perversions of Salvador Dali, Orwell never fails to fascinate. All Art is Propaganda is a critical grab bag, featuring treats like book reviews that...more
Feb 27, 2012
rabbitprincess
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
English majors, those who like Orwell's novels
* * * 1/2
I very nearly gave this "a respectful four stars", but if we're being completely honest here, I did skip the last few essays and skimmed over a few others. While thorough in their analysis and argument, the essays on Eliot and Kipling did not do very much for me; literary criticism becomes hard for me to digest after a while. What I really liked in this collection were the essays about reading in general, and the ones where Orwell seemed to be having more fun. I particularly enjoyed "Co...more
I very nearly gave this "a respectful four stars", but if we're being completely honest here, I did skip the last few essays and skimmed over a few others. While thorough in their analysis and argument, the essays on Eliot and Kipling did not do very much for me; literary criticism becomes hard for me to digest after a while. What I really liked in this collection were the essays about reading in general, and the ones where Orwell seemed to be having more fun. I particularly enjoyed "Co...more
I have loved Orwell since my parents gave me a copy of Animal Farm at age ten, and now I love him more. His essays, including "Politics and the English Language" (which contains the finest set of rules for writing clear English I've ever found), reflect his varied interests, rich erudition and ability to generate memorable phrases which exceeds that of even Charlie Sheen. In "Politics and..." he discusses the importance of rejecting cliches, and throughout the collection, he tweaks cliches into...more
Jul 23, 2011
Jon
added it
Strong collection of Orwell's critical essays, with "critical" defined loosely--his review of Gandhi's memoirs, for instance, is more a political article than a piece of literary criticism. The introduction compares him to James Baldwin and Edmund Wilson but he's more reflective than they, less preachy than Baldwin and less pedagogical than Wilson (not to say they're worse, he's just different). Even for those who may have read some of these pieces before, the editor's notes add valuable informa...more
As soon as I picked this up and started reading, I was entranced. I love the close reading of literature and his quotes to help make meaning. I found myself highlighting full paragraphs and promising myself that I need to re-read this book. I have given up underlining sections that strike me because I found myself underlining everything.
In the introduction, Keith Gessen states: The essays are incessantly self-contradicting.
This set me up to expect the writings of a chaotic mind. Instead I have...more
In the introduction, Keith Gessen states: The essays are incessantly self-contradicting.
This set me up to expect the writings of a chaotic mind. Instead I have...more
A new collection of the essays of George Orwell is always welcome and this one is timely in this hyper-political election year.
All Art is Propaganda is a collection of his essays bound by the theme of philosophical and aesthetic commentary. It includes such masterpieces as "Politics and the English Language", "Charles Dickens" and "Rudyard Kipling". Of particular interest in our political enthused year are the essays addressing the nature of propaganda; both directly in "Propaganda and Demotic S...more
All Art is Propaganda is a collection of his essays bound by the theme of philosophical and aesthetic commentary. It includes such masterpieces as "Politics and the English Language", "Charles Dickens" and "Rudyard Kipling". Of particular interest in our political enthused year are the essays addressing the nature of propaganda; both directly in "Propaganda and Demotic S...more
My rating may be biased by never having read literary criticism before, but the book has merits far beyond looking through Orwell's eyes at fiction. Orwell's observations on present society and its players are incisive, honest, and rational. He cuts through poor arguments and puffery, but he doesn't do this just for the sake of showing off. Even when he thinks that a writer is saying something poorly or isn't really saying anything worth reading, he still asks why. It's difficult to describe, an...more
This is excellent. Orwell speaks like a smart, good-hearted, well-read friend. I compare it to Essays of E.B. White, but prefer Orwell because he explains his ideas, while White's best essays are in the form of true stories. White doesn't tell you what he thinks, as Orwell does.
Started reading this book while waiting for other reading material. It's a random collection of essays/reviews, and as such needn't be read through from front to back. The essays I did read I enjoyed (though I was sad to see he's not much of a Graham Greene fan); I hope to read the full book at some point.
I really enjoyed reading these Orwell essays on (mostly) literature and politics. He's given me a lot of food for though with this work. What is an artists role in politics and vice versa. Orwell was definitely able to think as straight as he could write.
Orwell's writing is often a treat. Novels are my favorite literary art form, but I definitely love a good essay over a good short story. Somehow have gotten to this point in my life without reading "Inside the Whale," Orwell's fascinating take on Henry Miller. Also some good essays on comic postcards and the emergence of brutal crime novels. A really handsomely made book, too.
It's an interesting read. I can't agree with Orwell's insistence on economy over style and I am not a fan of deconstructing literature, but I love Orwell, and I appreciate any and every look I can get into his mind.
Rounding out my Orwell nonfiction love. Also includes "Politics and the English Language" and "Inside the Whale," which are fantastic reads and incredibly relevant to today's political times.
This was fantastic. I largely picked it up because I'd never gotten around to reading "Politics and the English Language," but I'm glad I read through the whole collection. It's amazing watching a smart, opinionated, passionate man grapple with a world where it's entirely possible that liberal democracy might cease to be. Parts of it were a little repetitive, although clearly Orwell didn't intend all of these different essays to be read together. But overall I thought it was fantastic.
George Orwell was a genius. "Politics and the English Language" is brilliant, and, I believe, a precursor to David Foster Wallace's "Authority and American Usage."
Only read several essays but Orwell never disappoints the essays on Dali and Ghandi are insightful.
A really great book shows us how everything is great and worth to die for
Sep 25, 2012
Stephen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012-reads,
art-theory
I liked these essays and virtually all essays I have read by Orwell.
Orwell as essayist is such a joy to read. This collection includes his criticism of writers as various as Dickens and Eliot and Graham Greene and also includes essays about such topics as criticism itself and book reviewing, among other things.
Hell yeah Georgy Boy!
Some of this was a little over my head, since it was discussing authors and books I haven't read. But, that said, one of my favorite parts was the essay about Rudyard Kipling, and I've read next to nothing by Kipling. My other favorite was the discussion of utopian fiction in "Can Socialists be Happy?" And I was pleased to hear Orwell echo my own thoughts on writing in dialect: it's terrible, and writers "should know better."
Aug 24, 2009
Loewyn Young
marked it as abandoned
yawn.
This is a brilliant set of essays. If I'd had more uninterrupted reading time and I weren't in a depressive state I would have eaten this up. Maybe I'll borrow it from the library again some day ...
Orwell is so smart that reading him makes me feel like I'm getting smarter.
There are a few gems in here (Dickens, the one about schoolboy fiction) but overall this isn't much of a read. Orwell is a fine writer but the subject matter is at times so specific to the period that it feels like a history lesson. This may be a good thing for many readers.
Despite its soundbite-like title. This collection actually features many intellectually-stimulating essays. One of my favorites is a piece called "Confessions of a Book Reviewer."
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist. His work is marked by keen intelligence and wit, a profound awareness of social injustice, an intense opposition to totalitarianism, a passion for clarity in language, and a belief in democratic socialism.
Considered perhaps the twentieth century's best chronicler of English culture, Orwell wrote fi...more
More about George Orwell...
Considered perhaps the twentieth century's best chronicler of English culture, Orwell wrote fi...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“On the whole human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time.”
—
312 people liked it
“I often have the feeling that even at the best of times literary criticism is fraudulent, since in the absence of any accepted standards whatever -- any external reference which can give meaning to the statement that such and such a book is "good" or "bad" -- every literary judgement consists in trumping up a set of rules to justify an instinctive preference. One's real reaction to a book, when one has a reaction at all, is usually "I like this book" or "I don't like it" and what follows is a rationalisation.”
—
7 people liked it
More quotes…
