Why I Write (Penguin Great Ideas)
by George Orwell
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 391)
Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
people interested in politics of writing or orwell
the first thing to know about this collection of essays by george orwell is that it would have been better titled "on writing," because this is NOT about why orwell wrote, as teh title implies. except perhaps for the section of the title essay in which he discusses the four motivations that he believes exist for writing, this book is not about orwell's motivations. the most personalized section of the any of these essays consists of a few pages in which orwell remembers his earliest ch...more
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
English people or those with interest in political language
A collection of essays from the guy invented 'doublespeak', 'groupthink', 'Big Brother', whose own name is immortalized into the English language ('Orwellian').
Roughly 80% of the book is about the English people and its political dynamics during WWII. Unless you have interest in the subject AND have the slightest familiarity with the histirical context, you will waste your time.
The last 20% of the book is actually rare gem. One is Orwell's eye-witness account of a hanging when he was pos...more
Roughly 80% of the book is about the English people and its political dynamics during WWII. Unless you have interest in the subject AND have the slightest familiarity with the histirical context, you will waste your time.
The last 20% of the book is actually rare gem. One is Orwell's eye-witness account of a hanging when he was pos...more
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recommends it for:
creative minds.
i thought this was really interesting. i love the way that orwell lists everything out before he starts to really get to his point. i feel thats the way that most logical thoughts form anyway. i think he makes a really strong argument for why people do the things they do, be it writing or not. how they grow up and where they find the most affirmation. his numbered reasons for writing really remind me of why any human would have motivation to do anything creative really. sometimes the fear of any...more
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
journalists
Most of the book is taken up with the essay "The Lion and the Unicorn" which insists that the best time for England to have a bloodless socialist revolution is while she is under siege during WWII.
The logic of that is kind of moot now but the essay does have the thoughtful line: "Nations do not escape from their past merely by making a revolution."
I barely remember the first essay except that it was typically honest.
"A Hanging" is an essay Orwell wrote early i...more
The logic of that is kind of moot now but the essay does have the thoughtful line: "Nations do not escape from their past merely by making a revolution."
I barely remember the first essay except that it was typically honest.
"A Hanging" is an essay Orwell wrote early i...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
deep thinkers
A bit antiquated, this classic writing by James Orwel is more about his feelings on what democracy is than it is about his motivations on writing - or is that the answer right there....?
In any event, if the reader looks carefully, there are more than a few good nuggets of information about social revolution that are dead on. For instance, his worrying about how politics can corrupt free thinking, and twist the vehicles of knowledge so far that it creates an almost alternate reality, which beco...more
In any event, if the reader looks carefully, there are more than a few good nuggets of information about social revolution that are dead on. For instance, his worrying about how politics can corrupt free thinking, and twist the vehicles of knowledge so far that it creates an almost alternate reality, which beco...more
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Read in May, 2008
This is a collection of four of Orwell's essays, including "Why I Write," "The Lion and the Unicorn," "A Hanging," and "Politics and the English Language." The bulk of the book is the second essay, which is Orwell's famous defense (or apologia) of socialism. For me, the most interesting essays were the first and the last. Each is relatively brief, but is packed with brilliant insights and helpful information, especially to aspiring (or perhaps even experie...more
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Read in January, 2005
This short (120 pages) book of 4 essays: Why I write -- The lion and the unicorn -- A hanging -- Politics and the English language, from one of the great modern writers is worth the read principally for the last essay. These essays are valuable to students of writing and to those who want to know more about the background of a great modern writer known for the classics Animal Farm and 1984.
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Read in March, 2007
recommends it for:
writers, politicians
Orwell writes eloquently about the politics of writing: why and how governments use propaganda to further their agenda. It also includes a brilliant essay by Orwell with general writing tips that encourage writers to be clear and understandable, rather than obfuscate everything just for the sake of sounding erudite.
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Read in January, 2008
Some brief but insightful essays on why writers write, how to conquer fascism, and how we can use language more specifically so we mean what we say and we say what we mean. Here Orwell articulates nicely how language is used politically, and how we can resist that in our own work.
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Read in January, 2008
Great samples of Orwell's writing. Four different pieces all with their merits. I think you could find them all online though, seeing as they are short pieces. I shall be searching for the others in the series online perhaps. But well worth reading!
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This is a great little collection from Orwell. I recently re-discovered my copy and read it. What I like MOST is that it contains Orwell's excellent essay "The Lion and the Unicorn" which is about British Socialism. Great stuff.
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Read in March, 2008
This is a short book. About 120 pages. I liked it enough to read it in a day. It gives you a nice background on Orwell's history as a writer. As well as his ideas about socialism, written in an essay during WWII.
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Read in January, 2008
A short but interesting look into the mind, writing and politics of George Orwell. He included a short list of simple yet profound rules that I think help explain his writing style.
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Read in October, 2004
great mini compliation of necessary and eloquent insight.
Noble, steady, piercing, idealistic, humble, wise, georgeously lucid and timeless....
Noble, steady, piercing, idealistic, humble, wise, georgeously lucid and timeless....
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Read in September, 2007
I honestly think that anyone pursuing a career, or even an interest, in writing should read this regularly.
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recommends it for:
anyone who would like to get to know the bloke who wrote 1984 more personally
i'm just at the beginning, and now just realized a few pages got wet from the beach today..bummer
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It's amazing (and frightening) how this book relates to what's going on in the world today.
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Read in July, 2007
why an artist/author create his/her work? Fascinatingly precise!
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Picked this up at Green Apple Sunday...
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