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By Lynn · 3 posts · 36 views
By Lynn · 3 posts · 36 views
last updated Jun 25, 2025 08:25PM
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Sep 30, 2009
Ruth
marked it as dof-didnotfinish
Threw in the towel. It's not that it was bad, but there were marvellous other books beckoning. I'm 74 years old. I don't have time to waste on books I'm not really enjoying very much.
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This book is really interesting from a historical standpoint. I had a hard time understanding some of the political stuff, and he throws in a chapter here and there of just political information so I may have skimmed a little. There were a lot of groups struggling for power and I couldn't keep them all straight. Overall, I found the most interesting parts were when he was talking about his personal experiences and the conditions of being in the trenches during the war.
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As Orwell warns, the sections outlining the political situation during the Spanish Civil War are tough going, though essential for understanding the rest of the book.
The rest of the book dealing with Orwell's life in the trenches and his escape from a purge of the militias is as compelling as any thriller. Reading this gives you a clear sense of that piece of his life down to the smells and physical sensations. Originally this may have been intended to make a political statement, but the value f ...more
The rest of the book dealing with Orwell's life in the trenches and his escape from a purge of the militias is as compelling as any thriller. Reading this gives you a clear sense of that piece of his life down to the smells and physical sensations. Originally this may have been intended to make a political statement, but the value f ...more
Orwell's clear, direct prose proves to be the perfect medium for this brief war memoir. As others have mentioned, the Spanish Civil War with its many factions is, at best, hard to understand. I did a tiny amount of research before reading the book so that I'd have at least a minimum of information on it. I think that's a good idea for anyone reading Orwell's book.
The best parts are, of course, his own experiences of the war, with its alternating boredom and fear, its cameraderie, and its general ...more
The best parts are, of course, his own experiences of the war, with its alternating boredom and fear, its cameraderie, and its general ...more
Sharply written overview on the dreams and disillusionment of the many people who went to Spain to fight Franco's fascist revolution. I learned a LOT about the war, and I might argue that this is Orwell's best written work.
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Sep 13, 2009
Robert
marked it as to-read
Feb 22, 2011
Susan_T.
marked it as to-read
Mar 05, 2015
emily mann
marked it as to-read
Dec 21, 2020
Lisa Thomas
marked it as to-read
