Homage to Catalonia
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Average rating4.2
[Homage to Catalonia][1] is [George Orwell][2]'s account of his experiences fighting in the 'Spanish Civil War'. Alongside many British workers, trades unionists, and socialists keen to help the Spanish defend their Republic from General Franco's Fascist forces. Orwell joined the [POUM][3] Militia in the Catalan region of Spain, was injured in the fighting and invalided back to England. After leaving the front line preparatory to leaving Spain, Orwell saw for himself the machinations of the Communist Party leading to the POUM being declared 'Enemies of the People' along with its destruction. Which he expresses in his companion piece the Essay [Looking back on the Spanish War][4]. These are fuller descriptions of events culled from direct experience, than many especially current misrepresentations of the Spanish Conflict.
English film director [Ken Loach][5] made a landmark film [Land and Freedom][6] of the Spanish anti fascist struggle with many similarities to George Orwell's story including that of perspective. The book and film can be appreciated in their own right or as companion pieces.
[1]: http://www.george-orwell.org/Homage_to_Catalonia/index.html
[2]: http://www.george-orwell.org/l_biography.html
[3]: https://www.marxists.org/history/spain/poum/1936/general-policy.htm
[4]: http://www.george-orwell.org/Looking_Back_On_The_Spanish_War/0.html
[5]: http://www.sixteenfilms.co.uk
[6]: http://www.sixteenfilms.co.uk/films/film/27/landand_freedom/
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One sentence synopsis... Orwell's eyewitness account of the Spanish civil war is an invaluable piece of his personal experience but fails to provide broad, reliable analysis of the complicated politics informing the war. .
Read it if you like... “For Whom the Bell Tolls” or “Slaughterhouse-Five”. .
Further reading... “Capital” and other political writings help to better understand the ideologies that divided Spain so deeply.
I love history, but I tend to shy
away from war narratives; I get
lost in the details about weapons
and strategies. Homage to Catalonia
is a different kind of war narrative,
the story of a man who never glamorized
war (except, perhaps, when he enlisted).
I loved the chapters about day-to-day
life. I can just see the generals and
admirals telling Orwell, “Don't tell them
that!” I found myself wanting to post
chapters to young American men I know serving
in Iraq and asking if Orwell's experiences
in the Spanish Civil War rang true for them.
Recommended.
