Homage to Catalonia (Homage to Catalonia - George Orwell)

Member Name: llamass

Product:	Homage to Catalonia - George Orwell
Date:	23/07/09 (49 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Observant, lyrical and wry.

Disadvantages: Assumes a certain level of knowledge about the Spanish Civil War

'Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism as I understand it'

1936 was a time of great uncertainty in Europe with the Nazis in power in Germany, Mussolini in Italy and strengthening right wing movements elsewhere. On the other side the left had largely made no effective counter movement and in Russia there had been a clear break from the revolutions original principles with out and out Stalinism which repressed any internal or external opposition. Against this background a reformist left coalition was elected in Spain and when an attempted military coup d'etat took place many people reacted against it and the country descended into a very bloody civil war. Heartened at seeing a willingness to fight fascism, there was arguably the largest international rally of any period in history with many people, of various leftist political persuasions, going to fight for the republic-largely in the Communist International Brigades.

It was amidst this atmosphere that George Orwell (born Eric Arthur Blair) arrived in Barcelona in 1936 having joined the POUM, a Trotskyist, and anti-Stalinist party in the fight against fascism. A political journalist and novelist, Orwell was one of many notable figures to go to Spain and fight against fascism. By his own admission joining the POUM rather than the international brigades was rather a fault of chance but this fact would come to shape his experience in Spain and forever solidify his political views against Stalinism although he remained a committed socialist.

Homage to Catalonia is Orwell's personal account of the war and of his entire experience in Spain as well as an ingenious political essay. The book follows a chronological narrative from Orwell's initial stay in Barcelona during his 'training', through his time on the front to his eventual fleeing of the country and political repression. There are also two appendices explaining some of the background of the various political parties which were originally part of the book itself but moved to avoid breaking up the narrative. Aside from the frontline fighting itself the focus of the book is on the decline of any kind of united front against fascism and the downfall into inside bickering (or rather street gun fights) between leftist parties. The POUM, and all their rank-and-file members and so Orwell himself, become the target of repression principally from the Soviet aligned Communists. Orwell and his wife eventually have to flee the country as many others in the POUM were arbitrarily imprisoned and executed, or simply disappeared.

Orwell writes using vivid description and whilst being quite obviously partisan he appears to remain honest throughout his account. There is no shying away from anything that makes either himself or the side that he is fighting for look bad and so the reader feels that they are getting an true portrayal of what happened whilst he was in Spain. Homage to Catalonia is keenly observant of both the excitement and the boredom of war-I really got the feeling of sitting in the trenches or in Barcelona with the lengthy periods of boredom, just keeping yourself going followed by short bursts of terror. Orwell is uncompromising in his report of soldier life and captures a rare portrait of ordinary men on the front line. He has a keen eye for small details and this brings to life a realistic portrait of frontline war, street fighting and time spent on leave.

The book not only captures the realities of war but also Orwell proves again that he is a sharp observer of humanity and our interactions. He has a talent for demonstrating how we judge one another, and how our opinions of others are formed and changed. One of my favourite parts of the novel is at the start when Orwell is in the Lenin Barracks joining the militia.

'Queer, the affection you can feel for a stranger! It was as though his spirit and mine had momentarily succeeded in bridging the gulf of language and tradition and meeting in utter intimacy. I hoped he liked me as well as I like him. But I also knew that to retain my first impression of him I must not see him again'

This picks the exact feeling I get when meeting people travelling yet I doubt I could ever describe such a fleeting moment so accurately. This is also a good example of the lyrical way that Orwell can write even whilst retaining an unpoetic account of war.

Homage to Catalonia also displays Orwell's dry humour that is interwoven amongst his most serious of observations. These help maintain some of the flow and positive nature of the book as well as outline the surreal nature of such a conflict.

What I particularly love about Orwell is his ability to capture the passion of the time and his personal enthusiasm for the workers' movement which, despite his realism about the many negative experiences he has, he doesn't lose. He never becomes disillusioned with the aim of the uprising. Orwell is best known for his novels, 1984 and Animal Farm particularly, but I have always preferred his essays and journalism simply because Orwell himself is the best character he has ever written about and this comes across in Homage to Catalonia-he is fascinating, observant, wry and has an understated zest for what he is doing.

If there is a fault of this novel it is perhaps its lack of background to the Spanish Civil War which I believe could make it a little confusing (given the large number of political parties and acronyms involved) for those who do not have a reasonable knowledge of that time. It should be borne in mind that Orwell was writing at a time when the war in Spain was everyday news and therefore much more commonplace and also that it was intended as a piece of political journalism. Therefore, I don't believe that this is a criticism of the work itself but rather a note of caution to a potential reader-to really enjoy the book a basic knowledge of the Spanish Civil War is necessary.

Orwell had some trouble getting Homage to Catalonia published due to its perceived anti-Communist rhetoric which rather lends cause to Orwell's accusation of repression by the authoritarian left. Even when eventually published it was a commercial disaster with very low sales. However, this belies the fact that he had represented both the good and the bad side of his experience in Spain.

The Spanish Civil War produced a number of books, both autobiographical and novelised but of all those none has captured the conflict as vividly as Orwell. Whilst Homage to Catalonia is a factual account it reads like a novel-it seems to sit perfectly on the barrier between description and information. The book is also one of the best at describing the in fighting on the left, short of far drier academic texts, that many believe ultimately caused the downfall of the republican side. Anyone who is interested in this time period, socialism or journalism should read and enjoy this work.

Summary: Highly recommended.