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Really enjoyed this. As its name suggests, the book consists of multiple, separate essays rather than a single narrative. They cover a variety of topics, such as commentary on other authors and personal stories. Throughout, Orwell doesn't shy away from commenting on issues and providing needed insight. High recommend.

Trying to read, but can be difficult at times.
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"It is not that anyone imagines the law to be just. Everyone knows that there is one law for the rich and another for the poor. But no one accepts the implications of this, everyone takes it for granted that the law, such as it is, will be respected, and feels a sense of outrage when it is not."
-George Orwell, "A Collection of Essays"

A fascinating story of a woman lost in the shadow of a man's life story, a tale as old as time. Eileen O'Shaugnessy wrote a dystopian poem '1984' before her husband George's opus, went to Spain & helped order the republican fight leading to her facing death on both fascist + stalinist blacklists,+gave ideas toward Animal Farm, but is barely mentioned in Homage to Catalonia or biographies of Orwell. An excellent book that was compelling read.

"In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defence of the indefensible...Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness."
-George Orwell, "A Collection of Essays"

"If you hate violence and don't believe in politics, the only major remedy remaining is education. Perhaps society is past praying for, but there is always hope for the individual human being, if you can catch them young enough."
-George Orwell, "A Collection of Essays"

Still reading books from last years Women‘s Prize NF and they have all been BRILLIANT reads - more so than this years imo. I wasn‘t really drawn to this but I‘m glad I read it - loved the way it was written, the way Funder gives Eileen a voice and shows another side to Orwell (so misogynistic) that his biographers tried to sidestep. A tale as old as time really - a man not acknowledging a woman‘s part/taking credit for all the work.

Next up for reading

Random book from our home library:

📖 George Orwell: The First Complete Biography by Bernard Crick