Homage to Catalonia Book Review

Title of the Book: Homage to Catalonia
 Author: George Orwell
# of Pages: 368
Heart Rating: ❤❤❤❤ 💛 4/5 hearts (This is a well written novel even though I do not typically like books about wars.)

 Review:

Homage to Catalonia is a novel depicting the ordeals of Orwell’s time while fight in the P.O.U.M militia during the Spanish Civil War. He wrote the work shortly after returning from the war and I believe that the fresh mind helped to created some of the most vivid descriptions throughout the book as though you could picture the body filled trench in front of you. I found this war story to be particularly more interesting than others I have read due to the fact that throughout there are clues and we slowly understand with Orwell the conflicts that were truly beneath the conflict of the war.

The novel starts off with George Orwell, who at this time is known by his real name Eric Arthur Blair, arrived in Barcelona, Spain in late 1936 to cover the fight against fascism. Being an avid fan of socialism, he was amazed to see the small glimpse of socialism in action. He was intrigued to say the least, of the classless society he observed there. Barcelona, Spain at this time was held under Anarchist control, and as such most of the old class society rituals were abandoned: tipping, titles, and the old divisions between rich and poor were practically gone.This was the truest form of socialism and brotherhood Orwell had ever before witnessed he put down his pen and took up arms. Homage to Catalonia was written much later after fleeing Spain to France with his wife in 1937

Orwell served for a hundred and fifteen days on the front line trenches near Zaragoza. The majority of the time he spent in the trenches scrounging for firewood and miraclely dodging friendly fire. After his time at the front he returned to Barcelona. It is here that Orwell tells us that the people had fought not so much for the Second Republic as for a social revolution. The anarchists and other left-wing groups had used the early days of the war to establish workers control where possible. It was this revolution that the Second Republic and their Soviet-backers wanted to reverse in the name of wartime expediency. And it disgusted Orwell there is much criticism to be had about all the politics involving the war and other conflicts throughout. It almost serves as a glimpse of the inspiration behind the fuel of 1984, a later novel of Orwell's.  In the end Orwell was able to witness first hand the result of the power hungry central government. He saw the outlawing of anti-Stalinist parties such as P.O.U.M. and many of his comrades being arrested, killed, or simply disappearing in the confusion that followed.

It is clear to see after reading Homage to Catalonia that the sympathies that Orwell had was really for the anarchists who favor the creation of a free classless worker's society. Although Orwell partially sided with the Communist point of view of defeating fascism first, then installing a worker's society, he later realized that the Communist agenda was to simply install a totalitarian entity of its own in place of fascism. Homage to Catalonia is a great read for anyone who enjoys learning about various political ideologies and for a clear and concise account of what happened in Spain during this time.