• Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
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    2 months ago

    Excellent book! I love Orwell and I think it’s too bad that most people only go as far as reading Animal Farm and 1984.

    He could be funny as well (even while being insightful). Coming Up for Air has some great critiques of the direction Britain was going in before the war, and was fairly prescient about what was to come, while also being extremely funny. It’s too bad most people aren’t aware of that side of his writing.

    • squid_slime@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      Down and Out had me audible laughing at points mostly in the bistro or the communist waiter who was drinking all the milk to spite the restaurant.

      Sadly Orwell’s 1984 and animal farm are both misused as properganda by right wingers whilst skipping over Orwell’s own political ideas.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
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        2 months ago

        The communist waiter part is definitely one of my favorites.

        His essay Shooting an Elephant should be, in my opinion, required reading in schools. It’s probably the best anti-colonialist essay I’ve ever read.

        • squid_slime@lemm.ee
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          2 months ago

          Thanks for getting me on to Coming Up for Air, half way through and its a nice steady pace. Shooting an Elephant will be my next read.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
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            2 months ago

            My favorite part is when he buys the fish sausage.

            I think it would make a good movie and I’m surprised no one’s done it yet.

            • squid_slime@lemm.ee
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              2 months ago

              That was disgusting, I breathly thought about that scene whilst biting into a hotdog last night 😂

              The guarding of billy beef is something out of bullshit jobs and the way he expresses and explains it with the old gent reverting back to gardening, basically started a farm, this is my favourite scene so far, and Christ he’s mad about trout!