Politics and the English Language: And Other Essays

De: George Orwell

Narrado por: Jackson Moss

Biographer Michael Shelden called Orwell’s Politics and the English Language “his most important essay on style”. First published in 1946, the essay exploded the language trends of the time and served as an inflection point in the debate about communication in the 20th century. This collection of essays published 1946-48 provides a comprehensive critique of the status of politics and speech in the mid-century.

In addition to the eponymous title, five other essays are included in this edition: "Politics vs. Literature: An Examination of Gulliver’s Travels", "The Prevention of Literature", "Why I Write", "Writers and Leviathan", and "Poetry and the Microphone". With themes that are relevant in the age of political correctness, texting, and meme warfare, Orwell’s warnings and practical suggestions are perhaps more important today than ever.

©2021 New Classic Books (P)2021 New Classic Books

Listening to J. Moss is like being flayed alive.

The narration was dodgy from the start and yet, impossibly, it got even worse toward the end. The bloke apoarently did the reading at home. The material would be stimulating if only a competent reader were employed.

Robotic annunciation. Slow, struggling narration

The robotic annunciation and slow, struggling narration was quite an annoyance. Difficult to continue. I have moved on to another book, even in the great respect I have for Mr Orwell

If you reading this review, I suspect you'll like.

With the healthy caveat that I discovered Orwell just a couple years ago, and introduced by Hitchens, who again I discovered too late, I am more of a simpleton than most who will read this review. This is a collection of Orwell's essays, one of which is often quoted by many a writer. That is why I got this. The first essay is almost, IMO, mandatory for anyone wanting to learn more about a brilliant writer. I stumbled through his critique of Gulliver's travel and almost could mount an argument or two against his third one on literature... the last one is stunning however in its treatment of liberal and other political perspectives and I'll definitely go back and re listen to absorb his points more fully. Again, I am a simpleton so much of his brilliance no doubt escapes me but if you're even researching Orwell, I suspect you're all in as I find myself increasingly so, and you'll enjoy it. Performance was great and deliberate...almost like the speaker was slowing down and emphasizing key parts for a rock like me!

needs to be done by a professional

can hear doors opening and closing and babies in the background also the subject matter isn't easy to listen to and the amateurish performance makes it even harder.