3 Review(s)

A chronicle of events starting from 1936 in Spain, Homage To Catalonia describes many aspects of the Spanish Civil War fought at that time. The author describes his journey as a militiaman and introduces humanity and passion in the reader’s mind, as he describes through many incidents, the chaos of such difficult times. Summary Of The Book Homage To Catalonia is a narration of the bitter struggles during war. The Spanish Civil War between the republicans and the nationalists was a struggle to establish freedom for the public, who were quite wary of the state’s control over everything. The author has, through his memories of his experiences in the political system, shown the story of a savage discord that swells up and takes the shape of a rebellion. The officers of the right wing of the Spanish army rebelled against the second Republic in 1936. Francisco Franco led the troops to claim victory on 1st April, 1939. Homage To Catalonia narrates the experiences of George Orwell as he witnesses the state that Catalonia is in. The anarchists have complete control over every matter. The Spanish Army at that time, was in a bad condition with scarcity of food, tobacco, ammunitions and more. The author speaks of his own gruesome experiences when he was posted on the eastern side of Huesca. He faced illnesses due to the unhygienic conditions present and ended up with a poisoned arm. He also speaks of the pain that he experienced when he was shot in his throat. Next, the author details how the scene changed in Barcelona. The book traces the war of the revolutionaries and how the author’s troops were suppressed, resulting in his departure from Spain. Homage To Catalonia was first published in 1938. About George Orwell George Orwell was a novelist, journalist, poet and fiction writer. His other works are Keep The Aspidistra Flying, The Road To Wigan Pier, Animal Farm, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Burmese Days, The Orwell Diaries, Coming Up for Air and Down and Out in Paris and London. Born in 1903, he contributed to the cause of nationalism and also to the genre of writing. He was born in Motihari in Bihar, India. The author came to England with his mother when he was a year old. He sailed to Burma in October 1922 to join the Indian Imperial Police. Later in 1927, he moved to London to start a writing career. He served as a teacher at Hawthorns High School in West London. He then moved to Spain in 1936, where owing to his police training and skills, he was a militiaman. He was ranked by The Times as one of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945”.