2018
First Published
3.97
Average Rating
222
Number of Pages
Few figures on the left are as widely heralded as George Orwell. Yet his actual politics are poorly understood. Hope Lies in the Proles corrects that, offering a sympathetic yet critical account of Orwell’s often muddied political thinking and its continued relevance today. John Newsinger takes up various aspects of Orwell’s personal politics, exploring his attempts to change working-class consciousness, considering it alternately romantic, realistic, and patronizing—and at times all three at once. He examines Orwell’s antifascism, and how it fits in with his criticism of the Soviet Union; looks into his relationship with the Labour Party and feminism; and delves into Orwell’s shifting views on the United States. The result is the clearest understanding we’ve ever had of Orwell’s politics and their legacy.
Avg Rating
3.97
Number of Ratings
29
5 STARS
34%
4 STARS
45%
3 STARS
10%
2 STARS
3%
1 STARS
7%
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Author
John Newsinger
Author · 8 books
John Newsinger is a British Marxist professor of History at Bath Spa University. A book reviewer for the New Left Review, he is also author of numerous books and articles, as well as studies of science fiction and of the cinema. He teaches on both undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
