Such, Such Were the Joys and Other Essays

By: George Orwell

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Viewed as too libelous to print in England until 1968, the title essay in this collection reveals the abuse Orwell experienced as a child at an expensive and snobbish boarding school and offers insights into his lifelong concern for the oppressed.

"Why I Write" describes Orwell's sense of political purpose, and the classic essay "Politics and the English Language" insists on clarity and precision in communication in order to avoid the Newspeak later described in 1984.

Other essays focus on Gandhi (he "disinfected the political air"), Dickens ("no novelist has shown the same power of entering into the child's point of view"), Kipling ("a jingo imperialist"), Henry Miller (who told Orwell that involvement in the Spanish war was an act of an idiot), and England "a family with the wrong members in control").

©1954 Double Day Inc. (P)1994 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Great writing and reader but poor recording

What made the experience of listening to Such, Such Were the Joys and Other Essays the most enjoyable?

Davidson gave fine voice to Orwell's solid writing

Any additional comments?

Many points in the recording sound poorly spliced together. Parts of the text are missing.

Poof, and hear is Orwell!

An enjoyable intellectual encounter . A rare glimpse into a writer's thoughts, outside his novels.

A cool book

A pretty great book that I think is really great and I liked it. I recommend this book.

Four Stars - Maybe Five Without the Skips

I agree almost completely with the earlier review here. The pieces are all interesting, very illuminating, and, of course, exceptionally well written. The skips in the audio are mainly in the second half, and while they are irritating, the book is well worth the trouble.

Orwell was an odd duck...

Don't listen if driving...could meke you fall asleep. Not a subject matter I foumd entertaining