Literatura e Política: Jornalismo em Tempos de Guerra

by George Orwell, Sérgio Lopes (Translator)

George Orwell é um autor canônico no que diz respeito à união da política com a literatura. Com as obras A Revolução dos Bichos e 1984, o escritor se tornou das principais referências do pensamento crítico moderno. Literatura e Política: Jornalismo em Tempos de Guerra é uma coletânea de textos escritos para o jornal britânico Observer, entre 1942 e 1948, em meio às ruínas da Segunda Guerra Mundial. São artigos que tratam de diversos temas, tais como: a resistência francesa, a situação na Alemanha, o antissemitismo na Europa, a guerra civil na Espanha. Resenhas que analisam as obras de Julian Huxley, Joseph Conrad, Honoré de Balzac, Fiódor Dostoievski,T.S Eliot, entre outros.

"Décadas mais tarde, esses textos eternos ainda apresentam uma lucidez e um frescor que explicam por que Orwell é tão influente entre as gerações que seguiram." Robert McCrum, Observer

"O livro ficou na minha cabeceira para ser apreciado aos poucos. Mas acabou sendo apreciado com frequência e logo eu já estava relendo os textos. Nada do que Orwell escreve é desinteressante. Um tributo à clareza, ao bom senso e à boa fé do escritor." Nicholas Lezard, Guardian

"Um chamado sedutor que reflete um período fascinante ... Os textos de Orwell são memoráveis tanto pelo que retratam quanto pelo que prevêem." Christopher Hirst, Independent

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1949

About the author

Eric Arthur Blair was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to all totalitarianism (both fascism and stalinism), and support of democratic socialism.

Orwell is best known for his allegorical novella Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), although his works also encompass literary criticism, poetry, fiction and polemical journalism. His non-fiction works, including The Road to Wigan Pier (1937), documenting his experience of working-class life in the industrial north of England, and Homage to Catalonia (1938), an account of his experiences soldiering for the Republican faction of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), are as critically respected as his essays on politics, literature, language and culture.

Orwell's work remains influential in popular culture and in political culture, and the adjective "Orwellian"—describing totalitarian and authoritarian social practices—is part of the English language, like many of his neologisms, such as "Big Brother", "Thought Police", "Room 101", "Newspeak", "memory hole", "doublethink", and "thoughtcrime". In 2008, The Times named Orwell the second-greatest British writer since 1945.

Reviews

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating volume of Orwell’s journalism for The Observer, and also a less interesting collection of his book reviews.

Amid the chaos and confusion of the last days of the War in Europe, Orwell’s clear focus and sharp observations asked the right questions. What now of the displaced and demobbed? The hungry prisoners now released hundreds of miles from their homeland? Will (should) German industrial power be allowed to rebuild and reenergise after such destruction? Who will carry the cost of the clean up, and who will now benefit from exerting control?

His literary criticism is less engaging, but his fabulous takedown of a lazy H G Wells publication is worth reading just for the impudence.

Orwell’s vision, prescient eye, and ability to always be looking through the lens of the intensely personal are sorely missed in these troubling times.

[daniblues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorprende lo actual que sigue siendo el contenido del libro. Así que no parece que vayamos por el buen camino.