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Such, Such Were the Joys and Other Essays Audiobook
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Publisher Description
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").
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“People, places, events, and attitudes are all caught and observed with honesty and a distillation of meaning that gives these eleven inclusions their appeal.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Such, Such Were the Joys and Other Essays Listener Reviews
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" In a title dripping with sarcasm and resentment, Orwell presents a collection of biographical essays and social commentary on life as a young boy (through the ages of 8 to 14) and his experiences/abuses in boarding school and the idiocy of an educational system ill-suited to its purpose. "
— AC, 4/12/2008
About George Orwell
Geoffrey Giuliano is the author of over twenty internationally bestselling biographies, including the London Sunday Times bestseller Blackbird: The Life and Times of Paul McCartney and Dark Horse: The Private Life of George Harrison. In addition, he can be heard on the Westwood One Radio Network and has written and produced over sixty original spoken-word albums and video documentaries on various aspects of popular culture.
About Frederick Davidson
Frederick Davidson (1932–2005), also known as David Case, was one of the most prolific readers in the audiobook industry, recording more than eight hundred audiobooks in his lifetime, including over two hundred for Blackstone Audio. Born in London, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed for many years in radio plays for the British Broadcasting Company before coming to America in 1976. He received AudioFile’s Golden Voice Award and numerous Earphones Awards and was nominated for a Grammy for his readings.