YMMV / Homage to Catalonia

• Anvilicious: Like most of Orwell's work, Homage is not the least bit subtle about what he thinks; as a result, the book received mixed reviews when it was published and sold poorly. In particular, his critique of the press often reads like it was written yesterday and his depiction of Stalinism was something that most of his contemporaries had no desire to hear. The events depicted in this book reinforced the anti-totalitarian views that would come to be Orwell's central focus for the remainder of his life (and also his commitments to democratic socialism).
• Vindicated by History: The book's reputation began to build in The '50s when it was republished with an introduction by Lionel Trilling, and these days it's common to hear this cited in the same breath as Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four as Orwell's three greatest works.

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