Decline of the English Murder and other essays by George OrwellMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
To borrow from Kubrick's Private Joker in Full Metal Jacket, there is some irony (or not) in the "duality" of the works of a great writer (see also Jung). I often think it is a shame when less famous works are buried in the shadows of works such as Animal Farm and 1984. But it is equally pleasing to find gems that others have not bastardised to death through popularity contests. Much like finding George Bernard Shaw's self-proclaimed masterpiece, Back to Methuselah: A Metabiological Pentateuch, this short collection of essays, particularly "Charles Dickens" and "Nationalism", still resonates today. It makes me wonder why we let such formerly exposed knowledge lapse. Yet without the "Born to Kill", I suppose there really would be no "Peace".
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