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A review by kevin_shepherd
Such, Such Were the Joys;With the Introductory Essay 'Why I Write' by George Orwell
4.0
The title story is a biographical essay of Orwell’s time at St Cyprian's boarding school in Eastbourne, Sussex. From age eight to age thirteen (1911 - 1916), Orwell was a witness to both the class favoritism and the austere corporal discipline of St Cyprian.
For the most part, Orwell’s essay reads like a chapter out of David Copperfield where the adults are damned-near villainous and the children valiantly struggle to persevere.
Published after his death in 1950, there is some question as to the authenticity of Orwell’s accounting. Several of his Cyprian classmates have since written that Such, Such Were the Days is either an exaggeration or, on some points, a complete fabrication. Either way, it matters not to me. As with many other posthumous publications (Harper Lee comes to mind) the onus of final form lies more heavily on the editor than it does on the writer.
For the most part, Orwell’s essay reads like a chapter out of David Copperfield where the adults are damned-near villainous and the children valiantly struggle to persevere.
Published after his death in 1950, there is some question as to the authenticity of Orwell’s accounting. Several of his Cyprian classmates have since written that Such, Such Were the Days is either an exaggeration or, on some points, a complete fabrication. Either way, it matters not to me. As with many other posthumous publications (Harper Lee comes to mind) the onus of final form lies more heavily on the editor than it does on the writer.