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Stephen Morris recommended Paris 1919 by John Cale in Music (curated)

 
Paris 1919 by John Cale
Paris 1919 by John Cale
1973 | Pop, Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Towards the end of the list I was getting desperate, but Paris 1919 came to me straight away - it's one of my all time favourite albums. It's like the anti-Transformer; I see it as the antithesis of that record, and I definitely have more love for Paris 1919. I think it's the best album John Cale's ever made. It's odd, because it's a poppy record, but even his poppy records have sinister overtones. And I love 'Child's Christmas In Wales'. It's a very Christmassy album. Do I play it a lot at this time of year? I'm forbidden from playing records at home. I put Berlin on at home once, and it just killed the room. I tried to make it better by playing some Motown, but the atmosphere had gone."

Source
  
CO
Children of the Siege (book 1)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
33 of 220
Book
Children of the Siege (Book1)
By Diney Costeloe
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nineteenth-century Paris is in flames, houses ransacked, streets barricaded. Most people are fleeing the ravaged city, but the St Clair family have made a fateful decision – to return to Paris from their house in the country.

As the horrors of the Commune and the ensuring siege engulf the St Clairs, little Helene falls ill and becomes separated from the family. Lost and alone, she must fend for herself on the war-torn streets.

This was a pretty decent read. I love historical fiction, this is set in 19th century France when war is raging as well as civil unrest we follow a family dealing with life and the changes war has brought on them.
  
Down and Out in Paris and London
Down and Out in Paris and London
George Orwell, Dervla Murphy | 2014 | Biography
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
George Orwell, a man of many experiences
I adore George Orwell, not only is he an incredibly gifted writer, he's a cat with nine lives. From living in Burma to fighting in the Spanish Civil War, Orwell has a lived a life rich with experiences hence he is able to make observations many journalists cannot. In this case, Orwell lived in squalor and absolute poverty in both Paris and London, not out of choice mind, but because he had become destitute and extremely poor during his early 20s.

His life living with an extrovert Russian in Paris is vivid, describing real hunger, having had nothing to eat for several days. He ends up working in a few godforsaken squalid hotels in Paris as a dishwasher, with long hours just to make ends meet and quench his hunger. Eventually, after working with rats, he has no choice but to return to England (borrowing money) and finds that it isn't much different. The homeless shelters are basically prison cells, dark and dangerous, but a way to keep off the streets.

In the end, he attempts to give recommendations to what can be done to alleviate the plight of the poverty stricken. It is another interesting chapter of his short but eventful life.