by J Hutcherson | August 25th, 2006
Friday Book Club: Down and Out in Paris and London
In this week’s episode, we consider what at least some people consider a classic, George Orwell’s 1933 pseudo-biography of what it was like to be borderline homeless. Most borderline homeless - and later actually homeless - people normally don’t write contemporary accounts that are still in print over 70 years later. That gives the descriptions of living conditions, hotel and restaurant work, and the differences in the lives of people at the margins in France and England a uniqueness. If only it could’ve been a better book.
The expected themes are there: questioning the reality of the working world at all levels, the ability of people to become nothing more than production devices, and the rejection of what is taken for granted as mainstream society. In some places, it works. In others, the setting is too transparent as a set piece for a sociological point. Fair enough, but used too many times and it starts to get too obvious.
Orwell goes first person narrative, basically a monologue with other characters allowed to speak on occasion. That’s fine with the Paris section. There’s a scene where the narrator is literally starving, and a girl called Maria, a big fat peasant girl who lives at our hotel helpfully points out two things: 1. he has a cooking oil container he can return for a deposit and have enough money to eat, and 2. the picture on the wall he took for a saint is actually a prostitute.
The descriptions of working life at a Parisian hotel and later a restaurant are rightly considered classic, given new life by the popularity of elite chefs and their restaurants. Health inspectors aside, not enough has changed to make it seem archaic. If you want the standard account, this is it.
Unfortunately, the second half set in London doesn’t hold up as well. There the Paris structure fails him. The companion characters are way too one-dimensional. All tramps at this point, they speak in dialect setup to push the narrative towards a conclusion it never really reaches. At one point, Orwell breaks in to discuss slang and accents. In and of itself, the highlight of the London section but not really necessary.
Of course, this was a contemporaneous account and would’ve resonated with the readers at the time, so we only get so far wondering why the descriptions of spikes - borderline one-night stay prisons for the homeless - aren’t as affective as his treatment of flea-bag hotels in Paris. The treatment of ethnicity and race doesn’t really work, bordering on the insulting.
Setting aside Orwell’s real life playing at homelessness and the ethical import (only one character in the book is revealed to not be who he seems, an Eton alumni just like Orwell hanging out in a community hostel known as a cruising location), the best parts of this one make it worth your time. It’s not a great book, but it has its moments.
Here’s a letter from Tom: We can only control so many things here in the US when it comes to soccer. IMO, one thing we can control right now to help improve the game is in our coaching ranks.
The coaches we have now in general grew up in a soccer wasteland or are just tactically naive. Our most successful coach ever, Bruce Arena Super Genius, had virtually zero ability to read, adjust, make proper subs or respond to other coaches moves once the match had started. Funny thing is his own players basically agree with this! Yet, this issue was ignored where anywhere else it would be front page news. Scandalous even.
Is it any surprise that we often hear our players called tactically naive by coaches and media a like?
Do we respond? Not really. Look at Brandenton. Ellinger and the word incompetent, more than naive come to mind, yet he taught our supposed best and brightest for 6 years, with obviously little pressure and accountability and we were made to look foolish by better squads. We ran around like chickens without heads and couldn’t string more than two passes together. Yet, he was lauded? Huh?
Hackworth has tried but let’s face it, the Dutch team that beat our U17’s did not to it because of physical or technical superiority. They were smarter. They were coached/taught better. Obvious and simple to see.
Our best coach understood not to be an X’s and O’s guy by his own team and showed it for 8 years! Huh!?
This are two examples. Glaring of course, but they make the point easier.
We are bereft of coaches in our youth ranks and pros who know how to teach the tactical and subtle aspects needed for US Soccer to improve.
The question then dawns on me? Are we this naive and tactically bereft as a nation? The answer is a humbling yes.
Arena is defended still for a terrible job this past year, and this cycle IMO, for showing his incredible soccer limitations, and he is arrogant, bitter and smug about it! Insane. Anywhere else he is crucified, and rightly so, for also being completely unprofessional, lacking leadership and not taking responsibility for many obvious issues. Crazy.
We sit here with the ability to bring in new coaching talent across the board to help address some of these glaring issues but I somehow doubt we will.
I have come to the conclusion after this World Cup that we are simply naive across the board. Like our players, we want to do well and try real hard, but we just don’t understand enough to take it to the next level.
With a little humility and vision we could start the ball rolling but alas I feel we will do it the hard way and trudge along slowly and painfully.
Yeah, our players are exposed as naive overseas but let’s be honest folks.
We all are. Fans, media and coaches alike. The vast majority fit this bill.
Sad part? I guarantee some of the most adamant and naive are sitting there agreeing with this statement sure that they know better, when they are the exact ones who are part of this complex problem.
I’m not sure there’s a clear mandate coming out of this World Cup to improve coaching, and part of that is down to Arena transforming himself into the number one critic of American pro soccer. He has a legitimate gripe, but it’s overshadowing some of the points Tom makes - especially the relative quality of the system that produces American soccer coaches. Arena’s new position as insider turned outsider turned self-defined employee of Red Bull NY might be the most interesting thing happening in American soccer. Odd, considering there’s no National Team coach right now.
Tom’s move to include players, fans, and media in the pool of naivete is an interesting one. Have at it.
What I’m Watching
If it’s Friday, there has to be a Bundesliga game on GolTV: Schalke - Werder Bremen live at 2:30pm. Setanta counters with QPR - Ipswich Town live at the same time. All Times Eastern
The Weekender
England: The fun starts live on Saturday at 7:30am on Setanta with Liverpool - West Ham, followed by Watford - Manchester United at 10am. Fox Soccer has Totttenham - Everton at 10am, followed by Manchester City - Arsenal at noon, and Wigan - Reading same day at 2:30pm. Setanta goes same day for Charlton - Bolton at 5pm. On Sunday, Setanta opens with Sheffield Wednesday - Leeds at 8am on something called Setanta Xtra, with Aston Villa - Newcastle at 9am on Setanta regular. Fox Soccer has Blackburn - Chelsea at 11am.
France: Setanta has Nice - Lyon at 7pm on Saturday, before picking up live coverage Sunday morning at noon with Valenciennes - Rennes followed by Saint Etienne - Lens at 3pm.
Germany: GolTV starts with live coverage of Bayern Munich - Nuremberg at 9:30am on Saturday, followed by VfB Stuttgart - Borussia Dortmund same day at 11:30am. Sunday, it’s Hamburg - Hertha Berlin live at 11am.
Spain: Valencia - Real Betis live on GolTV at 4pm on Saturday. GolTV picks it up on Sunday with Racing Santander - Atletico Madrid at 3pm and Athletic Bilbao - Real Sociedad at 3pm.
All Times Eastern - all games live unless otherwise noted
Quote Of The Day
“Well, it’s true that a lot of calls went against us but I think we also have to look at ourselves. We didn’t have any shots: how can you win a game if you don’t have any shots?” Reading and US keeper Marcus Hahnemann.
The Wonderful World of Soccer Media: Europe
It’s déjà Nou all over again for Chelsea’s flagbearers — from The Times’ Matt Dickinson.
Siesta’s over — from Soccernet’s Phil Ball.
Winning club in Champions League likely to net €100m — from The Financial Times’ Roger Blitz. Registration Required
Brilliant future awaits warrior with wisdom of past mentors — from The Independent’s James Lawton.
Thatcher faces police action over Mendes foul — from The Telegraph’s Mark Ogden and Christopher Davies.
The Wonderful World of Soccer Media: USA
MLS leaves Soccer Hall hanging — from The Oneonta Daily Star’s Rob Centorani.
Szetela hasn’t given up on the rest of the season — from The Columbus Dispatch’s Shawn Mitchell.
Garcia says MLS comments were misinterpreted — from The LA Daily News’ Matt Zimmerman.
Big Picture
For NFL Network, openness is crucial — from The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Ashley Fox.
A pompous twit tackles the NFL — from The Washington Times’ Tom Knott.
Arena area building spreads — from The Arizona Republic’s Louie Villalobos.
Knock on wood — from The San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea.
Unfriendly confines of racist hate mail — from The Chicago Tribune’s David Haugh. Registration Required
Bonds book authors must not stand alone — from The Chicago Sun-Times’ Rick Telander.
‘Greenie’ Monster Tamed? — from The Washington Post’s Dave Sheinin. Registration Required
Sonics hire team to study sites for arena — from The Seattle Times’ Ashley Bach.
Agassi frets over tennis curtain call — from USA Today’s Jill Lieber Steeg.
Comments, questions, solutions to problems that have yet to present themselves. Please, tell me all about it.