The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

[holyzombiejesus]

My manager at work got me this for Christmas ("From one Socialist to another") and I've just started it. I'd been aware for a while that it represented a big gap in my reading history, particularly for someone with an interest in the left. Anyway, only 30 or so pages in and I can't believe how relevant it is today, talk of the poor scapegoating immigrants and charities having to provide for the huge rise in poverty stricken and starving families. Dickheads mouthing off about stuff they know fuck all about but having such certainty about issues even with such a tiny bit of 'knowledge'. I imagine most on here have read this; what are your thoughts?

[Sin Agog]

Being poor is no excuse for skimping on one's presentation!

Would be interested in how this translated into a play.  Referenced it a fair bit, but never actually read it.  Isn't it an essay novel?  Seems odd and ambitious trying to eke a stage narrative out of the thing.

[timebug]

A superb book that everyone should read! I guess I have read it a dozen times in the last fifty years or so. Good stuff.

[famethrowa]

I haven't looked through it yet but I'm quite interested in stamp collecting.



^sorry

[Pink Gregory]

Goes a bit dry towards the end when there's basically a manifesto hidden in a conversation; but still very affecting.

We've all worked with Bob Crass.

[Schmo Diddley]

Phenomenal book, all the more so when you realise that Robert Tressell was a struggling tradesman who wrote the book in his evenings before being buried in a pauper's grave at 40 after dying of TB.

One of those timeless works of literature that tells you so much about the human condition. The poverty and injustice gnaws at you through the page.

Anyone that appreciates this should read History of the English Working Class by E P Thompson, charts the rise of the democratic struggle from the counter revolution of the napoleonic period.

Best part of 2000 pages between both books so you probably need to be out of work to read them both. Luckily I stumbled across them both when I was out of work so I had time to go through them. Fucking hell are they worth it.

[holyzombiejesus]

Finished this today. Fucking hell, so much of it applies to what's going on today, particularly the trampled upon doffing their caps to (and voting for) those stamping down upon them. Thought the ending with Barrington was nice but a bit odd and there were a few sections that I skim read but that bit where Frank Owen loses it because the little lad isn't allowed a fire is so brilliant.

[bgmnts]

I'd say immigrant scapegoating and charity barely plugging the gaping hole left by human greed is relevant to almost any period of human history, since cavemen discovered trade.