The ragged trousered philanthropists (original 1914; edição 2012)

It’s okay.
A bit dull and really belabours the point.

Mary Barton did it much better:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54620 ( )

Overlong, under-edited, but very detailed and always interesting. The book works through the travails of workmen at the not very lucrative bottom of the Edwardian dynamic, and does so with the insight of one of their own. In parts dogmatic, in parts adopting the approach of rational inquiry, but always from a committed standpoint; such that when in Chapter 3 a baby shows up unquietly teething, you're already foreseeing the Dickensian scene of maudlin fate that will follow. Tressell’s motive is the “suppressor fury” (his phrase) - exposing the injustices and unfairness of these working arrangements, of the economy as it was, and is. His remedy is Marxist but not in the wearisome formula of a tract; the book is written in the prosaic profane discourse of workmen, and with real common feeling for their ways. Still, in the way of Marxists, he can be patronising in his insistence on received truth and on the delusions (false consciousness) of the men. Likewise, the author curls his lip at their diversions and pleasures - football, their “beano”, taking sides in elections, churchgoing. Overall an engaging read, and it is rather touching now to be reminded how keen the belief was (pre USSR) in the utopia of common endeavours and gains. There’s documentary interest too, as these workmen, housepainters mostly, are working on the very housing stock we now expensively cherish. ( )

The first part of the book was interesting, I liked learning about the way of life and living conditions van the group of main characters. How they interacted, how work matters were delat with then etc.

When the amount of pages read grew however, I started not liking it very much. It became a very political book, less interesting for me. ( )

good, if somewhat depressing due to its cynical outlook on humanity. the pick me up in the last chapter doesn't make up for hundreds of pages of grim bleakness. its not meant as light reading though, its a (enjoyable) vehicle for pointing out the wretched condition of english laborers and promoting socialism (at the turn of the century). it does that well even though the socialist monologues can get a little tedious and don't fit in very gracefully. theres plenty of that fine english tradition of snarky names and outlandish caricatures. pacing fumbles a little in the middle, that or i got impatient. ( )

“The theories that drunkenness, laziness or inefficiency are the causes of poverty are so many devices invented and fostered by those who are selfishly interested in maintaining the present states of affairs, for the purpose of preventing us from discovering the real causes of our present condition.

Published just over 100 years ago this novel is still a powerful and unfortunately relevant read. Drawn heavily from the author's own experiences the novel centres around a fictional group of 'working' men and their families, fighting for survival against poverty and starvation, and is sometimes referred to as the "painters' bible".

The men work for a painter and decorating firm as short term 'temporary hands'. The nature of their employment makes them and their families vulnerable to exploitation by their employers which this latter group take full advantage of. The men lead harsh lives at the whim of their bosses, with little reward for their labours, and harsh penalties for the slightest of transgressions. The author shows a great attention to detail as he uncovers the daily routine of these men's lives, their happiness, and their misery. The importance and drudgery of this work cannot be understated. These men work out of necessity rather than desire, taking very little pride in their results.

That all said and done this novel is not all gloom and down, there are some light hearted moments and there is some elements of genuine selflessness. You can imagine that the author had great fun thinking up the names of some of it's characters and in particular the company names....'Pushem and Sloggem', 'Bluffem and Doemdown', 'Dodger and Scampit',' Snatchum and Graball', 'Smeeriton and Leavit', 'Makehaste and Sloggitt' with the employers names including 'Rushton, 'Grinder', 'Starvem' and 'Sweatem' to name but a few. Equally the local newspapers are called the 'Daily Obscurer', the 'Chloroform' and the 'Daily Ananais' whilst the local MP is 'Graball D'Encloseland'.

In many respects this is not an easy read. Not because it is dull political treatise, although is plainly evident that the author was a ardent advocate of Socialism, but rather because this is a chillingly human story based on fact, one that reveals the greed and vice at the heart of a capitalist system. A system that advocates the needs of the few over the many and one which inflicts abuse and misery onto its fellow 'brothers' and 'sisters' with its failure to fairly distribute the necessities of human life. No sector of society avoids censorship. Capitalism and its advocates along with the hypocrisy within the Church are rightly slated but so too are the working class men themselves. Despite the misery of their lives they would rather perpetrate the present system's continued existence rather than thinking about changing it, attacking and criticising anyone who suggests that there could be another way. They believe that because they are poor, they and their children shouldn't enjoy the same opportunities as the rich.

Perhaps what really makes this book so uncomfortable to read is that even today, 100+ years after its publication, there are still elements of this era in working class people's lives. The workhouses may have gone but short-term and zero hours contracts still leave workers' and their families lives in a precarious, unstable situation. The relevance of this work, and it's ability to speak to us in the 21st century is a sad indictment of our own time. A must read for anyone with a social conscience. ( )