Oddly enough, while this book provides great food for thought regarding modern life and the role of coal in it, as well as about socialism, and the reasons that societies adopt socialist measures, it does not talk very much about Wigan Pier. Therefore, the choice of title a slightly disjointing to a contemporary reader, who likely has no conception of where Wigan is, or what its connection is with coal mining. To provide a similar example, imagine if John Steinbeck had set 'Cannery Row' in a vineyard.
In fact, the book splits cleanly down the middle. The first half of the book describes conditions in coal mining in England in the 1930s, while the second half of the book details Orwell's thoughts about the reasons for lack of success of socialism in the world of 1937. Regardless of the passage of time, much of Orwell's thinking continues to resonate today, just as we continue to depend on coal despite the passage of over 70 years.
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