Down and Out in Paris and London

Novel, Memoir by Georgius Orwell

Blurb

Down and Out in Paris and London is a sharp social analysis of what he saw in Paris and in London. In this novel Orwell describes in vigorous passion, poverty, degrading work and unemployment while telling the story of his adventures like his search for work, his job as a dishwasher, his retrun to England, tramping in and around London. He is equally obsessed with how to survive on six francs a day. However, a major theme in the book is the desirability and dignity of work. Reviewers praised his honesty, his sensitive social consciousness and his practical suggestions for alleviation of poverty.

First Published

1933

Member Reviews Write your own review

Joachim.ritter

Starke Identifikation mit dem Protagonisten. Teilweise vom Stil her wie Robinson Crusoe, ständiges Aufzählen von Gedbeträgen, Arbeitszeiten, Besitztümern usw. Keine Verbindung zwischen den Paris und London.-Teil. Keine weiblichen Charaktere.

0 Responses posted in December

Patriciafreitag

The detailed descriptions of expenses and strategies to find places to sleep, ways to get some money to survive until some better solution arrives and the opinions about the author's experience made me try and see things and people with more attention. It did not change dramatically my point of view, but it certainly made me think more about it. I would suggest this book to anyone in my social circle, because I believe it might be hard for them to be sympathetic for the same reasons it is hard for me.

0 Responses posted in September

Ewmunn

A little too opinionated to be good. The characters are character-y, for sure, but the drawn-out factual descriptions of the life of British "tramps," their slang and way of living drag down the narrative. I utterly lost interest after the narrator leaves Paris for London, as his development halts at that point.

0 Responses posted in January

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