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ashsparrow's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Classism
Moderate: Antisemitism, Rape, Alcohol, Xenophobia, and Sexism
Minor: Suicide
mildlypretentiousreader's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
2.5
“You discover the extreme precariousness of your six francs a day. Mean disasters happen and rob you of food.” (Page 18)
“It is a peculiar lowness of overtly that you discover first; the shifts that it puts you to the complicated meanness, the crust-wiping.” (Page 17)
George Orwell’s autobiographical work, Down and Out in Paris and London, follows a British writer struggling to survive in some of the world’s most expensive cities, Paris and later on London. Told through the first person perspective, Down and Out provides readers with a gripping and captivating narration style that allows any and all to be drawn in. It is surprisingly witty and entertaining. In addition, the descriptions of the experiences of the impoverished felt incredibly realistic and raw. It was strikingly vivid. One of my favorite sections of the book was the detailed description of the Parisian hotel staff hierarchy.
While all of this was insightful, Down and Out’s impact was greatly soured by its constant and consistent references of racism or anti-Semeticism. What ruined the book the most was the completely unneeded rape scene found in Chapter Two. It was disturbing to read and was frankly so unexpected.
“It is a peculiar lowness of overtly that you discover first; the shifts that it puts you to the complicated meanness, the crust-wiping.” (Page 17)
George Orwell’s autobiographical work, Down and Out in Paris and London, follows a British writer struggling to survive in some of the world’s most expensive cities, Paris and later on London. Told through the first person perspective, Down and Out provides readers with a gripping and captivating narration style that allows any and all to be drawn in. It is surprisingly witty and entertaining. In addition, the descriptions of the experiences of the impoverished felt incredibly realistic and raw. It was strikingly vivid. One of my favorite sections of the book was the detailed description of the Parisian hotel staff hierarchy.
While all of this was insightful, Down and Out’s impact was greatly soured by its constant and consistent references of racism or anti-Semeticism. What ruined the book the most was the completely unneeded rape scene found in Chapter Two. It was disturbing to read and was frankly so unexpected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Xenophobia, Racism, and Rape
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Deportation
I cannot emphasize this enough. In regards to the rape scene, I found it to be completely unneeded and unprovoked. There was no real warning that a SA scene would happen. As a warning, the rape scene takes up almost the entirety of Chapter 2 of the book. There were also racism agains black people, along with the usage of the slur “blackie,” and other ethnic groups, such as Romani people.josiiie's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, and Sexism
elsemma's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
I have read many reviews of this book since finishing it yesterday and not one mentioned that the first chapter is essentially just a rape scene?? I knew what this book was about generally but this was very unexpected. I also don’t see what it added? Maybe this is a very modern perspective but I feel like a brutal attack should add something to the overall argument of the book and this didn’t? I felt like Orwell gave a better description of the characters throughout that this “scene setting”
Anyway, overall this book was okay. Like I said I knew the overall ideas of this book and so nothing overly shocked me. Orwell’s ability to describe is of course on show here and it as always is exemplary.
He also makes extremely valid points about poverty and the experience of it that I think this book can be used (even today) as a way to explain poverty to someone who has never felt it.
That being said, I feel like there were parts which were monotonous? This book shouldn’t have been shorter by any means but sometimes I feel like Orwell goes too simple.
Anyway, overall this book was okay. Like I said I knew the overall ideas of this book and so nothing overly shocked me. Orwell’s ability to describe is of course on show here and it as always is exemplary.
He also makes extremely valid points about poverty and the experience of it that I think this book can be used (even today) as a way to explain poverty to someone who has never felt it.
That being said, I feel like there were parts which were monotonous? This book shouldn’t have been shorter by any means but sometimes I feel like Orwell goes too simple.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: Sexism, Misogyny, and Alcohol
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