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alitasharing's review against another edition
4.0
nasty, mortifying, truthful and unrelentingly brutal.
peebee's review against another edition
5.0
Somewhat scary how a year in SoKo with Mike messed with my head so that I realize my mindset on spending money, eating and sleeping is that of George Orwell in the second quarter of his downward spiral...
eagerudon's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
sunleung's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
The book is supposedly a real account of Orwell’s experiences as a tramp in Paris and in London. He provides an enlightening window into the psyche of the destitute. Though the book reads as “poverty tourism”, he rarely speaks down about the poor - he ends with short reflections on poor and what he thought were acceptable solutions to their plight.
The book is broken down in two parts: first part recounts his experiences in Paris, the latter his tramping days in London. The first part was a better read for me. His stint working as a plongeur for a fine hotel and his description of the hierarchy system within a kitchen was insightful to me - that alone provided me with the most joy in the book.
The book is broken down in two parts: first part recounts his experiences in Paris, the latter his tramping days in London. The first part was a better read for me. His stint working as a plongeur for a fine hotel and his description of the hierarchy system within a kitchen was insightful to me - that alone provided me with the most joy in the book.
notaturnip's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely compelling! A quick read, although I did need to Google a lot of the French.
jtrogers1992's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent reading for understanding poverty. Much of the book is about poverty in a specific time and place but most of the themes are timeless.
Overall lesson: Being poor is expensive and extremely hard work.
Overall lesson: Being poor is expensive and extremely hard work.