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harureads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Humanising while simultaneously creating caricatures of the people from the lowest rungs of society in a fictional autobiography is why Orwell's writing is so fine and graceful.
I highly recommend reading this book at least once to not just to remind yourself that poor folks are also human and deserve postive treatment and non-hostile policies (all the same debates we have now on minimum wage and homelessness) you but also to see all the behind-the-scenes of hotels and restaurants which has made me averse to eating out for now, and how people who only work to work will not care about you.
I highly recommend reading this book at least once to not just to remind yourself that poor folks are also human and deserve postive treatment and non-hostile policies (all the same debates we have now on minimum wage and homelessness) you but also to see all the behind-the-scenes of hotels and restaurants which has made me averse to eating out for now, and how people who only work to work will not care about you.
jess_mango's review against another edition
5.0
In his semi-autobiographical work "Down & Out in Paris and London", Orwell first takes us to Paris in the late 1930's where the narrator (who bears a striking resemblance to Orwell) is living in squalid hotels and desperately trying to get by. Unable to find work as a writer, he gets jobs in hotels and restaurants, working long hours as a plongeur/dishwasher. His accounts of what occurs in the kitchens and back rooms of fine dining establishments make one think twice about dining out. The narrator shares accounts of others he meets living a similar life and how they survive by continually pawning their belongings to buy scraps of food. In the second part of the book, the narrator, sick of life in Paris and longing for the familiarity of Britain, moves back to London to begin a job. The job does not begin immediately so he spends time as a tramp moving from shelter to shelter. The system and policies of these shelters was very enlightening.
I personally enjoyed the Paris part of the book more than the London part. The writing in "Down & Out in Paris and London" is simple yet wonderful and sharp. It is a relatively easy read and highly informative. As you read the book you begin to understand what it must be like to live a life of poverty.
I personally enjoyed the Paris part of the book more than the London part. The writing in "Down & Out in Paris and London" is simple yet wonderful and sharp. It is a relatively easy read and highly informative. As you read the book you begin to understand what it must be like to live a life of poverty.
danjit's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Antisemitism
leelu55's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Rape
steebyb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
stryke360's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
ebenelephant's review against another edition
4.0
Orwell's usual descriptive prose is very well used here at highlighting the differences and similarities of his experiences in the two cities. Particularly in the second half, he made some very interesting and relevant observations on the nature of homelessness. Nothing groundbreaking, but nonetheless a fascinating read both as a personal and as a historical account.
I perhaps would have awarded this .25 stars more of not for the rampant anti-Semitism (particularly in the Paris section) which almost forced me to put down the book more than once. Naturally a book should not be judged solely on the biases of the author if they reflect the landscape of the books publishing, but nonetheless it hampered my enjoyment.
I perhaps would have awarded this .25 stars more of not for the rampant anti-Semitism (particularly in the Paris section) which almost forced me to put down the book more than once. Naturally a book should not be judged solely on the biases of the author if they reflect the landscape of the books publishing, but nonetheless it hampered my enjoyment.
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Short and illuminating autobiographical account of poverty from the author of 1984
For me, it doesn't really matter if Orwell experienced exactly these situations precisely as he account for them in this short memoir. These were real experiences that many people DID go through, and it shouldn't matter if a soon-to-be-famous writer embellished or exaggerated.
The book gives us an account of Orwell's time, before gaining employment as a writer, in the two cities of the title, at times penniless and with an empty stomach.
It is eminently readable, though for some reason I've always delayed picking it up. This I read as an audiobook and managed it in a couple of sessions. I found myself caught up in his predicaments, and shocked at how many people managed to live day-to-day, hand-to-mouth.
The restaurant work Orwell describes in detail is also shocking, the hours, the work, the conditions. How much has changed.
It makes one wonder how Orwell's experiences many have coloured his later work in 1984 and Animal Farm that I am familiar with, if he was indeed on good terms with poor living and being at the bottom of the pile and powerless.
Short novella, and a rather interesting read.
For me, it doesn't really matter if Orwell experienced exactly these situations precisely as he account for them in this short memoir. These were real experiences that many people DID go through, and it shouldn't matter if a soon-to-be-famous writer embellished or exaggerated.
The book gives us an account of Orwell's time, before gaining employment as a writer, in the two cities of the title, at times penniless and with an empty stomach.
It is eminently readable, though for some reason I've always delayed picking it up. This I read as an audiobook and managed it in a couple of sessions. I found myself caught up in his predicaments, and shocked at how many people managed to live day-to-day, hand-to-mouth.
The restaurant work Orwell describes in detail is also shocking, the hours, the work, the conditions. How much has changed.
It makes one wonder how Orwell's experiences many have coloured his later work in 1984 and Animal Farm that I am familiar with, if he was indeed on good terms with poor living and being at the bottom of the pile and powerless.
Short novella, and a rather interesting read.