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leelu55's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Rape
jessife's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Racism, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Homophobia, Ableism, Racial slurs, and Misogyny
It’s ‘of its time’ but the casual discrimination is pretty jarring. That aside it’s an interesting readbooksjessreads's review against another edition
challenging
sad
slow-paced
3.25
I didn't quite know how to review this book. I was given it to read by a member of my partner's family, who said it was very readable and an insightful account of poverty in London and Paris in the 1930s. I do feel as though I learned a lot about poverty during this period and I will credit Orwell's exposition of his living conditions for being explicit so that we could understand his experience. I did find it generally quite readable, although through periods of the book, I found it hard to be drawn to and did not always feel motivated to read it.
Of course, this is a product of its time and does have open anti-Semitic, homophobic and xenophobic language, especially towards the French and Irish. Despite Orwell being a democratic socialist, that doesn't always mean that he had liberal views of everyone. Furthermore, he also had an arrogant style of writing, especially making clear that he was never as low as those who were embedded in the lower-class world. He was always careful to evoke sympathy from the reader for himself, but not that of others.
Undoubtedly, this does offer an interesting and insightful perspective of Orwell's life, but not a book I am eager to return to.
Of course, this is a product of its time and does have open anti-Semitic, homophobic and xenophobic language, especially towards the French and Irish. Despite Orwell being a democratic socialist, that doesn't always mean that he had liberal views of everyone. Furthermore, he also had an arrogant style of writing, especially making clear that he was never as low as those who were embedded in the lower-class world. He was always careful to evoke sympathy from the reader for himself, but not that of others.
Undoubtedly, this does offer an interesting and insightful perspective of Orwell's life, but not a book I am eager to return to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Antisemitism, Xenophobia, Homophobia, and Racism
larajuliette_c's review against another edition
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Antisemitism, Sexism, and Homophobia
vickeyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
2.5
I found it’s ideas on class to be interesting although this book though the book is admittedly extremely antisemetic,racist, and sexist. I found it boring at a lot of parts but there were some parts that were interesting such as Boris starting a restaurant and you see Orwell and others work hard in their hotels and I thought that was interesting and funner to read. Those are my thoughts lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs and Homophobia
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.katrinarose's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
I didn’t really enjoy this book that much and it took me a while to read because of it, but I appreciated Orwell’s bleak humor and insights into his lowest point and general views on poverty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Antisemitism, and Homophobia
josiiie's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, and Sexism
stefaniegiss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism
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