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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.
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