A review by carlottaione
Burmese Days by George Orwell

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

i have no idea how to feel about this book and i honestly don't really know what to rate it. i think that it offers a disturbingly realistic portrayal of empire and the sinister ways in which imperialism eats away at everyone, corrupting every single person involved. none of the characters are even remotely likable, except for dr. veraswarmi, and it makes the book incredibly uncomfortable to read (amongst other things). orwell does not pull punches with this book -- utter brutality is mentioned in such a blasé manner, highlighting the dehumanizing impact of colonialism and capitalism. however, i also think that this book walks such a fine line between critique and outright racism that it is sometimes difficult to tell when orwell is critiquing the characters versus when he is simply writing characters in a racist way. so many of the asian characters and female characters are written so one-dimensionally and stereotypically, one is unsure if the decision was purposeful or as a result of orwell's biases. anyway, this is definitely an interesting read and generates lots of discussion and food for thought.