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A review by elisakissa
Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
4.0
Having read Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast" as a teenager, I thought this provided such an interesting "flip side" to 1920s Paris. Being down and out in Paris almost sounds like a good time. London not so much.
I think that's where you can tell that the two parts of the book were written based on very different experiences. Orwell always had a way out of his poverty, but in Paris his money was actually stolen (even if he could have asked for more from his family) and the Paris part describes his adventures finding a job and generally living in the poorer areas of Paris. Whereas the parts from London read more like a travel diary because that's what it is: it is based on the time in his life when he decided to live like a tramp for a while, to get to know others in that situation and understand their lives.
Orwell's thoughts on class and work are interesting as expected. I think this is essential reading for anyone who enjoys his writing.
I started this book originally in 2021 and then had a long break of not reading it. I did restart it on 8.1. but I'm keeping the original starting date, just for fun.
I think that's where you can tell that the two parts of the book were written based on very different experiences. Orwell always had a way out of his poverty, but in Paris his money was actually stolen (even if he could have asked for more from his family) and the Paris part describes his adventures finding a job and generally living in the poorer areas of Paris. Whereas the parts from London read more like a travel diary because that's what it is: it is based on the time in his life when he decided to live like a tramp for a while, to get to know others in that situation and understand their lives.
Orwell's thoughts on class and work are interesting as expected. I think this is essential reading for anyone who enjoys his writing.
I started this book originally in 2021 and then had a long break of not reading it. I did restart it on 8.1. but I'm keeping the original starting date, just for fun.