Hello, everyone! Welcome, or welcome back to my blog. Till date, all the books I have reviewed have been fictional ones. So, today I thought I would do something different and decided to review a non-fiction instead. So I will be reviewing one of my favorite books to read, George Orwell’s famous non-fiction: Down and Out in Paris and London. If you still have not checked out my other posts, please do so. But before that, let us get started:
About the Author:
Eric Arthur Blair, known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic. He was born on 25th June, 1903, in Motihari, in the Bengal Presidency of the erstwhile British India. His work is characterized by lucid prose, biting social criticism, total opposition to totalitarianism, and outspoken support of democratic socialism.
As a writer, Orwell produced literary criticism and poetry, fiction and polemical journalism. He is known for the allegorical novella Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). His non-fiction works, including The Road to Wigan Pier (1937), documenting his experience of working-class life in the north of England, and Homage to Catalonia (1938), an account of his experiences soldiering for the Republican faction of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), are as critically respected as his essays on politics and literature, language and culture. In 2008, The Times ranked George Orwell second among “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945”.
Down and Out in Paris and London:
This story starts before George Orwell became famous as a writer. It begins with his younger self. He is an Englishman living in one of the world’s biggest metropolis, Paris. A freelance journalist, Orwell earns his living by teaching English to Frenchmen and other foreigners. He is not very rich, and lives in the Hotel des Trois Moineaux, on the rue du Coq d’Or; it is one of the many slums scattered across the city. The surroundings are not very posh. Nevertheless, it is one of those places where something interesting goes on all the time.
Orwell, in Down and Out in Paris and London, describes how it is to live in poverty. It is when he discovers that his students have quit their classes, and he has no money left, that he gets to know what is it like to starve. The book chronicles his journey: from working as a plongeur at one of Paris’ most expensive hotels, to working as an apprentice at a restaurant with no visible future. He then travels to England, and lives life there as a tramp.
Throughout the book, Orwell has created sketches of the various characters he has met. He has described these people in detail; their experiences, personalities and mindsets. And it is mainly through these people’s experiences that he tells his own story and creates an intricate image of living life as a poor man. It gives an insight into the way people think and how their socio-economic background shapes their thoughts and actions. He has given a vivid image of life in the two big cities and, almost like a behind-the-scenes video, what actually happens beneath their imposing facades.
I have not read many non-fictions, as I don’t usually enjoy them. This one, however, is different. Orwell has described everything with utmost detail – as is his style – but the reading never got monotonous. His choice of adjectives along with the variety of words and comic reliefs from point to point make the book light to read. Having read it at least four times myself, I can safely say the Down and Out in Paris and London is one of the most entertaining non-fictions you will ever read.
Outro:
So, that was it! I hope you liked the review just as much as you will like reading Down and Out in Paris and London when you read it. If you haven’t checked out my other posts, please do so. Also, if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the blog.