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Down and Out in Paris and London (Penguin Modern Classics) [Kindle Edition]

George Orwell (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews) |
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Review

"...an excellent work of its kind... a model of the realistic approach." New York Times Book Review

Product Description

'You have talked so often of going to the dogs - and well, here are the dogs, and you have reached them.' George Orwell's vivid memoir of his time among the desperately poor and destitute in London and Paris is a moving tour of the underworld of society. Here he painstakingly documents a world of unrelenting drudgery and squalor - sleeping in bug-infested hostels and doss houses, working as a dishwasher in the vile 'H�tel X', living alongside tramps, surviving on scraps and cigarette butts - in an unforgettable account of what being down and out is really like.

Includes an introduction by Dervla Murphy, as well as definitive footnotes assigned to Orwell.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
One word to describe this book would be "grimy" although that does not convey the wonderful writing style of Orwell- perhaps "almost glamorous grime" would be better. Never have I read such a good book that describes the poverty, dirt and atmosphere of the early twentieth century. The café/hotel culture of Paris and sharing tiny rooms with an assortment of characters in Paris seems to come alive with wit and verve. Similarly the boarding houses and homeless hostels "spikes" in London are gloomier but no less interesting.
Orwell introduces us to many eccentric people without the sexual overstatement that flawed Miller's Tropic Of Cancer- also set in Paris. The detail of the work washing pots and cooking food in the bowels of hotels in France is an eye opener as is the treatment of the homeless in London. Among the day-to-day living Orwell gives us some fascinating facts such as the (lack of) hygiene in the most expensive Parisian restaurants and that there were almost no homeless females in the 1920's.
Orwell's style is always gripping and we can see the beginnings of what he was later to refine further into 1984 and Animal Farm among other works. This is an excellent read that I would recommend to all- it has a wonderful mix of character, style, atmosphere and fact that is irresistible.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If ever there was a book deserving the title 'modern classic', this is it. A thought provoking and subtle collection of anecdotes that will make you laugh and out loud and balk at the extremes of poverty described in equal measure. The fact that Orwell avoides self indulgence and manages to evoke a genuine sense of compassion is truely remarkable and whatever your political orientation, having read this book it is hard to feel anything but respect for the man.

Despite its age, down and out still strikes a resonant chord in the modern world and while much has changed in the intervening years, there are still enough parralels with todays society to make you take stock of the world we live in.

I greatly enjoyed this book and recommend everyone to read it.
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
A sobering book 30 Jan 2007
By GeekZilla TOP 50 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
George Orwell felt awkward for being middle class, once he started to make a bit of money as an author this added to his awkwardness and he spent a lot of time in dank and impoverished surroundings.

This book is largely autobiographic, it tells of his time spent with the homeless. Orwell would pretend to be a tramp, not just pretend - he would live as a tramp from time to time. It was his time as a tramp that feed the ideas in this book.

Orwell writes about the camaraderie in the tramp community with warmth, you can feel his fondness for the people he is writing about.

The tramp experience covers only the second part of the book.

The first part describes the life of Parisian hotel/restaurant kitchen workers. It isn't glamorous. It is a life devoid of love, warmth, and happiness. Boris is the star of the "Paris" part of this book.

This is not only one of Orwell's finest pieces of work, it is a book that changes how you feel about life. When I read this book I was struggling financially - but this book put things in perspective, and I still imagine scenes in this book when times are hard.

The contrast between the "Paris" and "London" aspects of the book couldn't be more different, even though both are concerning that corner of society who seem to have nothing.

Read this book on the bus/train on the commute to work and you'll get lost in the dark visuals it inspires. The book had many place names and people's names removed for fear of being libellous, at first this seems clumsy but you get used to it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Odd, but great
This is an odd novel, a peculiar mix of reportage and funny anecdotes about tramps. Hugely enjoyable though. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Simon Bendle
Simply brilliant
Given the subject matter (poverty, starvation, slave labour, tramp-life) this book is a great read. George Orwell is simply a great writer. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Mr. Martin G. Smith
Down and Out in Paris and London
A superb book, which I was delighted to re-read after some 40 years. Though much has changed since the book was written, it is well worth reading for its own sake, and for... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Arsenal Fan
Amazing book!
This is a must-read for any serious reader. George Orwell has done it again, quite a while ago, but you know what I mean.
Published 1 month ago by ruthenium
a classic for the modern age
A brilliant book that is a good lesson for todays politicians as more and more people suffer the indignity of poverty. Read more
Published 2 months ago by kevworld
Thanks
Thank you for sending the book do promptly, it made a great Christmas present for my brother. Great quality too
Published 5 months ago by Claire
Look after the pennies (and you may get a bed for the night)
This is a very clear picture of life led at the lowest level when there was no safety net for the poor and dispossessed. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Clive A. H. Still
Downn & Out In Paris
Book was in excellent condition. A good read, if your in a nostalgic mood. Purpose fit packaging & timely delivery All met my expectations.
Published 7 months ago by Phil4Sure
An enjoyable read, yet not one of Orwell's more poignant novels
Orwell strives to undermine the belief poverty is linked with laziness, and indeed he I successful in this, as he demonstrates that like us the poor are people, yet are victims of... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Armorel Jackson
A GREAT PIECE OF JOURNALISM
This is well worth reading for anybody who is interested in the benefits of poverty. Living poor is not all pleasant by far but Orwell makes it bearable through documenting his... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Nathan Strange
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Popular Highlights

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&quote;
Poverty frees them from ordinary standards of behaviour, just as money frees people from work. &quote;
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Money has become the grand test of virtue. By this test beggars fail, and for this they are despised. &quote;
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The mass of the rich and the poor are differentiated by their incomes and nothing else, and the average millionaire is only the average dishwasher dressed in a new suit. &quote;
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