Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell (1933)

Down and Out in Paris and London is the English novelist George Orwell's first full-length work, published in 1933. It is a two-part memoir on the issue of poverty in the two cities. Its intended audience was middle- and upper-class members of society—those more likely to be highly educated—and it exposes poverty in two rich cities: Paris and London. The first section is an account of living in near-extreme poverty destitution in Paris, as well as the experience of working as a temporary worker in restaurant kitchens. The second section is a travelogue of life on the road in and around London from the tramp's point of view, with descriptions of the many types of hostel housing available and some of the people that may be found living on the outskirts.

In a two-part memoir, Orwell, a destitute writer in his twenties, reveals the underbelly of these dazzling towns. First, he struggles for starvation pay at the bottom of the culinary food chain in a luxury restaurant in Paris. Then there's London, where he tramps the streets among the most destitute, stopping at workhouses and prison-like spikes for a few hours' sleep on a bug-infested bunk. Orwell provides his audience an unprecedented insight into the endless monotony of life in poverty, devoid of self-pity but filled with compassion. Regardless of its publishing date, this fascinating and, at times, funny memoir serves as a constant reminder of the trappings of class hierarchies.

Detailed information:

Author: George Orwell
Language: English
Genre: Memoir

Link to read: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/393199