Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell

10/2/08  Print This Post Print This Post    3 Comments      Written by Matador Team
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Today’s book recommendation and review comes from Matador Travel community member, Charlotte (acb2140)

George Orwell’s account is not only a fascinating slice of life in Paris and London between the World Wars, but a gritty, witty account of poverty in any time.

What happens to travelers when they come to the end of their funds and have to take on work as a pot-washer in a hotel or (heaven forbid) review books they’ve never read for periodicals that no one reads?

Orwell, though not the first traveler to go through this trial by fire, is absolutely not the last.

His account, however, is the one that grabs me – that pulls me into the scene, impresses me with the noise and heat and dirt of the cities, the alleyways, the kitchens, and the seedy apartments inhabited by his characters.

Trust Orwell for one of the best historical travelogues ever written.

Price: $11:20 | BUY


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Matador Team

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3 Comments... join the discussion!

  • CollazoProjects replied on October 2, 2008

    I'd never heard of this book by Orwell; thanks for adding a new read to my list!

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  • Tim Patterson replied on October 5, 2008

    Orwell is definitely one of the most important writers of the last 100 years, but the funny thing is that the literary quality of his writing wasn't anything special. It was what he chose to write about that made him such an important figure. Food for thought.

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  • jolinarodriguez replied on November 11, 2008

    He wrote works in many different genres including fiction, polemics, journalism, memoir and critical essays.

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