Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell is an incredible story about poverty. Orwell describes the experiences of being out of work, then of working as a plongeur (a dish washer - one of the lowest jobs imaginable) in Paris, and of becoming a tramp in London. Orwell writes beautifully with humour and describes each of the experiences with great details while maintaining the reader's interest. This novel is about poverty, but if you are looking for a story with a proper plot, then this in not the book for you.

The novel is written in first person, yet the protagonist is never named. This story is thought to include many events from Orwell's life. Orwell's stories are magnificent and are those that I always recall because they can be related to the real world.


The protagonist is an Englishman whose money is one day stolen, and as an English teacher, he is left without work because he no longer has any students. The little money he has left is getting spent too quickly, and each day he has less and less. He contacts the only man he seems to know in Paris, and finds that he is, unfortunately, in the same situation - almost penniless and without work. Work is terribly difficult to find. The lodging houses are uncomfortable to sleep in for the night. How does the Englishman deal with poverty?


It is a sad tale that makes you feel grateful that you have a roof above your head; are not forced to eat bread, margarine, and tea as your only meals; and never have to starve yourself for days at a time if you are ever left penniless. It is shocking to see how far vagabonds traveled just for free tea or food.

May contain spoilers:

I believe one of the main points of this work was to emphasise that poverty is a cycle that likely will not come to an end unless the government steps in and does something productive with the tramps. The last paragraph states all that the protagonist learned throughout the tale: "I shall never again think that all tramps are drunken scoundrels, nor expect a beggar to be grateful when I give him a penny, nor be surprised if men out of work lack energy, nor subscribe to the Salvation Army, nor pawn my clothes, nor refuse a handbill, nor enjoy a meal at a smart restaurant." (213) Even after his tale, the protagonist concludes that he feels he has merely seen the fringes of poverty.

5/5

While this is not an autobiography, Orwell drew deeply on his personal experience with poverty and the fringes of urban society. While it is firmly routed in its interwar context, it reveals truths about the opressive nature of poverty and homelessness that remain valid today.

"Down and Out" is without a doubt one of Orwell's finest lesser-known works. It is a semi-autobiographical look at London's lower class workers and vagrants that we more fortunate show too little empathy for. Though among Orwell's earliest works, it contains examples of the poignant and thought-provoking writing Orwell is famous for. A personal favorite of my library, I enjoyed this book more than his more popular "1984" or "Animal Farm", and feel this book is an oft overlooked treasure revealing another side of the world-renowned satirist.

Down and out in Paris and London is another one of George Orwell's great classics. Though not as famous as his Animal Farm and 1984, his talents shine in this piece of work as much as it does in those. It is a hilarious book though quite dark at the same time. Though contreversial, we should all expect such from a genius at literacy. Personally, I believe this work is one all should read. It is entertaining and fun to read. While reading this book, my perspective of life was somewhat altered. No longer did life seem plentiful, it also seemed menacing. Orwell has done a great job on this book. I believe it is one everybody should treasure. It is a meaningful book and so therefore should be treated with meaning.