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A review by zuzubaloo
Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell, Peter Hobley Davison
2.0
George Orwell takes readers through his experiences in his early 20s when he struggled with poverty in Paris and London.
I found the book to be boring and drawn out. The repetitive nature of the narrative and lack of significant events may have been intentional to convey the monotony of poverty, but I believe Orwell could have made it more engaging.
I found it puzzling that Orwell, despite having an aunt in Paris and family in England, chose to live in extreme poverty. His privileged background, having been educated at Eton, led me to question why he willingly subjected himself to such conditions. Many individuals genuinely endure extreme poverty, and Orwell did not necessarily have to put himself in that position. Nevertheless, his firsthand account sheds light on the prejudices toward poverty and homelessness, which unfortunately persist almost a century later.
I found his accounts of his time in Paris to be more tedious than his experiences in London. The book lacked a deeper exploration of the people Orwell encountered in Paris. I was more grateful that the overuse of French was limited when he started telling of his time in London.
Overall, the book did not resonate with me. The ending felt abrupt as if Orwell had run out of material to share.
I found the book to be boring and drawn out. The repetitive nature of the narrative and lack of significant events may have been intentional to convey the monotony of poverty, but I believe Orwell could have made it more engaging.
I found it puzzling that Orwell, despite having an aunt in Paris and family in England, chose to live in extreme poverty. His privileged background, having been educated at Eton, led me to question why he willingly subjected himself to such conditions. Many individuals genuinely endure extreme poverty, and Orwell did not necessarily have to put himself in that position. Nevertheless, his firsthand account sheds light on the prejudices toward poverty and homelessness, which unfortunately persist almost a century later.
I found his accounts of his time in Paris to be more tedious than his experiences in London. The book lacked a deeper exploration of the people Orwell encountered in Paris. I was more grateful that the overuse of French was limited when he started telling of his time in London.
Overall, the book did not resonate with me. The ending felt abrupt as if Orwell had run out of material to share.