Down and Out in Paris and London -- review
Down and Out in Paris and London is a book that is nearly a 100 years old, but it's political message still remains relevant and the book itself remains a fun and easy read.
Down and Out in Paris and London truly captures the genius of George Orwell. The is book is largely based on his life when he moved to Paris and later London following his work in the Burmese Imperial Police (the source of another one of his early books).
However, after a few years, he decided to quit the police because he lacked a sense of satisfaction and instead decided he wished to become a writer, choosing to start this new career in Paris. Despite his best efforts, he struggles to become a literary success early on and is soon forced to seek genuine employment which he finds in the service sector. Although very early parts of the book mention his time trying to be an author most of the book focuses on his life in the service industry and generally his attempts to simpily get by in Paris and later London.
What captures the greatness of Orwell’s writing is his ability to turn a story that, in reality, is actually quite dull and make it into a book that is funny and hard to put down. Throughout the book nothing really happens. We know from the outset that nothing bad will happen to Orwell because he will, later on, become a literary great and therefore he can’t die or suffer any great deal of harm. Furthermore, the story’s focus is on the drudgery of daily life not adventurous, fantastical or horrifying plotlines. Although he is struggling to get by in extreme poverty none of the events that happen throughout the book hang in a tense balance and you are never left on a cliffhanger at the end of any chapter.
So you might be thinking “Well how can this be such a great book?”.
This is something I struggle to explain. The story and the characters are funny and Orwell does an amazing job at putting into writing the comedy and joy of everyday life that he experiences with his friends. This homour is best shown when he befriends a Russian refugee (Boris) in Paris who seems ridiculous. His absolute commitment that one day he will run his own Russian restaurant appears ludicrous when we see the life he and Orwell live. In the Pariasan sections of the story, Boris is the main driver of the humour which is focused around his mad life. One of my favourite Boris moments is when he is getting ready to go to his waiting job and puts on his socks which are riddled with holes, seeing no other option he paints the bits of his feet showing through the holes with black ink.
But, the story isn’t a comedy. You will chuckle and laugh to yourself at some of Boris’ exploits and find humour in the spirits and actions of those in Paris and London Orwell lives in, but it is not a comedy like Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is. It remains a serious and slightly sad story of social inequality in the interwar years. Orwell lives in accommodation that is barely habitable (but, sadly feels like it is not too different to some of our modern social housing), works in a job for which he gets paid barely enough to get by and is given just one day off a week.
This juxtaposition of humour and seriousness helps make this book the masterpiece it is. However, what truly makes it a masterpiece is how Orwell writes in a sense that is personal, you feel, to some extent, like you were one of his friends working with him in Hotel X, drinking and eating with Boris. You get a real feel for the life Orwell is living in, quirks and all.
Down and Out differs from Orwell’s more famous works 1984 and Animal Farm, the story in Down and Out feels much more personal and less serious then the story in the other two. The political message in Down and Out feels much more real, than it does in Animal Farm, the message is one that lasts much longer and is rooted in the real world and not fiction. Down and Out manages to remain relevant despite the world changing much since it was first written, still many of the problems of homelessness and exploitation in the service industry and social housing persist. Meanwhile, Animal Farm’s warnings of reactionaries taking over a revolution feel slightly less relatable to a modern audience.
Like Homage to Catalonia, Down and Out is a masterpiece whilst covering a subject that appears dull, both books are page-turners when they really shouldn’t be (I would 100% reading Homage to Catalonia). When thinking about this, I have come to the conclusion that although 1984 and Animal Farm are good books, Orwell’s literary skill is best shown when writing about topics that should not really be interesting (whether that is day-to-day life as a kitchen porter or life doing nothing on the frontlines of the Spanish Civil War). He is a master in turning the dull into the riveting.
My only critique of the book really is that the first half, when Orwell is living in Paris, is more enjoyable to read than the second half when he is in London. Both halves of the book are good reads, but the humour of everyday life feels more real and is more frequent in the first half. This is mainly because although Orwell makes friends in London the second half is missing a character as good as Boris to bring that humour.
I would highly recommend Down and Out in Paris and London.
