by George Orwell

isbn: 015626224X
subject: Fiction and Literature, Biography
finished: 2/21/2003

I thought it would be appropriate to read Down and Out in Paris and London since I'm spending a lot of time this spring looking for a job. It's a semi-autobiographical account of time Orwell spent living among the working poor in Paris and the homeless in London. It's a good book for several reasons. First, Orwell has a knack for describing interesting or amusing characters from his travels, such as a philosophical sidewalk artist in London and a miser on Paris who lives on the edge of starvation despite the thousands of Francs stuffed into his mattress. Second, Orwell doesn't just report, he analyzes. Why is a shilling worth less to a really poor person than to someone who's slightly more well-off? Why are there so many people who work long hours at jobs that are manifestly useless? Why does paying more than small change for a steak guarantee that at least four people have prodded it with dirty fingers before you eat it? Etc. Highly recommended.