Down and Out in Paris and London

"Down and Out in Paris and London" is a memoir on poverty by George Orwell published in 1933. It details his time spent in Paris and London just before publishing his first novel. He gives details of working in Paris in near homeless conditions as well as travel experiences in London.

When Orwell first left his post in Burma as a police officer, he moved to London to travel and publish material for different journals, including what would be the first workings of the second half of his manuscript. He then moved to Paris into the Latin Quarter, a bohemian section of town known for its writers and artists. After a serious illness, he returns to London and begins to write.

Critics have argued over the truth of the memoir, citing evidence to show that Orwell exaggerated parts of his experience for the sake of the story. Orwell himself said that he has exaggerated nothing per se, but that writers often change or highlight the story as they choose what events to write about. He seems to believe that part of his duty as a writer is to create a good story and to detail larger truths related to his experience through rearranging and editing his chosen stories.

The book is a fascinating look into the bohemian life of many artists living in Europe as well as of the immigrant communities.

(Source: supersummary.com)