--- product_id: 4593782 title: "Down And Out In Paris And London: From the author of 1984―a penniless writer's raw, semi-autobiographical journey through poverty in Paris and London" price: "29565CFA" currency: XOF in_stock: true reviews_count: 7 url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/4593782-down-and-out-in-paris-and-london-from-the-author store_origin: SN region: Senegal --- # Down And Out In Paris And London: From the author of 1984―a penniless writer's raw, semi-autobiographical journey through poverty in Paris and London **Price:** 29565CFA **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Down And Out In Paris And London: From the author of 1984―a penniless writer's raw, semi-autobiographical journey through poverty in Paris and London - **How much does it cost?** 29565CFA with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/4593782-down-and-out-in-paris-and-london-from-the-author) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Down And Out In Paris And London [Orwell, George] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Down And Out In Paris And London Review: excellent writing - I am a fan of Orwell. There is nothing that I've read of his that I did not like, although I have only read a few things. So I was predisposed to like this book. This story is odd. The "plot" is very repetitive; it consists of Orwell's more or less daily account of his seeking work in Paris and London in the 1930s Great Depression, mostly unsuccessfully, and the seeking of work is woven through with his description of near starvation in the process. Even though the book is repetitive in its accounting of these experiences, the writing is clear, insightfully detailed, and down to earth, and it does not get tiresome to read; I read the book in about two days. It's a close look at the underbelly of a few English settings, cities during the late 20s and perhaps early 30s of the 20th century. Furthermore, the narrative is punctuated with some wonderful character profiles of the (mostly) men that he buddies with along the way. It has significant good humor, despite the horrible conditions that Orwell experiences and describes; the characterizations of the handful of men he tramps with are especially humorous: Orwell was good, apparently, at picking out good mates in similar circumstances, men he could count on in a pinch. The first half of the book, set in Paris, is a bit more upbeat in tone than the second half, set in London. In the Paris section, much of the reportage is about Orwell's working as a dishwasher/busboy/gopher in a fancy hotel restaurant, and I found this reportage to be very accurate to what I know of current-day restaurants, which I know are still operated in the same chaotic way. The dining room is a different world from the kitchen. The second half of the book, the London section, is much more "down and out." I discovered from this book that during this time and probably in the Great Depression as well, England managed its tens of thousands of unemployed, homeless men (mostly men: 10:1 men to women) by providing them room and board, but the "tramps" could only stay one night, and were forced to march up to fifteen miles the next day to the next "accommodation"; these large institutional shelters were called "spikes." The accommodations were vermin-infested and the food was usually "tea and two slices": two pieces of bread with oil slathered on them and a cup of tea. To my mind, this book reminded me of a long New Yorker-like article in which the writer goes undercover to expose the horrors of a situation. Apparently, however, Orwell was not undercover but instead an unknown unemployed writer who was truly forced into this degraded, dangerous, unhealthy lifestyle. I knew that Orwell died before he was fifty, and after reading the book I wondered if these harrowing experiences did not somehow contribute to his early physical decline. This book is touted as a minor masterpiece. I don't know if I agree with that but it is essential reading for one who is studying Orwell. It certainly must have drawn on his socialist thinking, and he makes some astute recommendations for how England might better deal with the problem of massive unemployment. Review: Walk a mile in my shoes - 'Down And Out' was first published in 1933, an account of the poverty stricken streets of both Paris and London during the era. It bears little resemblance to today's homeless problems, but is an interesting study in older times where sweeping a sidewalk could make a difference between bread and no bread. A friend of mine told me that if I liked 'The Jungle' by Upton Sinclair that I should read 'Down And Out In Paris And London'. I found few similarities other than the filthy kitchens that Orwell describes, but I was glad this Orwell book was referred to me. All I've read by the author before are the standard 'Animal Farm' and '1984' that most people have read. (If you haven't read them, you should, they're great) Orwell's protagonist begins the story in the slums of Paris, occasionally teaching English classes for a bit of money. (One of the things I had a hard time translating is the foreign currency: a shilling, a franc, a sou, a pence, a crown, a pound, etc. But the prices are so out of date now in 2008 that it mattered very little) He's down and out on his luck, and running out of rent money. When he thinks he's at his lowest his friend Boris brings them a job at Hotel X, where the protagonist works as a plongeur (dishwasher/gopher/whatever). He works long, hot hours for little money, but can afford his rent. Boris has another dream though, that they both become employed at a 'yet to be opened' restaurant where Boris is promised a higher position. By the time our protagonist works at the new restaurant, he begins to believe that all the violations and harassments at Hotel X were superior. Becoming fed up with the harsh conditions and long hours, the protagonist writes to a friend in London for a position, which his friend promises. Worthy of note are the descriptions of the Hotel's and restaurant's kitchens. They are filthy beyond imagination, and the working conditions deplorable. Though the book is older and there are more inspections nowadays than there were back then, you'll still question the next meal that is served before you, even from a fancy restaurant. Our protagonist packs up and leaves Paris. Unfortunately, the position promised to him in London, that of looking after a feeble patron, isn't ready, so he's on the streets without lodging, food, or work to provide for himself. He spends time in the charity lodgings of London, meeting up with Paddy and Bozo and other characters. He quickly learns the ways of the street, and extrapolates on the cause and condition of the homeless society he finds himself in. The characters are fascinating. There's Boris - loud, lame, and strange. Charlie, who lives off a pittance from his family and will not work (and who loves the ladies - once portrayed in a horrible story he told). There's Paddy, resigned to his fate. There's Bozo, a screever (pavement artist), and a star-gazer who has an astonishingly bright outlook on street life. The concept of work vs idleness is explored, along with the concept of how hard the homeless actually "work" (panhandling, selling matches, selling herbs like lavender, getting up early and waiting in line for jobs, "screeving", pawning, even stealing) for the privilege of a bug ridden cot and watered down tea. The book is a study in poverty even though its outdated. The one thing I didn't like about it was the abrupt ending. The story could have used a little more conclusion, in my opinion. Overall, I'm glad I explored this addition to my Orwell collection, and highly recommend it. Enjoy! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #93,309 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #683 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction #921 in Fiction Satire #4,330 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (5,687) | | Dimensions | 5.31 x 0.5 x 8 inches | | Edition | Later Printing | | ISBN-10 | 015626224X | | ISBN-13 | 978-0156262248 | | Item Weight | 2.31 pounds | | Language | English | | Print length | 224 pages | | Publication date | March 15, 1972 | | Publisher | Mariner Books Classics | ## Images ![Down And Out In Paris And London: From the author of 1984―a penniless writer's raw, semi-autobiographical journey through poverty in Paris and London - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ZBiSCdW-L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ excellent writing *by G***N on December 24, 2019* I am a fan of Orwell. There is nothing that I've read of his that I did not like, although I have only read a few things. So I was predisposed to like this book. This story is odd. The "plot" is very repetitive; it consists of Orwell's more or less daily account of his seeking work in Paris and London in the 1930s Great Depression, mostly unsuccessfully, and the seeking of work is woven through with his description of near starvation in the process. Even though the book is repetitive in its accounting of these experiences, the writing is clear, insightfully detailed, and down to earth, and it does not get tiresome to read; I read the book in about two days. It's a close look at the underbelly of a few English settings, cities during the late 20s and perhaps early 30s of the 20th century. Furthermore, the narrative is punctuated with some wonderful character profiles of the (mostly) men that he buddies with along the way. It has significant good humor, despite the horrible conditions that Orwell experiences and describes; the characterizations of the handful of men he tramps with are especially humorous: Orwell was good, apparently, at picking out good mates in similar circumstances, men he could count on in a pinch. The first half of the book, set in Paris, is a bit more upbeat in tone than the second half, set in London. In the Paris section, much of the reportage is about Orwell's working as a dishwasher/busboy/gopher in a fancy hotel restaurant, and I found this reportage to be very accurate to what I know of current-day restaurants, which I know are still operated in the same chaotic way. The dining room is a different world from the kitchen. The second half of the book, the London section, is much more "down and out." I discovered from this book that during this time and probably in the Great Depression as well, England managed its tens of thousands of unemployed, homeless men (mostly men: 10:1 men to women) by providing them room and board, but the "tramps" could only stay one night, and were forced to march up to fifteen miles the next day to the next "accommodation"; these large institutional shelters were called "spikes." The accommodations were vermin-infested and the food was usually "tea and two slices": two pieces of bread with oil slathered on them and a cup of tea. To my mind, this book reminded me of a long New Yorker-like article in which the writer goes undercover to expose the horrors of a situation. Apparently, however, Orwell was not undercover but instead an unknown unemployed writer who was truly forced into this degraded, dangerous, unhealthy lifestyle. I knew that Orwell died before he was fifty, and after reading the book I wondered if these harrowing experiences did not somehow contribute to his early physical decline. This book is touted as a minor masterpiece. I don't know if I agree with that but it is essential reading for one who is studying Orwell. It certainly must have drawn on his socialist thinking, and he makes some astute recommendations for how England might better deal with the problem of massive unemployment. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Walk a mile in my shoes *by S***Y on January 8, 2008* 'Down And Out' was first published in 1933, an account of the poverty stricken streets of both Paris and London during the era. It bears little resemblance to today's homeless problems, but is an interesting study in older times where sweeping a sidewalk could make a difference between bread and no bread. A friend of mine told me that if I liked 'The Jungle' by Upton Sinclair that I should read 'Down And Out In Paris And London'. I found few similarities other than the filthy kitchens that Orwell describes, but I was glad this Orwell book was referred to me. All I've read by the author before are the standard 'Animal Farm' and '1984' that most people have read. (If you haven't read them, you should, they're great) Orwell's protagonist begins the story in the slums of Paris, occasionally teaching English classes for a bit of money. (One of the things I had a hard time translating is the foreign currency: a shilling, a franc, a sou, a pence, a crown, a pound, etc. But the prices are so out of date now in 2008 that it mattered very little) He's down and out on his luck, and running out of rent money. When he thinks he's at his lowest his friend Boris brings them a job at Hotel X, where the protagonist works as a plongeur (dishwasher/gopher/whatever). He works long, hot hours for little money, but can afford his rent. Boris has another dream though, that they both become employed at a 'yet to be opened' restaurant where Boris is promised a higher position. By the time our protagonist works at the new restaurant, he begins to believe that all the violations and harassments at Hotel X were superior. Becoming fed up with the harsh conditions and long hours, the protagonist writes to a friend in London for a position, which his friend promises. Worthy of note are the descriptions of the Hotel's and restaurant's kitchens. They are filthy beyond imagination, and the working conditions deplorable. Though the book is older and there are more inspections nowadays than there were back then, you'll still question the next meal that is served before you, even from a fancy restaurant. Our protagonist packs up and leaves Paris. Unfortunately, the position promised to him in London, that of looking after a feeble patron, isn't ready, so he's on the streets without lodging, food, or work to provide for himself. He spends time in the charity lodgings of London, meeting up with Paddy and Bozo and other characters. He quickly learns the ways of the street, and extrapolates on the cause and condition of the homeless society he finds himself in. The characters are fascinating. There's Boris - loud, lame, and strange. Charlie, who lives off a pittance from his family and will not work (and who loves the ladies - once portrayed in a horrible story he told). There's Paddy, resigned to his fate. There's Bozo, a screever (pavement artist), and a star-gazer who has an astonishingly bright outlook on street life. The concept of work vs idleness is explored, along with the concept of how hard the homeless actually "work" (panhandling, selling matches, selling herbs like lavender, getting up early and waiting in line for jobs, "screeving", pawning, even stealing) for the privilege of a bug ridden cot and watered down tea. The book is a study in poverty even though its outdated. The one thing I didn't like about it was the abrupt ending. The story could have used a little more conclusion, in my opinion. Overall, I'm glad I explored this addition to my Orwell collection, and highly recommend it. Enjoy! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review *by M***D on January 11, 2019* I think this is one of his best books. I usually pass books along for others to read, but am keeping this one for me to read again. There are some introspective thoughts of Orwell’s character in this book that are relevant to people across the years. ## Frequently Bought Together - Down and Out in Paris and London - The Road To Wigan Pier: (Authorized Orwell Edition): A Mariner Books Classic - Homage to Catalonia --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sn/products/4593782-down-and-out-in-paris-and-london-from-the-author](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/4593782-down-and-out-in-paris-and-london-from-the-author) --- *Product available on Desertcart Senegal* *Store origin: SN* *Last updated: 2026-07-23*