Down and Out in Paris and London is the first full-length work by the English author George Orwell.
In 1928 the young George Orwell arrived in Paris, a city known as a thriving art scene and home to some of literature's most esteemed figures. It was not long before the money ran out, and Orwell, now destitute, was forced to take on the menial work of a dishwasher to survive.
Drawing on Orwell's own experiences, Down and Out in Paris and London lays bare the realities of life amongst the poorest members of society and reveals a hidden world of drudgery, squalor, and anxiety. This insightful memoir brings home the evils of poverty and reminds us that before we judge those less fortunate than ourselves, we first should live as they do.