| Abstract: | Written when Orwell was a struggling writer in his twenties, this book documents his 'first contact with poverty': sleeping in bug-infested hostels, working as a dishwasher in Paris, surviving on scraps and cigarette butts, living alongside tramps. Renowned urban artist Shepard Fairy's new look for Orwell's classic account of life on the streets. To be poor and destitute in 1920's Paris and London was to experience life at its lowest ebb. George Orwell, penniless and with nowhere to go, found himself experiencing just this as he wandered the streets of both capitals in search of a job. By day, he tramped the streets, often passing time with 'screevers' or street artists, drunks and other hobos. At night, he stood in line for a bed in a 'spike' or doss house, where a cup of sugary tea, a hunk of stale bread and a blanket were the only sustenance and comfort on offer. Down and Out in Paris and London is George Orwell's haunting account of the streets and those who have no choice but to live on them. |
