Publisher Description

"Poverty is what I am writing about". In the late 1920s, Eric Blair resigned his post as a colonial policeman in Burma, immersed himself in the slums of Paris and London, and reinvented himself as George Orwell, one of the most revered prose stylists in the English language. Orwell decided to write about the lives of the poor - the dishwashers of Paris, the tramps of London - not by imagining poverty, but by experiencingpoverty. The result is a book which is as provocative and incisive about class inequalities, homelessness, and social prejudices today as it was when it was first published in 1933. Down and Out inParis and London was George Orwell's first book, and it remains a masterpiece of prose writing. This edition is accompanied by an introduction which examines Orwell's book for its literary, social, and political significance. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus awealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Author Biography

John Brannigan is Professor of English and Head of the School of English, Drama and Film at University College Dublin. He is the author of several books on modern Irish and British literature, including Archipelagic Modernism: Literature in the Irish and British Isles, 1890-1970 (2015), Race in Modern Irish Literature and Culture (2009), and Orwell to the Present: Literature in England, 1945-2000 (2003). He has also authored books on thework of Pat Barker and Brendan Behan. He was editor of the Irish University Review from 2010 to 2016.

Long Description

"Poverty is what I am writing about".In the late 1920s, Eric Blair resigned his post as a colonial policeman in Burma, immersed himself in the slums of Paris and London, and reinvented himself as George Orwell, one of the most revered prose stylists in the English language. Orwell decided to write about the lives of the poor - the dishwashers of Paris, the tramps of London - not by imagining poverty, but by experiencing poverty. The result is a book which is as provocative and incisive about class inequalities, homelessness, andsocial prejudices today as it was when it was first published in 1933.Down and Out in Paris and London was George Orwell's first book, and it remains a masterpiece of prose writing. This edition is accompanied by an introduction which examines Orwell's book for its literary, social, and political significance.ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Feature

George Orwell's first book tackles themes of social injustice, prejudice, and class discrimination that speak as loudly to a modern audience as they did to the original readership of 1933.Published within the world-renowned Oxford World's Classics series, this new edition of the text re-evaluates traditional interpretations of the work and the importance of its genre and style.The Oxford World's Classics edition is distinct in providing an accessible and authoritative introduction, explanatory notes, select bibliography, a chronology of Orwell's life and work, and a note on the textual edition.

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