Down and Out in Paris and London

In this enlightening and often shocking exposé of life on the streets of two of Europe’s most romanticised and celebrated cities, Orwell describes in detail the day-to-day life of himself as a ‘down-and-out’, which involves hunger, filth, derision and often prejudice and violence. Alcohol is also a staple distraction on both sides of the channel for the destitute, and Orwell’s comments on issues such as the emasculation of a man when he becomes a tramp (women see him as ‘less’ than a man and will not interact with him) are truly fascinating.
An absorbing autobiographical report and an early exercise in ‘fly-on-the-wall’ and, arguably, ‘gonzo’ journalism, Down and Out in Paris and London follows Orwell as he tramps around both Paris and London (more often than not with his charismatic sidekick Boris).

Reader Jeremy Northam is a highly-acclaimed English actor who has appeared in Gosford Park and The Tudors.