Down and Out in Paris and London

Published in 1933, Down and Out in Paris and London was Orwell’s first published full length work. It starts with an account of Orwell’s time in Paris, where he worked as a plongeur at Hotel X, before moving onto London. Orwell recounts his London tramping exploits with a cast of colourful characters (notably Bozo on the Embankment), a mix of accommodation and comments on everything from diet (mainly bread and margarine) to language.