This is an extract from George Orwell's famous record of his experiences in the late 1920s when he lived among the tramps and plongeurs of London and Paris. In this section (Chapters IX to XVIII) Orwell and his friend Boris find work at the hotel X, near the Place de la Concorde in Paris. It includes Orwell's astute observations on the hierarchy and snobberies of the staff, chefs, waiters and dishwashers, and is a vivid account of their life on and off duty.
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Edit: 29/12/16 - Best Penguin 60s / Little Black Classic read of 2016. This book is a collection of excerpts from the fictionalised autobiography of George Orwell: [b:Down and Out in Paris and London 873273 Down and Out in Paris and London George Orwell https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388775793s/873273.jpg 2374970], published as a Penguin 60.At this point in reading this series of Penguin 60s, I think this has been the best of them. It could be that the excerpts are excellently selected - they are funny, descriptive, engaging and they feel real. It could be that the fictionalisation has pepped up the content to improve the interest, or that they have been embellished sufficiently to keep that level of amusement incredibly high (ok, for 54 pages, it is not an incredible feat, I concede). However the level of detail, the intricate understanding of the relationships within the hotel industry is so great that it is hard to imagine this isn't heavily based on reality.In short - these are tales of the narrators life as a scullion, or dishwasher in Paris Hotel. Not just a dishwasher - the lowest of the social order within the hotel system - the entry level employee, only slightly above the unemployed. The narrator shares tales of being unemployed, being promised work, finally finding a job, struggling with the work, developing routine around the work, becoming a part of the ‘big machine' that a hotel is, and finally having become successful enough in his routine to have a life outside the job.For me it was a fantastic read - all those things I said above and more - highly descriptive, sharing the lowest points and the highest points of his time. Engaging, highly amusing and excellently well paced.Five stars. I will be seeking out the full book, and hoping the excerpts weren't as well selected as I thought they were!
