Down and Out in Paris and London

By George Orwell

George Orwell's classic haunting account of life on the streets of Paris and London

To be destitute and penniless in 1920s Paris and London was to experience life at its lowest ebb. George Orwell, poor 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 walked the streets, often passing time with 'screevers' or street artists, drunks and the homeless.. At night, he stood in line for a bed in a doss house, where a cup of sugary tea, a hunk of stale bread and a blanket were the only sustenance and comfort on offer.