Books

First Printing. Octavo (21.5cm); light purple cloth, with plum-colored stripes and titles stamped in black on spine; illustrated endpapers; dustjacket; 292pp. Hint of a forward lean, with faint foxing to text edges; clean throughout - Near Fine. Dustjacket is unclipped, sunned at spine and extremities, with edgewear, short tears, and chips to crown and corners; 3-inch tear along front flap fold, discreetly and archivally mended in two spots on verso; Very Good. Young Eric Blair's first book, a work he was sufficiently ashamed of that he asked Victor Gollancz to issue it under a pseudonym. The American edition was published about 6 months following the British, issued in a tiny print run of 1,750 copies, of which 383 were remaindered. The book sold poorly in the U.S., perhaps owing to the fact American audiences in the midst of the Depression did not want a reminder of life on the down-and-out. Rare in the dustjacket, seldom appearing in presentable condition in the trade and offered less than a handful of times in 30 years according to the auction record, those being restored with tape residue on verso. An important debut. Fenwick A.1d.

George Orwell’s 'Down and Out in Paris and London' is a gritty memoir splitting its narrative between the two cities named, exploring the underbelly of society and the life of the author's own experiences living in poverty. The book dives into themes of class, society, and the struggle for survival in an indifferent world.