Burmese Days by George Orwell (EPUB)

Description

Honest and evocative, George Orwell’s first novel is an examination of the debasing effect of empire on occupied and occupier.Burmese Days focuses on a handful of Englishmen who meet at the European Club to drink whisky and to alleviate the acute and unspoken loneliness of life in 1920s Burma—where Orwell himself served as an imperial policeman—during the waning days of British imperialism. One of the men, James Flory, a timber merchant, has grown soft, clearly comprehending the futility of England’s rule. However, he lacks the fortitude to stand up for his Indian friend, Dr. Veraswami, for admittance into the whites-only club. Without membership and the accompanying prestige that would protect the doctor, the condemning and ill-founded attack by a bitter magistrate might bring an end to everything he has accomplished. Complicating matters, Flory falls unexpectedly in love with a newly arrived English girl, Elizabeth Lackersteen. Can he find the strength to do right not only by his friend, but also by his conscience?

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This is a brilliant and insightful story centered on the nature of racism and colonialism in Burma (now Myanmar) in the timeframe after World War I. Orwell spent considerable time in that country so he has a good understanding of the society he is describing. He also has a great deal to say about the subculture of the British colonists in Burma, and he portrays that subculture as highly insulated and at times nearly suffocating and it’s conformity and judgementalism..Throughout much of this work people are grasping for status. It is particularly tragic that the status and prosperity of an indigenous person can well depend on a friendly relationship with even one of the British citizens in that country. In such a system, a lot of good people come to a sad end and a lot of small minded and even deeply corrupt and unethical people rise.

⭐I gave this book 5 stars because it is so well written and at the same time almost eerie. I was drawn to this book because of my interest in Burma by way of the poem by Rudyard Kipling. “On the road to Mandalay…” George Orwell made Burma sound nothing like the idealism of Kipling. This book held my interest especially the last 50 pages which concluded in an ending that reminded me of the movie Chinatown. Highly recommend.

⭐Anyone who has lived in a remote location in the developing world will recognize the atmosphere and the types of characters Orwell creates in Burmese Days. He paints a rich picture of life in colonial Burma, focused on the effects it has on the Europeans trying to adapt to strange and difficult circumstances. Walk through the graveyard in Penang (Malaysia), one of the oldest colonial graveyards extant, and read the grave stones. The brief description of the history of the cemetery near the entrance notes that more than half of the souls there interred passed away before their 30th birthday. It was not an easy life. Very very few lived into their sixties.Some will take offense at the treatment of the native Burmese in Orwell’s novel. But note that the protagonist’s very sympathetic attitude toward them and appreciation of their culture is the source of some of his greatest difficulties with his colonial counterparts.Immerse yourself in this novel to get a sense of what it might be like to make a choice that takes you far far away from everyday routines of the civilized world and, for better and for worse, experience an entirely different way of life.

⭐The incomparable Orwell conveys the atmosphere of the exotic locale and the attitudes of the people with precision and flair. He makes you feel as though you are there with the characters, struggling as they are, to live up to the expectations of their “civilization,” yet to retain their basic humanity. Orwell is always worth reading. This book is informative of the era, and very entertaining as well.

⭐This Everyman’s Edition is a handy compilation of three of Orwell’s earlier novels. They probably have not been added very much to school course lists because I would think they have been unfairly over-shadowed by “Nineteen Eighty Four” and “Animal Farm”. If you haven’t read these-go ahead and do so. I personally enjoyed “Burmese Days” very much. Orwell spent some years in Burma as a British civil servant. He constructs a very interesting and compelling plot which underscores the problems of the British Raj at the time. Orwell’s description of the persons, place and climate put you right there in the thick of it-this is a page turner all the way. Reminds me somewhat of the Somerset Maugham short stories set in the East which are very atmospheric. I was happy to read the “Aspidistra” novel and found it interesting but only slightly-the main character’s irrational poses become very wearisome-perhaps Orwell was partially autobiographical here and was attempting to exorcise some demons. “Coming Up for Air” is much better-very humourous, stream of conscious narration by the main character as he goes through his life-crisis(as does England). The Everyman’s series are also well made, very collectable volumes which you wish to keep in your permanent library-they are very low-priced for the quality offered.

⭐I discovered this book listening to a BBC podcast titled “Great Lives.” Orwell was the subject of the podcast, and the moderator commented that, in his (the moderator’s) opinion, Burmese Days was Orwell’s best book.I had read 1984 and Animal Farm–indeed, who hasn’t? Neither of those famous short novels is anything like Burmese, which contains no element of fantasy; rather, it’s a novel of humans, human failings, emotions, and romance.Romance, sort of. Perhaps the most telling feature of the book (for me) is the main character, Flory, being infatuated with Elizabeth. Flory is intelligent and thoughtful. He regrets his life serving English interests in Burma. He sees, roughly in the 1920’s, the narrow intelligence and prejudices of his fellow Europeans; he finds imperialism elements of shameful exploitation. Flory is unfulfilled, guilt-ridden, and lonely. Elizabeth, the niece of a fellow worker, visits after her parents die, and Flory thinks he is in love with her.His love would not be remarkable, but for Elizabeth being cut from the same cloth as the fellow workers Flory has no respect for–if she isn’t worse. She thinks the Burmese are sub-human; she has no interest in culture or art. Flory would have nothing to do with her (in my opinion) if he weren’t lonely and miserable in Burma. The people and concepts Elizabeth recoils from are people and concepts that Flory has a keen interest in; indeed, an affection for.Burmese was a fast read to the end–not a happy end, although I found the end happier than it would have been had Flory’s conscious wishes been gratified–life happily ever after with that miserable excuse for a human, Elizabeth. She wound up better off than she deserved; Flory, far worse off.

⭐Orwell is one of my favourite authors & was always ahead of his time as this book reveals. Read 1984 for example. This book relates to his time as a policeman in Burma & how the experience changed his life. The topic is relevant today as it revolves around racism, authority & the police. Although written in c1932, so the format seems dated, the message it conveys is for today. Loved it. I haved visited Burma (Myanmar) and after reading this, want to go back.

⭐This is a great book by George Orwell. At the beginning he writes about the attitudes of the British towards the natives of Burma in almost an amusing way – as if they were caricatures but then the book gets deeper and becomes really sad and a is chilling indictment of the British Raj in Burma and their utter snobbery and racism. At that time black lives didn’t matter a jot to the Raj.

⭐I found this book highly entertaining. George Orwell’s account of life in Burma for the English settlers has incidents that depict the dishonesty, ignorance and amazing unearned social superiority in which these white men hold high positions which dominate the indigenous Burmese. The latter hold them in high esteem for no appreciable reason. There is a pervading hilarity throughout the book. The dissipated English and the servile Burmese combine in a world long gone (surely). There are tragedies. A Burmese boy loses his eyesight for showing what looks like contempt for a bullying officer and a man commits suicide on account of a girl he loves who doesn’t want him. The best book I have enjoyed in a long time. It is hard hitting and colourful with never a dull moment

⭐As others have said, Orwell was perfectly placed to write about the realities of British colonialism as he was himself part of it. It is easy to imagine Orwell’s growing sense of disillusionment when surrounded by the kind of characters that attended the ‘Club’. But Orwell also writes very descriptively and seemed to be particularly fond of the nature that he encountered while in Burma, making this book not just a damnation of colonial life, but also an evocative memoir of rural Burma.As ever, Orwell’s lucid style of writing makes this book approachable to those that have not read any of his work. I would recommend it to just about anybody.

⭐Institutionalised racism by the colonials provides both the context and the driving force for most of the characters. Our “hero” – if that’s the right word – at least puts up some token resistance. When push comes to shove, though, he is also found to be wanting.Orwell’s own experiences in Burma add authenticity to his description of some pretty vapid lifestyles.I’m torn between four and five stars, so my rating errs on the generous side.

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