Burmese Days

Description

Burmese Days was the first novel written by English writer George Orwell, and was first published in 1934. Set during the days of the British Empire, at a time when Burma was ruled as part of British India, the book describes the corruption and bigotry that overshadowed British rule. The main character, Flory, is a timber merchant in the north of the country who doesn't share his fellow Englishmen's racist views of the Burmese people, even going so far as to have a friend in Dr. Veraswami, an Indian Doctor. The Doctor is supportive of the British and wishes to gain entry into the European Club in Kyauktada, which is under pressure to elect a native member. Dr. Veraswami feels that not only will the club increase his prestige, but will also give him immunity from U Po Kyin - a corrupt and despicable magistrate who wants to see Veraswami moved out of the district he works in.

Orwell himself spent five years as a police officer in the Indian Imperial Police force in colonial Burma, and he intended the novel to serve as a critique of colonialism as a whole. The book was first published in America, after Orwell's publishers refused to print it in England until the author could prove that no real people had been named in the book.

This book has 97,696 words, 166 pages in the PDF version, and was originally published in 1934.

Production notes: This ebook of Burmese Days was published by Global Grey on the 11th November 2021. The artwork used for the cover is 'A Military Station in India' by Robert Smith.