Burmese Days

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Harper Collins, May 8, 2012 - Fiction - 290 pages

Set in the waning days of the British Empire in Burma (currently Myanmar), Burmese Days is a moving and insightful story of colonial life where socio-economic divisions are strictly upheld and corruption is rife within the local administration. An Indian, Dr. Veraswami has incurred the enmity of U Po Kyin, the local magistrate, and only membership in the white-only Club will protect him. John Flory, a white timber-merchant, is positioned to help Veraswami, but finds his own life changing when he falls in love with the newly-arrived Elizabeth Lackersteen.

The first of George Orwell’s novels, Burmese Days is based on Orwell’s observations and experiences as a policeman in Burma in the 1920s, and explores such themes as imperialism and racism. First published in 1934, Burmese Days received a mixed reaction from the press, simultaneously lauded and criticized for its unflinching portrayal of colonial life.

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About the author (2012)

ERIC ARTHUR BLAIR (1903–1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist whose best-known works include the dystopian novel 1984 and the satirical novella Animal Farm. He is consistently ranked among the best English writers of the 20th century, and his writing has had a huge, lasting influence on contemporary culture. Several of his coined words have since entered the English language, and the word "Orwellian" is now used to describe totalitarian or authoritarian social practices.

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