Burmese Days: A NovelSet in the days of the Empire, with the British ruling in Burma, Burmese Days describes both indigenous corruption and Imperial bigotry, when 'after all, natives were natives - interesting, no doubt, but finally only a "subject" people, an inferior people with black faces'. Against the prevailing orthodoxy, Flory, a white timber merchant, befriends Dr Veraswami, a black enthusiast for Empire. The doctor needs help. U Po Kyin, Sub- divisional Magistrate of Kyauktada, is plotting his downfall. The only thing that can save him is European patronage: membership of the hitherto all-white Club. While Flory prevaricates, beautiful Elizabeth Lackersteen arrives in Upper Burma from Paris. At last, after years of 'solitary hell', romance and marriage appear to offer Flory an escape from the 'lie' of the 'pukka sahib pose'. |
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arms Ba Sein Ba Taik bazaar beaters birthmark bloody Burma Burmese Burmese Days butler Censor chair Club damned dear doctor Dr Veraswami dreadful drink edition Ellis English Europeans eyes face Flory Flory and Elizabeth Flory's gate girl Gollancz hair hand head hear heard honour Indian ingyi jungle Kin Kin knew Ko S'la Kyauktada Kyin Kyin's Lackersteen leopard letter longyi looked Ma Hla Macgregor maidan Mandalay marry matter morning native never night Orwell Orwell's pagoda Po Kyin police pony pukka sahib punkah rain Rangoon rebellion road round rupees S'la sampan seemed sepoys servants shiko shooting shoulder sitting stood talk tell thakin thing thought took trees turned Upper Burma veranda Verrall Verrall's village voice walked Westfield whisky woman women yards yellow