Famous for literary classics including Animal Farm and the dystopian thriller 1984, George Orwell is arguably one the world’s finest ever word smiths.

The first ever novel Orwell wrote was called Down and Out in Paris in London, for which he exchanged his upper-class roots and tweed jacket for the impoverished life of a bottom feeder in two of Europe’s most cut-throat cities.

Although Down and Out in Paris in London is perhaps not his most refined work of prose, it offers a raw, gritty and insightful glimpse into the hardships of life at the bottom of societies ladder, peppered with colourful characters and witty humour.

To give you a taste of the novel, here is an Monday morning excerpt for your listening pleasure…

Enjoy the rest of your day and if you ever get the chance to read (or indeed, listen) to this book in full, feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts and opinions.

Image: The New Paradigm via Flickr