on the empire
|
|
Orwell's first novel. He considered it to contain too many purple passages, but this is an important description of the oppression of empire, particularly its psychological impact on those 'in charge'. Recommended.
|
|
Pox Britannica
|
George Orwell's picture of the British Indian Empire is a world of real and mental violence, pure racism, provocations by and manipulations of indigenous rebellions, corruption, bribing and blackmail.
He unveils `the lie that we're here to uplift our poor black brothers. ... The Indian Empire is despotism with theft as its final object. Its real backbone is the Army.'
The White Man lives like a parasite on the indigenous population, because `the real work of administration is done mainly by native subordinates.' `He becomes a creature of the despotism tied tighter than a monk or a savage by an unbreakable system of taboos.'
A colony `is a world in which every word and every thought is censored. Even friendships can hardly exist when every white man is a cog in the wheels of despotism. Free speech is unthinkable. You are free to be a drunkard, a fornicator; but you are not free to think for yourself. Your whole life is a life of lies.'
This hard-hitting book contains already the main themes of Orwell's later work: political and social freedom, freedom of speech and thought and the (im)moral, secret, arrogant and violent behavior of a all powerful oligarchy.
Not to be missed.
|
|
|
Very Orwellian
|
|
This was Orwell's first novel, but it doesn't read like it. Perhaps his imagery is a little more polished in 1984 and Animal Farm, but it's all here at the beginning one way or another. Orwell draws on his experiences in the Burmese Police Force to write this savage novel, decrying the British Imperial system. The harshness of the regime is echoed in the unsympathetic landscape, the dissolute and decaying lives of the British inhabitants and the preponderance of mildewing books and dirt. There are no real heroes in this book, except perhaps Burma itself. The closest we get is the pathetic figure of Flory and his burgeoning realisation that the way of life he supports is wrong. His struggle to become a man, stand up to the relentless, grinding horrors of the system and his wish to redeem himself mark both the humanity and the tragedy of this novel. Impressive work.
|
|
|
Like being there, both in space and time...
|
I picked up "Burmese Days" in a local market in Mandalay, heading towards Bagan..
Already fascinated about Myanmar and by its culture and history, well... let me tell you: this book is just like being there - both in space (physically) and in time (the old British Colony times).
There is Myanmar itself in it. Starting from the little map I had on the first pages of the book, which truly makes you feel like walking every step along with the characters in the little village of Kyauktada.
Besides all this, the book becomes every page more and more exciting: corruption spirals, arriving to an unexpected end of the story..
A preview of British Colonialism ending days?.......
Simply fab.
|
|
|
A disturbing reality
|
Orwell's depiction of British colonial rule reveals the foul racism of British imperialism and the dogmatism of its offspring.
Flory, the protagonist in this tale of social friction, is often sympathised with and singled out as being one of few 'white men' in Burma who is willing to interact with the locals, so often demoted as inferior. However, it is too often overlooked that Flory himself shares many of the views of his fellow 'white men'. This is clearly evident in his sexual exploitations of Ma Hla May, his female servant. Not one of the English characters in this novel can be considered a good, moral person, each one is corrupt and i believe it was Orwell's intention to thoroughly emphasise this. It must be stressed that the most interesting and moral character in the book is Dr Veraswami, often the focus of hatred at the 'Club'. He even has the capacity to respect the English and sympathise with their hatred of the locals, despite knowing that he himself is depised by all of them but Flory.
This is a truly fascinating story of the corruption of British colonial rule. Just one of a collection of Orwell's classics.
|
|
|
United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada