Burmese Days by George Orwell (1934)

Name: Burmese Days
Author: George Orwell

Burmese Days is a novel by George Orwell, first published in 1934. Set in the 1920s, it tells the story of John Flory, a British colonial in Burma, and his struggles with the oppressive British colonial system. Flory is a lonely man, living in the small town of Kyauktada, and is the only European living there. He is a member of the British Club, a place where the British colonialists gather to drink and gossip. Flory is an outsider in the club, as he is not as wealthy or as powerful as the other members. Flory meets a young Burmese woman, Ma Hla May, and falls in love with her. However, their relationship is forbidden by the British colonial system, and Flory is forced to keep it a secret. Flory's life is further complicated when a new British magistrate arrives in Kyauktada. The magistrate is a cruel and oppressive man, and Flory is forced to choose between his loyalty to the British colonial system and his love for Ma Hla May. The novel follows Flory's struggles with the oppressive British colonial system, and his attempts to find a way to be true to himself and to Ma Hla May.

By George Orwell · First published 1934 · Genre: Political Fiction, Historical Fiction, Satire · 25 chapters · 98,018 words

First lines

'This desert inaccessible Under the shade of melancholy boughs' -As you like it.

U Po Kyin, Sub-divisional Magistrate of Kyauktada, in Upper Burma, was sitting in his veranda. It was only half past eight, but the month was April, and there was a closeness in the air, a threat of the long, stifling midday hours. Occasional faint breaths of wind, seeming cool by contrast, stirred the newly drenched orchids that hung from the eaves. Beyond the orchids one could see the dusty, curved trunk of a palm tree, and then the blazing ultramarine sky. Up in the zenith, so high that it dazzled one to look at them, a few vultures circled without the quiver of a wing.

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Burmese Days is listed on Textopian as a novel by George Orwell, dated 1934 CE.

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Work type: Novel
Author: George Orwell
Date: 1934 CE
Language: English
Genres: Political Fiction, Historical Fiction, Satire, Drama
Length: 98,018 words
Structure: 25 chapters, 3,203 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Political Fiction — The novel is set in British-controlled Burma and explores the effects of imperialism on the people living there, making it a work of political fiction.
Historical Fiction — The novel is set in the 1920s and is based on George Orwell's own experiences in Burma, making it a work of historical fiction.
Satire — The novel is a satirical critique of British imperialism and its effects on the people of Burma, making it a work of satire.
Drama — The novel follows the lives of several characters and explores their relationships with each other, making it a work of drama.