BURMA SAHIB

This novel is one of his finest in a long and redoubtable oeuvre William Boyd New York Times From renowned author Paul Theroux comes a fascinating atmospheric novel inspired by George Orwell s years in Burma There is a short period in everyone s life when his character is fixed forever George OrwellEric Blair stood out amongst his fellow police trainees in 1920s Burma Nineteen years old unusually tall a diffident loner fresh from Eton after five years spent in the narrow colonial world of the Raj a decaying system steeped in overt racism and petty class conflict he would emerge as the George Orwell we know Drawing on all his powers of observation and imagination Paul Theroux brings Orwell s Burma years to radiant life tracing the development of the young man s consciousness as he confronts the social racial and class politics and the reality of Burma beyond Through one writer we come to understand another and see how what Orwell called five boring years within the sound of bugles were in fact the years that made him One of John Irving s best books of the 21st century Thoroughly enjoyable Theroux s approach is like that of a skilful subtle barrister who patiently lays out his evidence gradually ensnaring the reader Times Literary