Based on his experiences as a policeman in Burma, George Orwell s first novel presents a devastating picture of British colonial rule. It describes corruption and imperial bigotry in a society where, after all, natives were natives - interesting, no doubt, but finally ... an inferior people . When Flory, a white timber merchant, befriends Indian Dr Veraswami, he defies this orthodoxy. The doctor is in danger: U Po Kyin, a corrupt magistrate, is plotting his downfall. The only thing that can save him is membership of the all-white Club, and Flory can help. Flory s life is changed further by the arrival of beautiful Elizabeth Lackersteen from Paris, who offers an escape from loneliness and the lie of colonial life.
