George Orwell's first novel is an honest and evocative assessment of empire's debasing effect on both the occupied and the occupier.
Burmese Days is about a group of Englishmen who meet at the European Club to drink whisky and talk about the profound and unacknowledged loneliness of life in 1920s Burma, where Orwell worked as an imperial policeman.
One of the men, a lumber merchant named James Flory, has softened, realising the futility of England's authority. He lacks the courage, however, to fight for his Indian buddy, Dr. Veraswami, to be admitted to the whites-only club. Without membership and the status that comes with it, an angry magistrate's scathing and unfounded attack on the doctor could put a stop to everything he has done. Flory's situation is further complicated when he falls in love with Elizabeth Lackersteen, a freshly arrived English girl. Will he be able to get the courage to do the right thing not just for his friend, but also for his conscience?