Down and Out in Paris and London, by George Orwell

A good book by Orwell, his first published work. Humorous and touching, often funny, he manages to depict the life of the paupers in Paris and the beggars in London in the late 20s vividly and uncondescendingly. It still is very up to date, one feels most of his observations are timeless and could have been written today - the numbing effects of poverty, the social issues. The Paris chapters are the best, but the whole book is interesting and a very good read.

And it's interesting to remember that this happened at the same time as what's told in A Moveable Feast, by Hemingway - such different experiences in Paris!