“At Christmas 1932, Eric Arthur Blair brought his parents a stack of proof copies of his first book, Pounds of Dashing in Paris and London. Having read the chronicle of wanderings along the bottom of two European capitals, written in a free, colloquial language, the mother primly summarized: “This is not Eric.” Mrs Blair was right; The author was a new, unknown writer - George Orwell. It was then, much later, that his name would thunder throughout the world, become a symbol of free-thinking and be associated with two great works of the twentieth century: the parable story “Cattle Farm” (1945) and the dystopian novel “1984” (1949). And in 1933, after the publication of the story “Rashing Pounds in Paris and London,” literary circles first started talking about a new, original writer. And already in Orwell’s first major work, the main features of his writing manner and style were revealed, which are so characterized by attention to language, simplicity, authenticity and accuracy and which, in the words of T. S. Eliot, are distinguished by “radical honest directness.” The debut, largely autobiographical, story is full of humor, light, dynamic and witty. It is no coincidence that many admirers of Orwell’s work call “Rashing Pounds in Paris and London” their favorite work. This book is just a striking episode from Life’s great reportage, an episode that evokes both an involuntary smile and admiration.