Burmese Days – Impressions

If you read books, I am going to assume that you are at least somewhat familiar with George Orwell’s 1984. If not, you more than likely need to read more. Just earlier today I finished my read of Burmese Days, which is based on Orwell’s experience as a part of the British Raj during the interwar period of the twentieth century. If history does not concern you, then do not worry; Burmese Days is fictionalized and exists firstly as a novel, being Orwell’s first. As someone who adores 1984, how does this earlier work stand up?

It should be apparent that I had just set up this post as a comparison, but I believe that to be fair and of course, I will get it out of the way. Upon inspection of Orwell’s larger bibliography, one can gain the sense that all of his novels serve as stepping stones that culminate in 1984. Throughout Burmese Days, I picked up on lots of parallels between the two novels, but for the sake of spoilers, I will not mention them. This ‘stepping stones’ mentality is important to keep in mind because this novel’s best aspects were enhanced for 1984.

(Disclaimer: Do not look at historical novels with modern morality. If you do, you will likely miss the point of them and end up hating everyone older than a hundred years old.)

As a character-driven story, Burmese Days presents the waning days of imperialism through its characters rather than any larger-than-life politics or skirmishes. I found protagonist John Flory to be compelling as he is a reflection of the novel’s setting: he is a stranger in a foreign land, and his plight almost seems tragic. However, Flory is an imperfect character who would show mercy to the Burmese populace while treating them as fascinating ‘aliens,’ which is just a tad more realistic than being the black sheep who is different in every conceivable way. He is a sympathetic character that is surrounded by characters who he perceives in very different ways than from how the audience does, which gives this novel life and propels its presentation of imperialism to be fascinating.

What will kill the novel for some is its repetition and lack of variety in its plot structure. Burmese Days is as focused as it is small in scale; many characters appear sporadically, with major time devoted to Flory and his relationship with a newcomer leading to a major plot-point being pushed in the back of the character’s minds. This is even true with Flory’s role in the novel at some points, where he is absent for noticeable stretches. This criticism may make it seem as if my point on repetition is mute, but the novel does not present these characters in a manner that is vastly different with or without Flory. The overall theme of how British imperialism was a dark thing for the lands under their subjugation is also a meaty one, but it is quickly established without much in the way of profound exploration, which correlates to character exploration as well.

I also cannot dig into the ending, but it was abrupt and almost felt forced for the novel to end the way it did.

Despite my ‘hefty’ criticisms that seem to blanket Burmese Days, I can safely assume that Orwell made these decisions consciously for the novel and they can easily be seen as non-issues. They make sense within the context of the plot, but for some, they will make it somewhat cluttered. However, Orwell’s writing style is prevalent throughout the novel, as well as his slow-burn approach to building a darker world. The pacing of scenes and plot-points is also very fluid, which made Burmese Days a comfortable read that was interesting from a historical and narrative point of view. If you are looking for something 1984-esque with a dash of history, this novel should be perfect for you. Just do not keep your expectations unreasonably high if you have read Orwell’s magnum opus.

Also, stay tuned for another impression post very soon. Let’s just say that I am ecstatic to talk about a certain movie… 🙂