Burma Sahib

by Paul Theroux

Travel writer Paul Theroux imagines the life of British writer George Orwell, during the period he spent as a colonial policeman in Burma (now Myanmar) in the 1920s. Orwell wrote about this period in his novel, Burmese Days, and some episodes from his essays appear in the book—though Theroux goes well beyond those to create a work of fiction. The book opens on the ship on the way out to Rangoon, with a woman spying on Orwell through a pair of binoculars as the Suez Canal recedes in the background. As a 19-year-old wearing an Eton tie, she thinks Orwell might make a good prospect for her daughter.