1984
Ratings2,637
Average rating4.2
I can only hear about a book so long before eventually reading it. Although 1984 is known for it's totalitarian state where everything is watched by the government, what interested me most were the ideas around war involved in the book. The perpetual war idea hits closer to home now than anytime in our countries history – with the Afghan war hitting 12 years.
The book is more relevant than ever in this age of smart things.
We can kind of allude to the current state of constant tracking, targeted ads and a feel of lack in privacy to how the characters are being watched in the novel.
The phrase "Big brother is watching you" has evolved from a mere reference to a haunting reminder of these times.
The novel slow in the start but catches on. It's a really immersive read with us feeling attentive and paying close attention to all the small details.
You feel as if something big is going to go down anytime. The author has done excellent job in conveying what the character might have felt.
There is this real eeriness of being watched that you can feel from reading the book.
Overall the novel is really good and it's one of those must read recommendations from me.
This was a fascinating read that was way ahead of its time. I wouldn't say it was an enjoyable read but it certainly makes you think about society and the way a government acts.
Well, I kind of knew what I was getting myself into. That doesn't mean I had to enjoy it. I guess I just wanted to figure out why this book is as popular as it is, I still don't. This alternative historical dystopian and the classic book were weird as hell. I didn't even empathize with the MC much, and why he hated BG.. it just felt like he's just different and that's all. Also, why did he suddenly just change? Maybe it's mentioned somewhere, but I don't know, as I skimmed quite a dozen pages with this one. It was just boring. How did someone read this when they were 12, I'm not sure. It's also very adult-y in some matters and I don't suggest this for 12-year-olds at all... I mean as boring as it is, I don't suggest it to anyone. In the beginning, I felt intrigued, but then it just fell down. especially with the introduction of Julia... I'm going now, to read some other books that I hope will enjoy.
Also for anyone curious why I gave this 3 stars... I don't know.
It's a very good read. I love the book but the end is shocking and very bleak. it left a very strong impression on me, can't get it out of my thoughts. George Orwell was a genius.
This is a considerably better book than Brave New World, but also far sillier and less realistic. Fahrenheit 451 is better than both.
The beginning is good, the middle is reading a textbook, and the end is torture porn. I did not finish torture porn. I kind of wish I'd stopped at textbook. The beginning is interesting though.
I do have a new appreciation of the Star Trek: Next Gen episode Chain of Command, however.
I didn't remember this story except the major theme (from a youth reading of it).
It is terrifying. Also, I did not like it. Useful thought exercise, sure, but I did not like being in his head.
I have never thought much of this novel - having it assigned three times in high school undoubtedly did not help.
i was so hyped for this book but wow oh wow it sucked so bad but just like everyone else i will point out that yes it made some great points on humans and power and yes our world is very fastly approaching an outrageous dystopia (oh who am i kidding? we're already there)
About the not dating thing in this book... already a thing in Australia and lots of other countries. In australia, if you're on welfare due to being disabled or unable to work.. you can't date without them kicking you off welfare or cutting your pay so much that you can't survive. “oh you went on one date with a man? well ask him to pay for your bills, rent, and food”
I heard this happens in other countries too. Just basically making sure disabled people stay poor and don't ask for any more essential stuff that will cost the government money.
I am a believer of free speech, we have nothing without it, we cease to be humans without it so i do find our world right now a bit.... yeah people shouldn't spew hate but it's when people have reasonable opinions and they get kicked from school, work and any future employment because of things they have said is just an evil thing. Forcing others to have the same opinion as you (like this book) will never turn out good. No one will switch sides to agree with you if all you do is yell at them, take away their jobs, doxx them all because they think differently about something.
I actually had to read this in one of my college classes a few years back, but I appreciate the commentary. A lot of it is relevant despite the book being written in 1949. A lot of aspects haunted me, actually, because they were just THAT relevant to today.
Interesting to be reading this book now, as its prequel is being serialised in newspapers across the globe.
I have read 1984 before, but this was my first read that conferred real meaning and ability to draw terrifying parallels into the present. Astutely representative and profoundly depressing.
So as I was reading through this book, I kept having to go back and reread, try and understand and press forward. I finally finished it and while I understand the political aspects of the book, it was one of the hardest and worst books I have read. Not one that I could or would recommend out.
Actual rating: 4.5 ⭐️
This was kinda creepy. Creepy because it shows the power of control. I can't help but wonder if we're currently living under the control of Big Brother, and we don't even realize it.
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A future in my past written in a distant past. What an amazing book. Orwell's writing has lasted near perfectly (i.e. modern and in context) some 70 years later (which frankly blows my mind).
The story breaks into three parts as we make our way into Winston's mind. Part 1 reads like I'm learning around his world and how he experiences it. The mundane work, the acceptance of his role, whilst he secretly scratches his mind back.
In part 2, I feel like I'm taking into Winston's heart as he re-experiences the world and the life and love that still exists in it. I loved some of the expressions and sadness that came with those expressions. Such as Winston knowing that what he was doing was against the “rules”, and that it was simply an inevitability of being caught and tortured.
He believes that he's given up his body already to the world of 1984, and when the Thought Police catch him, they'll take his mind, and so long as he protects his heart, he'll live on.
Part 3 is mostly from inside of Winston's mind, as O'Brian works firstly to break Winston's mind, but then puts it back together in The Party's form. The place that O'Brian (and thusly The Party) comes from is entirely bleak and worse, believable in my own reality today.
O'Brian utters phrases like:
> Nonsense. The earth is as old as we are, no older. How could it be older? Nothing exists except through human consciousness.
Bleak.
Eventually, there's no winning. There's no happy ending. There never could be. Winston's heart is pierced, he's made to love Big Brother, and only then, when he's fully remade in The Party's eyes, does it end. For him, and for us.
Perfection! That's how I would describe this book. The Emmanuel Goldstein book, near the end of 1984, is just the best piece of dystopian literature ever written. The tools for mass population brainwashing are all there. Although based on socialist Russia, we can see how many of the books elements can be applied throughout history and specially today. Keeping people miserable and ignorant is a powerful tool to keep the ruling class in power. And if you think they're not suffering enough, double it down!