1984 by George Orwell – Book Review

What is it about

1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four) by George Orwell is one of the rarest work in English classics. First published in 1949, George Orwell writes the story which takes place in London in 1984. It is amazing how the author envisioned the world 35 years in advance. 1984 story is about a society in which every move of the individual is being watched. No one can ever do or think anything without the Big Brother, a fictional character who rules the state, watching you. There are telescreens and hidden microphones in everyone’s house and streets. The thought police constantly watch to see if anybody is having any thoughts of rebel against the party.

The best books… are those that tell you what you know already.

Falling in love is prohibited and people are kept disconnected from the outer world. The government constantly rewrites history and keep people in dark. The story revolves around a person named Winston who attempt to find its individuality in such a world. Winston is aware of being controlled and starts moving against the government. What will happen to Winston? Read to know.

Book details

Book Title: 1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four)
Author: George Orwell
Published: June 8, 1949
Pages: 328
Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction, Classics
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads Link: Click here

The brilliance of the novel is the author’s foresight of the modern world. 1984 by george orwell ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written.

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What I liked

1. I loved the foresightedness of the author because it is amazing that he imagined the modern world 35 years in advance. Readers will be able to find a lot of things (if not all) of today’s world which correspond to his imagination.
2. The most interesting parts of the story are the manipulation of language and rewriting the events of history. Language is constantly updated to eradicate the potential words which can be used to think against the party.
3. Though the story is not a “happy ending” but the end is highly appropriate and gives a wonderful message (or warning).
4. The length of the story was good that is not too long and not too short. I didn’t find any significant part which could be removed as pretty much everything adds to the story.
5. Winston falls in love with a girl named Julia. A love story in such a world, the way they meet, the way they talk and support each other adds beauty to the whole story.

What I didn’t like

1. The story is in dystopia. It is quite depressing and I feel there could be some space for a few nice and positive moments in the story.
2. I think the author could have included some more narrative on how it all started and how the world became such a place.
3. Few things are too unrealistic.

Favorite Quotes from 1984

1. The best books… are those that tell you what you know already.
2. If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.
3. Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.
4. Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.
5. Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.
6. There was truth and there was the untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad.

1984 By George Orwell- Movie or the book?

There is a movie based on this book in the same name. After reading the book, I watched the movie as well. The movie is unable to bring the overall details the book is able to do. The book is definitely way better as compared to the movie.

Recommendation

1984 by George Orwell is a book so different that makes you wonder whether the world would end up being such a place in the future. I definitely recommend this book to those who want to better understand the political system of the world. After reading this book, I seriously started questioning whether the facts and events stated in history are true. You’ll wonder how far rulers can control the people by constantly manipulating the history and language. How rulers are watching every move. Though the means these days is different, like google and facebook, unlike telescreens in the book. I also recommend reading Animal Farm By George Orwell, which is another popular book by the author. Click this link to read my review on Animal Farm.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

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Have you read 1984 by George Orwell? Are you going to read it? Share your thoughts in comments and please leave a feedback on the book review. Also, take a look at my other Book Reviews.