1984 (Signet Classics) by George Orwell
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Book Reviews of 1984 (Signet Classics)
Book Review: I understand it now
Summary: 5 Stars
What a strange title for a review. I hated this book when I had to read it in High School (along with "A Brave New World" and "Animal Farm"). It wasn't I couldn't understand the story, but rather, the "Meaning" of the story was being thrust down our throats. I grew up in the time of fear of Communism overtaking the world, where people even feared their own government (it was during Vietnam and all the riots at universities; where anti-war people were voicing their opinions, etc) and every teacher I had was seeing this as some "sacred prophesy" of time to come. At University I had to study it, and write a lengthy discussion on its intended meanings. Interestingly, as I researched the novel I discovered that the date was not some "futuristic prophesy" but rather a reversal of the date 1948, and much of the things mentioned in the book were common practice at that time and even before it during the war.
I was completely put off this book and all those other futuristic books because they viewed society as nothing but a group of mindless nothings doing what the government told them to do. And I considered how long I had to wait for that horrible year, that prophetic year to arrive. Surely someone would improve on society and not destroy it.
As years passed, and the "inevitable date" arrived, the world didn't stop, the mind control wasn't happening, and well, we were able to think as we wanted to. Obviously the book was not prophesy. Communism fell so all the books decrying that "evil way of life" became empty and their content no longer important.
So, what makes the book worth while now? It is not what it is saying was happening in Britain at that time (though it was telling us a bit of the truth), it is not its warning about Communism or even society in the future; it was it warning about what happens in life to us when we allow ourselves to give into the propoganda of governments, media, and whoever you may think of, even the super right wing, and allow them to tell us what to think, and control what we do.
In order for us to do that, we have to actually pretend the truth around us is not so, we have to decide what we hear is more real than what we live, see, and experience. It is that sort of "pretending" that Windston, the main character, simply cannot do. That truth to self does get him in the end, for that sort of mental and emotional independence is seen as a threat to the society he is living in. What Orwell was telling his reader was simply, when we allow ourselves to accept the "pretty lie", to believe as we are told to believe, to conform when it means giving up our very ability to think and understand, we create the soil for such a society to exist. We create the world that lets in sterility of thought, that allows massive belief of whatever we are told (like what Hitler did regarding the Jews); we allow society to control us, to think for us, and to tell us what value we hold. All these things contribute to create a society devoid of creativity, conscience, direction, meaningful life, and of compassion and caring. Society becomes cold, calculating, and inhuman. His book is exploring what a society is really like when those "virtues" become its heart.
Now that the book has been stripped of its "prophetic revelations" and all those other trappings that teachers thrust on it (that made it a real pain to enjoy to read), I have discovered a profound thought, one far deeper than the fear of "Big Brother" or of Communism; a society devoid of real thinking, self-determined people becomes no society at all, no matter how "perfect" it may seem on the surface.
Orwell used what he knew, the experiences of his day, and they are just as applicable to our day as they were back then in war torn England. And we are being sold the same bill of goods. Sadly, though, we buy into them because of our fear of what could be. And so did the characters in the society Orwell described. They did as they were told because even that discomfort was better than the imagined threat life had to offer them. Are we not told we must endure the "never ending war on terror and through never-ending war we will be at peace?" Are we not told that by giving up our freedoms and our ability to think and openly express our views, even our opposition to government policy, we are helping protect our freedoms?" Are we not told what to think, including our "fat police" out there who want to regulate even what we eat (very 1984, I have to add)? What he described is, we are a society where we let and allow others to tell us what to think, how to act, and we gladly give up our agency to choose, because, if we can put the responsibility on someone else, we feel freed from any guilt when things fail. The exaggerated technical controlling of the people may not yet be a reality, but the ideological controlling of people is now our reality.
I agree with many reviewers, this book is a book of our time, even if we have to strip it of all the past interpretations and fears to get to the substance of the message. The book increases in meaning with age.
Book Review: 1984- a classic indeed!!
Summary: 5 Stars
In the book 1984, George Orwell depicts a dystopia, a world that went wrong, a world of manipulation and control which uses its people against themselves like pawns. It provides stimulating themes of dehumanization, isolation, repression, loneliness, social class disparity and abuse of power. Orwell has mixed these themes and has blended them into a classic image of a dystopian world. 1984 was meant as a warning against totalitarian tendencies rather than a prophetic work. These various fears and uncertainties disclosed in 1984 can be perceived as a reflection of today's society. Although 1984 was written in 1948 and published in 1949, Orwell was successful in portraying the world's totalitarian society-which exists today. He was able to prophesize about what the world is going to turn out like. As the year 1984 has passed, many think of Orwell as a skeptic or just a mere critic, while the case is quite different. George Orwell's predictions have been proved to be quite accurate. 1984 is the first book which gives us an accurate insight on today's world. This thought-provoking book encourages the reader to believe that this stereotype society of today is actually under control of governments which are hiding things from the local public. By giving examples, 1984 shows how these governments and "big fish" can use innocent people as puppets for their own use and tools for their own machinery.
Some of the dark shadows portrayed in 1984, like subjugation, social class discrepancy and abuse of power can be eye-openers. One of the worst realities/fears disclosed in 1984 is invasion of privacy and oppression by the government. These factors count as the crux of 1984 and the message Orwell wants to convey to his readers. Invasion of privacy by the government is revealed at every stage, as the chapters of 1984 unfold. Evidence such as "Big Brother is Watching You" and the monitoring of actions by the telescreen and the police patrol system, which keeps track of people and check over what people are doing, clearly shows that there is no privacy in the dystopian world exposed in 1984. This invasion of privacy of the people of Oceania, keeps them from living their life like normal people and this is how Orwell convinces readers to avoid any path that might lead toward such societal degradation.
Orwell's main goals in 1984 are to depict the frightening techniques a totalitarian government (in which a single ruling class possesses absolute power) might use to control its subjects, and to illustrate the extent of the control that the government is able to exert. This totalitarian society shown in 1984 is indirectly related to the invasion of privacy which is further connected with the oppression by the government. This domination of the government in Orwell's dystopia can be seen in various instances, like the unsanitary and squalor conditions of Airstrip One, which indirectly makes it possible for the government to suppress the locals. Another technique of repression is that of how they tell incorrect numbers of increase or decrease in ration production etc. By carrying these type of activities, the government is not only hypnotizing the citizens of Oceania but the government is also making them realize that they are helpful and concerned about the welfare of their society, which makes the ignorant people of Oceania (proles) happy and satisfied with their helpless lives, and most of them do not even understand that the Party is oppressing them.
Of course, the world that Orwell envisioned in 1984 did not materialize. Yet 1984 remains an important novel, for the alarm it sounds against the abusive nature of authoritarian governments, but even more so for it's in depth analysis of the psychology of power and the ways that manipulations of language and history can be used as mechanisms of control. Examples such as how America is trying to take over all the resources of the world and how it is trying to tap phone calls and keep an eye of what is going on all over the country are all examples of invasion of privacy and the initial process of the formation of a totalitarian society. If a person focuses on today's world, he will surely be able to visualize a world which has not come under authoritarian rule today, but a world which will definitely materialize in Orwell's words, tomorrow. Though the world did not fall under authoritarian control as Orwell feared it might, 1984 has not become dated; it remains an invaluable book, warning against a world that could come into existence and a world that has not completely escaped from the dystopian dangers that Orwell once described.
1984 has definitely found its place in the world of literature. It is a book that awakens those people who are victims of autocratic governments. It awakens people from their robotic lifestyles. 1984 gives a chance to all its readers to grasp the realities of totalitarian regimes and how innocent people are hypnotized and used as automations. 1984 is unquestionably a worthwhile read. It is simply mind grasping, thought provoking and mesmerizing. This is what makes George Orwell a genius of the 20th century.
Book Review: Thought-provoking book
Summary: 5 Stars
Eric Arthur Blair, under the pen name of George Orwell, wrote 1984 because of his concern of the spread of communism. It is a dark, gothic look at what society could become if the spectre of communism led to totalitarianism. Essentially, it is a more graphic and adult version of his Animal Farm, with people. It is told by a nameless narrator who knows all the goings-on in the world of the future, and follows the life of a middle-aged citizen of Oceania, Winston Smith, who is an employee in the Ministry of Truth. 1984 is not plot-driven, nor is it based on character development (these aspects are still present, however). The primary focus of the book is the setting. We are given the world as it could have become in 1984. Of course, we are not in a situation like that, but the threat of such a situation is still present. This differentiates it from other books, although there is never a reason to dislike or fear something new before trying it. Orwell believed it to be the most effective way to explain the world of 1984, and I think it is effective. If the focus were on the characters or the plot, a high proportion of the messages would have to be interpreted, rather than explained in detail. Different interpretations could mean that certain events make no sense, and discussion would be difficult. Some people may have missed some meanings altogether. By explaining his 'apocalyptic' vision of the future in complete detail, Orwell is able to get the entirety of his message to his readers. Orwell is a very articulate and imaginative writer. The world he depicts is divided into three world powers - Oceania, Eastasia and Eurasia. The Party controls Oceania, the setting of the novel. Big Brother (a parallel to Napoleon from Animal Farm, or Stalin in real life) is at the apex of the social pyramid. He is the father-figure worshipped by the citizens. The Inner Party comprises 2% of the population, and the Outer Party 15%. The remainder consists of the dumb masses, or 'proles'. Any sign of unorthodoxy is dealt with swiftly and harshly by the Thought Police (a parallel to the dogs, the American secret service or Russian KGB). The telescreens that are planted in the walls receive and transmit information simultaneously. The Thought Police use these to keep their citizens under surveillance. Children are turned against their own parents through the use of spy camps and worship of Big Brother. 1984 is partially a look at how easily children can be manipulated and what happens when it goes wrong. Ironically, the people with the least intelligence are given the highest degree of freedom. They do not pose a threat. The chances of an uprising are non-existent because the proles believe anything they are told, and do not take material facts into consideration. Three of the Party's main slogans: 'War is Peace', 'Freedom is Slavery' and 'Ignorance is Strength' are swallowed without question by the majority of the population. The reasons for this, and how the Party pulls it off, are explained in detail later on. The Party was meticulous in its planning. Any totalitarian system requires a scapegoat. In Oceania, it is Emmanuel Goldstein (John Lenin), the subject of the Two Minutes Hate. The Brotherhood is the rebel group that follows Goldstein's teachings, and undermines the Party at any opportunity. The narrator shows us the thoughts that run through Winston's mind, and how he longs for freedom of thought. He meets the book's loveinterest, Julia, whom he disgusts at first glance and lusts after, due to his own failed marriage and her beauty. She wears a chastity scarf, symbolising her (supposed) contempt for sex, part of the reason for his lust - he believes he can never have her. The message here is the desire for that which is forbidden. He later learns that Julia is a rebel, but in a different way, "only from the waist down", according to Winston. They find a secret hiding place without a telescreen, and are invited to join the Brotherhood by O'Brien. As it turns out, this is when their troubles truly begin. Orwell describes in detail how the Party came into power, its motives and its true objectives. The full implication and repercussions of these revelations are unfurled in the final riveting part of the novel. However, there are flaws in the exploration of the society. We are not given a sufficient view into the eyes of the older generation that lived through the Revolution. Winston only questions one old prole in a pub, and appeared to give up his inquiry too early. 1984 is a very mature book, and I would only recommend it to people who can grasp similar concepts. If the reader is too young, they may dismiss the book as boring. It may seem so at first, but the novel will make more sense with some thought and, possibly, subsequent readings. If you enjoyed Brave New World, you will enjoy 1984, and even if you didn't, you may still like it. This is a philosopher's book.Book Review: Is your mind corrected beyond repair?
Summary: 5 Stars
Possibly the worst thing to say about this overwhelming book is that it is...science fiction. It is promoted as such in the schools where the kids "have" to read it because it is a "classic" (we all know what that means, and if you dont then consider how many books you remember from that time and consider what effect they would have on you had you read them 10 or 15 years later).Orwell constructs and describes a nightmarish totalitarian dictatorship where the system controls literally everything. And that includes your thoughts. If you deviate you will be "corrected".
It's a society where the past has been wiped out because the system controls all forms of information. It is impossible to know what has happened before and one is forced to accept the constant lies from the government at face value while going through intense brainwashing of other forms as well.
Winston (the main character) is a man who still has traces of the past in his brain, in other words he commits the ultimate crime (thoughtcrime) as he questions the official version of things. As he desperately looks for signs from others hoping that they feel the same way he enters an underground conspiracy that aims to overthrow Big Brother (the invisible but everpresent power that represents a faceless system). And just as a flame of hope lights up inside him the nightmare transforms into an endless journey to hell.
There is no point of giving away the plot because it happens to be one of great twists as Winston finds out in the most scary way imaginable the sheer controlling power that Big Brother enjoys over everyone.
There are so many myths about 1984. One is that the book implies the horrors of communism (stalinism to be exact). While it is true that Orwell was inspired by the "feats" of Big Daddy (that would be Joseph Stalin) to write his book he was equally inspired by the unspeakable crimes of the Nazi dictatorship in Germany as well. Orwell does not imply any one specific form of dictatorship but he simply tries to see forward, he tries to warn and predict the forms that the dictatorships of the future will have and he puts no political color on it. The dictatorship he describes could happen in a society near you, no matter where you live and no matter how safe you think your "democracy" might seem to you.
Allthough (and especially) the last part of the book is the most intimidating and overbearing one, i found that what actually scared me the most was how accurate the author is in what he sees for the future. Remember he wrote this way over half a century ago. And what does he see?
He foresees thought control. Check. In case you think you arent thought-controlled then the system is functioning perfectly thank you. He foresees the manipulation of history in order to make the system more powerful. Check again. It used to happen in a smaller degree now it happens in a scientific degree. Take for example the "People's history of the United States" by Howard Zinn, read it, and compare what you read with what you "learned" in school, and you will see my point. And that's just one of the 1000s of examples that could be brought up.
He foresees a a dictatorship where people do not realise they live in a dictatorship (and the few who do are "put away"). Well, guess what, check again. Regardless of where you live chances are you do not realise how the system controls you, and not only that, but chances are again, you call this a democracy because that is what you are told (brainwashed) to call it.
And on and on and on..All this is just paving the way for the Orwellian nightmare.
Some have said that life itself proved that Orwell was just a hardcore pessimist as the "future" didnt prove to be that horrible. Wrong. The genius of George Orwell has actually seen the process through which what he describes WILL happen. It is in fact happening right now. There are many who see it and sense it but many times more who dont.
There is no point to be silly and promote this stunning future-diagnosis of a book as a "classic" or to suggest to you that you "must" read it or all that.
Things are very simple. If you care about yourself before all else then do read it. If there is still hope for you then this book will change you. If this book has no effect on you then you do not understand the problem to begin with. But that's a good thing. Because in that case you will never have to see some future "Room 101". What is "Room 101"? It's a place in Orwell's "future nightmare" that very few have been in but everybody knows that that's where you are corrected from bad thoughts.
But go on. Treat yourself to some bad thoughts. Such rooms dont exist anyway.
Book Review: 1984
Summary: 5 Stars
Out of all the books surrounding the issue of communism, George Orwell's 1984 seems to stand out the most. Although the year 1984, the setting of the book, has passed and the author's predictions have not come true, readers are still frightened by the totalitarian government displayed in the book. 1984 is arguably one of the most controversial books of its kind. Readers question whether or not countries today will ever escalate to the super-states in the book. When the book was released almost sixty years ago, people were drawn to the book because of the growing threat of the Soviet Union. In this thought provoking, realistic, and well-written book, the experiences of the main character illustrate the evils of a controlling, totalitarian government that Orwell warns us to avoid.
Winston Smith is an honorable member of the Party. He lives in London, in the year 1984. He does his job well and follows all of the rules, until one day when he begins to question the government, which is breaking the rules. Winston realizes that he has always subconsciously hated the Party, and he purposefully breaks the law. His thoughts against the Part escalate to the point where he and his girlfriend, Julia, desire to join the underground resistance called the Brotherhood. They are successful in this but are shortly caught, which they expected living in such a controlling government. Winston and Julia promise not to betray each other, even if they get tortured. Unfortunately they are tortured, almost to death, and do end up betraying each other. Apparently no one wins against the Party. Winston hears one man pleading with the guards:
`Do anything to me!' he yelled. `You've been starving me for weeks. Finish it off and let me die. Shoot me. Hang me. Sentence me to twenty-five years. Is there somebody else you want me to give away? Just say who it is and I'll tell you anything you want. I don't care who it is or what you do to them. I've got a wife and three children. The biggest of them isn't six years old. You can take the whole lot of them and cut their throats in front of my eyes, and I'll stand by and watch it. But not room 101!' (p. 240)
After being tortured for countless days, Winston finally submits by admitting that two plus two equals five if the Party says so. After this event he comes to love the Party because he is completely brainwashed; he is, in sense, a slave. This science fiction story is different from many others in that it takes a hold of the reader and does not let go. 1984 is also one of a kind; its plot is unique so it will definitely be attractive to readers whom have read many books.
George Orwell did a phenomenal job making his book seem realistic. 1984 can be interpreted as a warning against governments alike to the one displayed in the book. Orwell wanted the readers to understand that they must learn from history and past mistakes or else become victimized by their government. The main lesson Orwell was trying to get across is that if authority is not questioned or challenged, authority will take advantage. Some people might say that 1984 is irrelevant because communism has already fallen, but they fail to realize that the "Party" can also symbolize corrupt leaders, the media, or even technology.
1984 is an exceptionally well-written book. It seems to draw the reader in and get better as you read further. The reading is very suspenseful. Orwell also knows how much detail to use, which is rare in authors these days. He is praised for his literary devices and even his poetry in his books. Animal Farm, another famous book by Orwell, is basically one big metaphor with personification mixed in. An example of poetry in 1984 is in an old book Winston finds. This poem is symbolic of the future concerning Winston and Juliet: "Under the spreading chestnut tree / I sold you and you sold me: / There lie they, and here lie we / Under the spreading chestnut tree" (p. 77). Combining great prose with a controversial and interesting theme will undoubtedly make a good book.
Making the reader think deeply is what makes a good book great, and that is exactly what 1984 does. The main science fiction theme this book displayed was perception of reality which makes the reader think; something that the television rarely does. 1984 is a necessary read for those interested in science fiction and should be read in high schools everywhere. Many of the concepts Orwell predicted almost sixty years ago have become normal in our lives and that is why everyone should read this book.