Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
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Book Reviews of Nineteen Eighty-Four
Book Review: Please....
Summary: 5 Stars
This book hauntingly describes the danger of the totalitarianism. It's sad that so many people nowadays try to change this nation into communist or socialism ( same role, just different name) not really knowing the truth, just based on some political ideology that human history had repeatedly proved to be failed. In fact communism is the worst political system that ever presented on earth. Because of its brutality, I escaped from that regime. And I am happy to be in this country where human freedom is mostly respected, and protected. Communist lies saying every one shares equally: In fact only, those few comrades who caused the shift of power enjoy the wealth and power, but the rest of the general citizens have no equality nor basic human right. Any one speak against government---disappear next day to "concentration camp" w/o fair trials nor justice. Communist shut down all religious freedom, or freedom of speech ( all medias are government controlled) Communists deny any form of gods but instead, they set the status of Stalin or Ma chiding, or Kimjung ill, and have to sing songs and salute for them, worship them. From elementary children to elders... Anyone dares to go against the government, ---labor camp! Several millions who stand for their freedom were killed brutally in early 20th century, during the communism overturn. Stalin communist government killed 90 millions including the vicinity nations that were turn into communism, Macho-tong communist killed 100 millions, 2 millions by North Korea, by Cambodia each, 2 millions in Africa, 200,000 latin America..so on . But most of all they all became terribly poor after communist regime,oppressing the free capitalism, except China, because they started to adapt the partial capitalism from 10 years ago after they realized the harsh economic state. Now history tells also other evil regime; Hitler killed 6 million jew with other 4 million of Europeans; Japan' imperialism killed 20 million Asians during WWII, ..so on.
When communism and socialism oppress people's creative and force them to work for "common Good", the productivity drops automatically. Why? men were not made to work for Common good. Maybe some aliens from different planet or maybe Jesus will do for common good. But not men's nature. That's why communism make every one poorer and poorer. When men get prosperous by working hard, with their creativity, they help others if they are normal. because normal people appreciate God's wisdom of love and peace.But if the much power goes to God-haters, but seeking totalitarianistic government, you will see the corruption everywhere. Because they basically don't know, or appreciate God's wisdom of love and peace for all, they will fully manifest their selfishness and brutality. If USA turned into communism, the power will shift to only those who hate the existing American system. They secretly controlling medias ( I already see it happened ) and brainwashing the youth with distorted facts in textbooks last 20 years. They keep change their names, their activity, and theory. Why? if they openly speak up, they know they will fail because any normal mind people will see the deception and its perversion. Look at these behind scenes of the head members. They are not normal mind, full of hatred, and causing always divisions, manipulations Men can't govern themselves.They are very selfish, greedy and evil by nature. If any political party, government have too much power, they will certainly hurt others unless they truly know jesus who always teach love and peace. That's why our America's constitution is truly great, because it was written by the God's fairness and wisdom protecting basic human rights that is originally from God . I realized only those who hate God fall into "deny the constitution, or change it because it's old ideas". Too old constitution? Then why the whole world always look upon America when it comes, most well practiced freedom and human right? Please have reasons.
Collect the real historic facts, separate from the author's propaganda. Lineup the real facts, then you will see the history more accurately. Always develop the "reasoning power" of your own this way, not swayed by many false propagandas in most books out there. If you don't have your own reasoning power, you will be always vulnerable and get deceived.
Interestingly always angry, poor people become the front line deceived victims of these evil ideology. So instead, ask God to enlighten your heart to live with love and peace with others and ask your personal blessing instead of trying to destroy others who seems have.
If you believe somebody or some classes hurt your people, look at this. Bible says: forgive your enemy, don't live with your past: Don't covet your neighbors: work diligently on your own hands so you don't steal, become a burden to others. And lastly, love your neighbors as yourself. Then you will live in the true blessing of God, the creator. Those citizens of chines and all the other communist countries, including north korean, who are brutally oppressed in the middle Eastern Islam tyrannies still wants their human freedom with the destruction of the oppressing totalitarianistic regime still today. So why move to backward of mistakes people?
Book Review: Through a dark mirrior, George Orwell's world of 1984
Summary: 5 Stars
There are many different types of books out there: fiction, non-fiction, science fiction, fantasy, horror, history, and biography. But only a few of them have the same impact that George Orwell achieves in his book 1984. It seems part paranoid fantasy, part tribute to the malleability of the human psyche, and part historical allegory.The issues, even presented in the outdated means that they are, still ring true for our modern society. The line between patriotism and nationalism is a thin one, and one that Americans look at each day. But in Orwell's world that line was crossed, and the result was a totalitarian government beyond anything most of us can imagine. With the government controlling all jobs, information, deeds, and actions, even to the smallest thought of their peoples, his world is stark and horrible to those of us used to a freedom. But the steps into that world are not that far away from our modern media control. In his world of 1984 the media serves the purpose of brainwashing the populace at large, and an ongoing war keeps the pressure on. And while some may claim that the media in our own country has the same control over us, in his world, the media is the government, and has no other agenda than that which the government sets forth.
The strange part is that all of this occurs to us, through the eyes of the main character, Winston Smith, as he falls in love with a young woman named Julia. In Oceania, the nation-state in which Smith lives, love is not allowed, and not tolerated. Winston Smith is, in essence, an insurgent in his own nation. He sleeps each night knowing that something is wrong, but not being able to say exactly what. As a reader we can see exactly the horrors to which he is made to endure, and though they might make us scream and shout, he is unmoved. But love draws him out of that sheltered reality, and into open insurgency against his own nation.
This is the beginning of the end for Wilson, as the romance, and the pleasures, are short lived. Like a terrible wave the police of the world he inhabits come crashing down upon him to break his spirit. The way they torture him is gruesome, and should offend anyone who values our human rights. But in the end, Wilson himself comes to love "Big Brother" the face of the state of Oceania. He forgets his insurgency, through a conscious adaptation of his logic processes. He has to know that whatever the nation does is right, even when it contradicts what he has experienced in the recent past. In Orwell's words, Doublethink.
These are just the surface issues that come across in Orwell's vision world the deeper issues are buried. As in, how could such a world come to exist? Well, he explains that after World War 2, there came a mighty nuclear war that wiped out most of the population centers of the world. And that out of the nuclear ash arose a political methodology that swept the nations, a kind of socialism that blended into totalitarianism. This totalitarian regime took hold and great purges, on the scope of the great purges in the early communist USSR, ran across the world as we know it. 3 stable nations were born: Oceania (The Americas, the Pacific Islands, Australia, and England), Eastasia (China, Mongolia, The Indonesian Peninsula, and Japan), and Eurasia (All of Europe save England, and all of the Former USSR). The rest of the world was in a constant state of conquest by one of these 3 super-nations, with the captured populations used as slaves. The constant state of war between the nations served to keep control over the people within the nations.
This is a world devoid of hope. Indeed, devoid of any emotions except hatred, fanatical delight in the war effort, and the obedience to the governments of the nations. This is the worst vision of what the Nazis in Germany hoped to accomplish in their conquests. A world without any laws, but what the government states to be true at that moment. A world where people disappear, but no one notices, or even cares, a world of total devotion to the state as a whole, without regard to creed, race, or social status.
It isn't often that the characters in a book become common usage in the world at large, but the phrase "Big Brother is watching you" has become synonymous with the government watching over its citizens. It shows up today in almost everyday speech. Especially when people are talking right to privacy issues. This seems apt, as privacy is one of the things that Wilson Smith never had, and will never have. Big Brother (the government) watched his every move of his life, recorded his every word, and rifled through his belongings at their leisure. This book is the origin of that phrase.
Orwell gives us a black and white view of the virtues of that world, and its drawbacks. The astounding thing is that it isn't still more talked about. We have, most of us, read this book. But how many too the time to understand the social and political ramifications it speaks of? I will from now on, that is for sure.
Book Review: BEST 1984 Version, with Awesome Foreward by Pynchon!
Summary: 5 Stars
George Orwell, whose real name was Eric Blair, was nearly alone amongst British socialists in his ability to see through the socialist rhetorical fog and saw that Russia's Stalin was not a socialist but an anti-socialist tyrant. George Orwell was to British socialism what Robert Higgs is to American conservatism. Higgs can see through the propaganda and information warfare propagated by the British sleeper cell in Washington and he sees George W. Bush as the anti-American, anti-conservative monstrous tyrant that he is.
Orwell, who worked for the BBC during World War II and was therefore quite familiar with the state's disinformation methods in support of information warfare, could see right through Stalin's disinformation as easily as Higgs can see through Bush's today. Bothersome to Orwell was his fellow socialists refusal to see the truth on Stalin or that Soviet Communism was actually a betrayal of socialism. Orwell wrote "Animal Farm" just to make this point. Yet too many socialists remained duped over Stalin just as too many conservatives remain duped today by George W. Bush and his army of word-pushers.
So Orwell set out to write "1984" to explain to us how people are duped by statist techniques of information warfare; how people can believe "WAR IS PEACE"; and how socialists were duped by Stalin. He drew heavily upon his experiences at the BBC where he had signed the Official Secrets Act barring him from mentioning anything he had done. So he set the novel in the future and maintained that any similarities were pure coincidence in order to cover himself from being charged with violating the Official Secrets Act.
In 1984, there is a dreary monotony of provision in society rather than a vibrant free market; the heavy hand of the state has stunted everything. Food is bland and often rationed. Technical innovations are controlled by the state; two-way wall-sized televisions spy on people; the Thought Police (a futuristic version of Homeland Security, or is it vice-versa?) monitors thoughtcrime. Hidden microphones add to their NSA-like arsenal of state control and state terrorism.
The novel's main character is Winston Smith - nearly forty and one of the few remaining humans that can remember having parents, who had sacrificed their lives to the state so that the youthful Winston may have a chance at life. He works for the State as a wordpusher, rewriting current events and even history books - turning history into "his story". Yet, he is society's few remaining yet hidden libertarians - a person who thinks and feels for himself. Watched always, he must remain on guard to never betray any emotion.
The plot centers around Winston meeting a female supporter of the Party whose hidden agenda is much more hedonistic. They have a relationship between them, at the risk of all. In fact, they know their relationship is doomed and their actions to be suicidal. The heavy weight of the state looming over their heads is tragic. Like an Iraqi or Afghan today, they never know when the crushing weight of the state will descend.
In the end, the state catches up with the two individualists. They are arrested and sent to a type of Guantanamo Bay where Winston is finally broken by his fear of rats - "Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don't care what you do to her. . . Not me! Julia! Not me!". Winston lost his love for Julia - his ability to sacrifice himself on behalf of another. Yet through sacrifice lies our hope.
Pynchon's Foreward is awesome: "This grouping of Britain and the United States into a single bloc, as prophecy, has turned to be dead-on", he wrote. Actually, Orwell probably knew something about the British sleeper cell dispatched to Washington to pull America back into the second part of the world war. Orwell probably knew, too, that FDR provoked the Japanese to hit Pearl Harbor and sat on his hands while they did it, so that the Yanks would become war crazy and provide the brawn to British empire (which they did). Nicholas John Cull's "Selling War" is a good review of the British sleeper cell.
Today, Bush and Blair are doing American-powered British empire hand-in-hand. An American can only wonder what George Washington would say?!! But I wonder, too, what Orwell would say? Or has he already said it?!!
Book Review: Among the Literary Greats for Reason
Summary: 5 Stars
It seemed so innocuous, just sitting there wedged between two other books on the shelf, collecting dust with the others on my "yet to read" list. I may have passed it by altogether had it not been for the fact that I needed to complete my three hundred pages for the second quarter of my junior year. Besides, I'd read this author's work before and knew that I enjoyed his writing fairly well. So, without realizing what I was plunging into, I picked up George Orwell's 1984; the most unceremonious beginning for a most extraordinary event.
As I unconsciously flipped the pages, not realizing that I was still me and not Winston Smith, the story's protagonist, barely cognizant, in fact, that this was a book and not reality, I was dimly aware that this was something special; something far beyond what I had been expecting. If Animal Farm was a slightly humorous, if morbid, look at communism, then 1984 was a ghastly, apocalyptic vision of a demented future. After reading the first twenty pages, I determined that this was the single most quotable book of all time.
The infamous Party slogans: "War is Peace," "Freedom is Slavery," "Ignorance is Strength."
"Thoughtcrime does not entail death; thoughtcrime IS death."
"I understand HOW: I do not understand WHY."
"Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows."
Chilling words from what could have been, from an averted catastrophe in which the human race subjugates itself through ignorance. Yet who's to say this could never come to pass? None can honestly look another straight in the eye and say, "That is not the future." To presume so is vanity manifest.
The one enemy man need truly fear is himself. The notorious Big Brother, the faceless autocrat in charge of Orwell's nightmare world (incidentally, it is never established whether Big Brother is a single man or a surreptitious group superciliously dealing justice to the masses), mercilessly dominates life on Oceania, one of three nations in existence. These countries, Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia, are continually in a state of war with each other, in which Oceania and one of the others are allied against the last. Big Brother's control over his people is absolute, executed through a methodical censorship that keeps the façade of truth as a contorted mask. Big Brother has the power to efface any record of an event or person - to rewrite the past as he sees fit.
Perhaps less relevant as a prophecy today (1984 has come and gone and no dictatorship has arisen to consolidate the Americas and the United Kingdom into a single communist entity), 1984 remains a very real piece of culture, with its own voice in the way it challenges one's preconceived notions and ideals. My English teacher perhaps said it best, when comparing 1984 to Animal Farm: "Animal Farm hits you with gloves on; 1984 just smacks you bare-fisted." And it's no slap, no half-hearted jab; it is an in-your-face, force of a moving train blow to the jaw from which the reader reels for weeks, even months after. It is an illustration, as well, of the need of consolidation and the hopelessness that such a government can be beaten: Winston, after waging a personal crusade for his secret freedom, winds up a brainwashed pawn of Big Brother.
In the end, Orwell proves that, if the government so wills it, two and two really make five, not four, and no amount of protest is going to change that. This book was a life-changer for me in many ways, but mostly because it made me see a broader view of the world and made me appreciate life as I know it just that much more.
"He gazed up at that enormous face. Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark mustache. O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast. Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was alright, everything was alright, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother."
Quotes taken from George Orwell, 1984, copyright 1949 by Harcourt Brace Javonovich, Inc.
Book Review: A Book to Boggle the Mind
Summary: 5 Stars
Imagine, for a second, that tomorrow a large Atomic War starts, and the world is divided into three states. You are under the command of a leader called "Big Brother". Constantly on government surveillance, you try to escape Big Brother's listening and viewing devices, but, of course, you can't. Nobody can really escape.
In the year 1984, bombs invade the city of London. On the Malabar Front a war starts, in another state of the world, called Eastasia. The Ministry of Truth, a government organization, broadcasts to the population via a network of telescreens. These devices, which intrude on all aspects of people's lives, are also capable of monitoring their every word and action. They form part of an immense surveillance system used by the Ministry of Love -another government organization- and its dreaded agents called Thought Police, to serve their singular goal: the elimination of "thought crime". Winston Smith is a Party worker; Part of the social party known as the Outer Party, the pity of the intrusive government. Winston works in the Records Department of the Ministry of Truth - the government organization in charge of modifying historical news for consistency. When Winston finds proof that the Party is lying, he starts off on a journey of self-questioning. In doing so, he becomes a thought-criminal. Winston begins to notice that a young Party member, Julia, is watching him. She wears the special sash of the ultra-zealous Anti Sex League and Winston fears that she is an informant. However, to his surprise, she reveals herself as a subversive, and they begin a dangerous relationship. This inspires Winston to explore deeper the difference between propaganda and reality. Ultimately, it leads him to O'Brien - a member of the Inner Party who sets Winston on the beginning of an amazing discovery.
The book 1984 is a perfect read for anyone that is willing to see the world in a whole new aspect. Not written to a specific group of people, this book can be perceived from any point of view, and from any part of a modern-day- society. One reason people should read this book is because it sees the government from a whole new perspective. The book, 1984 was published in 1949. It predicts the way that a slightly communist government, would function in the future. What I find completely surprising, is that many of the futuristic devices in the book 1948 have become true to this day. When you put a good amount of thought into it, it all becomes reality. Today the government watches our every move through computer, phone, and ever video surveillance. It's scary to think that even now, as you read this, someone could be watching you. Also, the government still hides secrets through propaganda press. Another reason why this book should be read, is because it has a large array of quotes, such as: "War is peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength" (Orwell, 1949, p.27). It provides the reader with a complete set of wisdom and knowledge through its quotation and lessons. The last reason that I will share, why someone should read this book, is because it keeps your interest. Even though the book isn't exactly a fast read, it's completely addicting the entire way through. Keeping your hands off of it is an almost impossible task to accomplish. It contains the ability to keep the attention of a monkey, and yet can relate to someone with the intelligence of Einstein.
In conclusion everyone, and I mean everyone, should read this book. With its perspective of government conspiracy, relation to modern day life, knowledgeable quotes, ability to contain attention, and its intelligent relation; I am positive it will keep you, and anyone else, on the edge of their seat.
-Jonathan Lightcap