28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
Life Affirming
1984 is one of those rare books that genuinely changes your outlook on life and the way in which you perceive society as a whole.
There's so much that could be said about Orwell's masterpiece, but I don't think I could word it quite as well as he did. His radical take on "neo-feudalism" and the class system is something that is becoming ever more relevant...
Very Readble
The most readable fiction book i have ever read. I find it difficult to read fiction as i find non fiction more appealing. But i remember reading fifty pages of this book in a flash. It was so gripping. It is unfortunate that the book is only seen as a critic of the left totalitarian states. Surely it is a critic of all dictators. Including the royalist, and milliatary...
1984 is one of those rare books that genuinely changes your outlook on life and the way in which you perceive society as a whole.
There's so much that could be said about Orwell's masterpiece, but I don't think I could word it quite as well as he did. His radical take on "neo-feudalism" and the class system is something that is becoming ever more relevant today, particularly in England - where 1984 is set, and based on.
Can you believe that this book was written scarcely three years after the war?
I think everyone should read 1984 at least once. It puts things into perspective.
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This book provides a dark but compelling vision of the future. It isn't always comfortable reading, but you are engrossed in the concept and the relationships in the book. One mans struggle against the totalitarian system is fascinating to read and the ideas of societies development is scary to consider. A classic book, well written and should be on every bookshelf.
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This is a book that will grasp you from the start to the end. It is not just a book, it is a fantastic love tale,, it is a compedium of human traits and society, it is a grim phrophesy, a clever philisophical discussion, and so much more. Firstly the world it is set in is so realistic, yet weird and chilling at the ame time, the way the world is split into 3 super states constantly at war. The way there is adoration of BIG BROTHER and how the higher up the ranks of society you go, the more demented and cruel everyone is. And this is just the shallow outer edge of the book! its chilling in itself! But the REAL nightmare comes when you look deeper into the plot, the states of mind, the 2 minutes hate, and the talks with o brien. This is when you get a horrifying picture of what human society can create, and might well of done, had Orwells predictions come true. And yet through all the horrer comes this weird dream-like feeling, of a strange surreal world. On top of this you can look at the world today around us and HONESTLY say that some, even a lot, of the traits and systems in 1984 exist today. The societies of hate, the manipulation of truth in newspapers like the SUN. These factors all contribute to making one of the, if not THE, best book(s) ever written. READ IT AND HAVE A GOOD LONG LOOK AROUND YOU...
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`1984' is Orwell's post-modern classic, concerning what the world may look like in 1984, 40 years after the book was written. In Orwell's dystopia, the UK, as part of Oceania, is ruled by the despotic Big Brother. Big Brother has total control of all the media, and therefore controls all the information reaching the populace. The people, divided into the ruling Inner Party, the middle class Outer Party and the under-educated Proles, have total loyalty to Big Brother, in both thought and deed, and the righteousness of his actions, and the cause of Oceania, is unquestioned. Hints of rebellion, even in people's thoughts, are viciously crushed, and executions are commonplace. Against this background, Winston Smith begins to have doubts. He wants to engage in a love affair (as opposed to the passionless, state-sanctioned marriage) and have the ability to question Big Brother. Smith's attempts at subversion bring him face to face with the workings of the party, and a brutal introduction to the realities of life in Oceania.
Orwell's book chronicles a scary trajectory in which the twentieth century was headed in the 1940s, and at times it is no less relevant today. Although Orwell was writing partially about the totalitarian regimes of Hitler and Stalin, the observation of governments controlling the masses by controlling the flow of information through the media is possibly more pertinent today than ever before. Sometimes our society looks very different from Oceania, but some aspects are scarily similar, and Orwell's book is a timeless reminder about the dangers of giving anyone too much power. Few writers (perhaps only Shakespeare) have introduced so many new phrases to the English language. Two current TV programmes (`Big Brother' and `Room 101') take both their names and concepts from the pages of `1984'. This is perhaps an indication of both the richness of ideas and their ongoing relevance of `1984', and also an indication that everyone should read this book, to see how much of the world around them they can see in its pages.
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Big Brother, The Thought Police, Doublethink, Newspeak...all powerful weapons of complete control...but they haven't worked on Winston. Winston is completely aware that 'The Party' (Big Brother) has absolute power and control of everything, and they can see and hear just about everyone whenever they want. In a world where even thinking can be a crime, Winston struggles to escape constant paranoia, to find happiness and freedom...but with disturbing consequences.
'The Party,' has designed 'Newspeak,' which has been specially desgined to be the official language of Oceania. Newspeak will not only be the language, but the way of thinking to the people...making it impossible to think or act against Big Brothers totalitarian world. Newspeak will eradicate certain thought processes and will destroy individuality, keeping the human mind as simple as possible so that Big Brother will maintain complete power...forever. Together with 'Doublethink,' they make for perfect mind control...
We follow the mind of Winston, and his daring actions against Big Brother. Engulfed with paranoia from the beginning, you simply cannot put the book down.
Nineteen Eighty-Four opens up your eyes to the real world, and changes the way you think completely. Not only is the story gripping and surreal, it is also not far from the truth. This is definately the best book I have ever read, giving a definate warning to us now, and those in the future.
This is a must to everybody...but be warned...you will suffer intense paranoia and will never look at the television in the same way ever again!
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This book is truly outstanding, it is a timeless political satire that demands to be read to be fully appreciated. Nineteen Eighty Four is a chilling portrayal of totalitarianism with a Nietzsche philosophy --that there are no facts, only interpretations-- from the book we have: '"Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else," says O'Brien. " . . . In the mind of the Party, which is collective and immortal. Whatever the Party holds to be truth is truth."' The concepts that Orwell deals are evident in our society today, only by reading the book will you truly understand Doublethink, Newspeak et cetera. After you read the book, it leaves a lasting impression, you will never look at the world the same way again. This book, along with Animal Farm, would serve as chapters for a political Bible. A must read and a true classic.
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A powerful book, that eerily depicts the direction the world is going where truth is shunted and lies are promoted by all the mainstream media. The three slogans of the Party as described in book is very familiar with what we hear from our leaders in these times:
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
Orwell paints a picture of how this fascist totalitarian state is controlled by control surveillance, the new language of Newspeak and the three main ministries that are:
"Ministry of Peace", which concerns itself with war
"The Ministry of Truth", which takes care of news, entertainment, education etc. in short translated as the place of propaganda
"The Mihistry of Love", which is concerned with law and order and according to Orwell the most frighening one.
It is truly a must read book as the rise of fascism is happening. Can also highly recommend seeing the movie called "V for Vendetta", as it is also set in a fascist environment, that closely resembles the one George Orwell depicts in this book.
Can recommend the book "Political Ponerology" to understand how a society becomes a fascist state.
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Belonging to a Book Club ensures that you read books you wouldn't otherwise read. Sometimes you get a real turkey other times you get a masterpiece and, wow! this book is a masterpiece.
Set in 1984 in Oceania, this book tells the story of one man's journey to find the truth and ultimately freedom in a very brutal totalitarian regime under the ever watchful eye of Big Brother and the thoughtpolice.
If you are looking for a book which has a good story, brilliantly, beautifully written, suspense, and is thought provoking, this is the book to read. Some people say that to write one master piece in your life time is luck, but to write two (Animal Farm) is pure genius.
George Orwell didn't just write a book he wrote a legacy for future generations. Anyone who is concerned about the erosion of free speech and the freedom to be heard should read this book.
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One of the things that make 1984 such an important work of political fiction is the fact that it was written during a period of unprecedented political instability. It was the end of the world's great imperial powers and the rise of a new age of politics. Democracy, Fascism and Communism were vying for dominance and the outcome of this struggle could not be predicted. 1984 looks towards a future where the world, (so far as the central character can see), has been consumed by a totalitarian regime, a form of total communism that controls all aspects of life, including the past. This book is about control; the central argument being that whosoever controls the present also controls the past . This is the fundamental theme of the book and as such is represented in several forms, the most notable being that of the ubiquitous "Big Brother". Big Brother, is the pillar upon which the entire system rests, for the party to maintain control over the people, he must been seen as being above error, above judgement and above criticism. In a system that has disposed of a conventional religion, God (the symbol of moral purity) must be replaced.
"If there were no God, then God must be created" -Voltaire
The moment Winston opens his diary begins a spiral of events that he knows will effectively destroy him. "A tremor had gone through his bowels. To mark the paper was the decisive act." (Pg 9) Orwell makes it clear that this seemingly innocuous act is a fundamental turning point in the book, and from this point onward Winston is effectively dead. Winston's refusal to submit to "doublethink", to let go of his memories of the past lead him to increasingly extreme violations of the unwritten rules of the party. "Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted all else follows."(Pg 84) In order to counteract the rigid system Winston begins a love affair, this allows him to experience extremes of emotions, to partake in the impurity so despised by the party, and to allow him to believe that his mind is free to look beyond that which is presented to him. This results in, as he always knew, incarceration in the Ministry of Love. Even though Winston knew that he would be subjected to torture and eventually confess to anything, he believed that his mind would always be his own. But as in any culture, individualism is determined and limited by society. When everything in the society is controlled and sterile, individualism is confined accordingly. When the only information available to you is that 2+2=5, then that can be the only truth.
1984 is the definitive work of political fiction for the modern age, it can be interpreted in many ways but whatever your viewpoint this is a book that will alter your very perception of the world in which you live. I would implore anyone to take the time to read this at least once.
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A powerful book, that eerily depicts the direction the world is going where truth is shunted and lies are promoted by all the mainstream media. The three slogans of the Party as described in book is very familiar with what we hear from our leaders in these times:
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
Orwell paints a picture of how this fascist totalitarian state is controlled by control surveillance, the new language of Newspeak and the three main ministries that are:
"Ministry of Peace", which concerns itself with war
"The Ministry of Truth", which takes care of news, entertainment, education etc. in short translated as the place of propaganda
"The Mihistry of Love", which is concerned with law and order and according to Orwell the most frighening one.
It is truly a must read book as the rise of fascism is happening. Can also highly recommend seeing the movie called "V for Vendetta", as it is also set in a fascist environment, that closely resembles the one George Orwell depicts in this book.
Can recommend the book "Political Ponerology" to understand how a society becomes a fascist state.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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