Skip to main content

1984 by George Orwell

Book Cover


BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Orwell, G. (1949), 1984. London: Secker and Warburg

 PAGES
328

PURCHASING OPTIONS
Original Print $6.41-$19.20
NOOK $0.00-$3.73

Kindle $0.00
Hardcover $13.49
Paperback $10.62
Audiobook $0.00
Mass Market Paperback from $5.99
Audio CD $20.67

ANNOTATION
Winston Smith's entire life is controlled by the government. Can he break this control?

SUMMARY *Spoiler Alert*
Winston Smith lives in a dystopian world  controlled by the "Party." He and everyone else is monitored by the thought police. They are monitored in their homes, at work, and every where else. They control the media, entertainment, food and other product supplies, and even the history books. People are imprisoned and removed from existence just for committing thought crimes. Children are trained to spy on their parents and other adults for the Party. Winston finds himself questioning everything he's known.

 He meets O'Brien and is inducted into the Brotherhood, a group working to overthrow the Party. However, O'Brien is really a spy of the Party. 

Winston meets Julia, and they become secret lovers. However, when they are both brought to O'Brien's home they are arrested. Winston undergoes torture and is brainwashed to believes in and love Big Brother and the Party. He eventually betrays Julia for self preservation and is released. Winston is now a follower and lover of Big Brother. 

MY REVIEW
My relationship to this book is complicated at best. I love it for the genius, innovative, and intricate style of writing. George Orwell wrote a masterpiece that will be studied, discussed and applicable for generations to come. At the same time I am absolutely horrified by this book. I cannot fathom how Orwell was able to bring such a number of elements into this story. He plays the power of physiology perfectly. He renders a masterful work of fatalism, manipulation, fear, and anxiety together. This book as caused me many sleepless nights pondering on Orwell's ability to show the depths of human depravity. This is a book that I both love and hate, that I want to read again and yet throw out the car window going 80 miles an hours. I am fascinated yet repulsed by the story. It is a masterpiece!

RATING
Quality Rating: Gold
Popularity Rating: Diamond

GENRE & SUB GENRES 
Dystopian Fiction
Social Science Fiction
Political Fiction
APPEAL FACTORS
This book is a classical political literature book and, in my opinion, are in the same category as books like Animal Farm, The Hunger Games trilogy, and The Giver. All these books are in a world where a government body endeavors to deprive citizens of their inalienable rights and brainwash and indoctrinate them to be mindless, oppressed, and downtrodden pawns. However, unlike most of the books I mentioned this book does not resolve in a way that is good or advantageous for the characters. In other words, there is not a happy ending.

 However, the main reason for me choosing this book was because I felt like I was missing out on a cultural rite of passage. This book has had a major impact on how we think of government and those leading it for generations. I didn't want to feel left out.  

BOOKTALKING
Big Brother is eerily watching and listening to everything the characters do. Nothing is private in this world. (Page 3)

 The Party controls the people by indoctrinating children to the point where the parents become afraid of their own offspring. (Page 24)

 Orthodoxy (a state of not thinking/unconsciousness) is used by the Party to manipulate the people. (Page 53)

 All loyalty must be to the state. The state even decides who you marry and sex is only to be used for procreation. Romantic relationships are an act of rebellion against the Party. (Page 126)

DISCUSSION POINTS
Why are there so many contradictions in this book? How does the Party use these to their advantage?

 What do you think 1984 is warning us about?

 Why is Winston drawn to O'brien and why does he trust him so quickly despite the risk?

 What is the significance of Winston's dreams? Why does the author find it important to include these dreams?

 Is Winston a hero? What qualities does he have to make this true?

 Did you trust Julia? Why or why not? Do you feel she was a positive or negative influence to Winston?

 Overall, what is the author's tone in this book?
WHY THIS BOOK?
This was another book that has been on my list for many years to read, but for one reason or another I had not gotten around to reading it. I decided to make it one of my books for this class. 

THE AUTHOR
REVIEWS
Amazon.com

SIMILAR TITLES/AUTHORS
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut

AWARDS
Prometheus Hall of Fame Award (1984)
Locus Award Nominee for All-time Best Science Fiction Novel (1987)

POINTS TO REMEMBER
  • Corrupted government
  • Human rights
  • Human preservation over relationship loyalty

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION Hoffman, B. (2010). Saving ceecee honeycutt.  New York, NY/USA. The Penguin Group. PAGES 306 PURCHASING OPTIONS Barnes&Noble Hardcover $24.26 Paperback $14.40 NOOK $12.99 Audiobook $39.95 Large Print $15.29 Amazon.com Kindle $12.99 Hardcover $6.95 Paperback $11.34 ANNOTATION After tragedy strikes, CeeCee Honeycutt is whisked away to Georgia where she comes of age. SUMMARY Cecilia Rose Honeycutt is a twelve-year-old living in Willoughby, Ohio. She is anything but a normal twelve-year-old, and her family is anything but normal. Her mother suffers from psychosis, and because of these her father is all but non-existent in hers and her mother's life what with being gone for work all the time. SO, this leave CeeCee to care for her mother whose mental state deteriorates daily. The only escape for her is reading and spending time with her neighbor, Mrs. Odell. Then one summer afternoon, tragedy strikes, and ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Borrows

Book Cover BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION Shaffer, M. A. & Barrows, A. (2009). The guernsey literary and potato peel pie society. New York, NY/USA. Random House. PAGES 288 PURCHASING OPTIONS Barnes&Noble Hardcover $23.40 Paperback $11.47 NOOK $12.99 Audiobook $80.00 Amazon.com Kindle $12.99 Hardcover $10.71 Paperback $10.72 Audio CD $34.95 ANNOTATION Juliet becomes friends with the people of Guernsey as she learns of their WW ll struggles. SUMMARY *Spoiler Alert* Juliet Ashton is a young, up-and-coming author who lives in London and has recently published a very successful book. She was also a successful columnist during the war. Now, she is trying to find inspiration for a new book, but is coming up short. One day, in January 1946, she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams. He is a resident of Guernsey Island telling her he has come into possession of one of her old books and is wanting help to get more. She is then subsequently introduc...
Post a Comment
Read more

Discerning My Rating Scale

THE QUALITY SCALE The quality scale is based on precious metals-a ranking system that is generally universal and easy to understand.  Gold - The standard for all other books to follow. Strong, well developed characters and story line with no foreseeable possibility of the book being tarnished by time.   Silver -Strong quality book with a few areas in need of a bit more polishing. Bronze   - Appreciable parts spread throughout the book, but lacking in many areas leaving the reader wanting more. Plastic - A cheap and sad excuse of a book. THE POPULARITY SCALE Just as the quality scale is based on precious metals the popularity scale is related in that it is based on precious stones and their popularity. Again, a generally universal and easy to understand system. Diamond -Will stand the test of time. Everyone clamors for it. Emerald -Generally liked by the majority. Sapphire -Takes time to grow on you. Received general appreciation. Ruby -For...
Post a Comment
Read more