Customer Reviews

Nineteen Eighty-four.

5 star:		(803)
4 star:		(143)
3 star:		(49)
2 star:		(22)
1 star:		(34)

 

 

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.

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.

This is an excellently well written story of a meek rebel who's against the governement. It's hard to believe that it was published in 1948; it seems much more recent. Every aspect of the future is meticulously and interestingly explored (there's even an appendix of how the english languguage will be spoken in the future!) and fully feasible. Extremely recommended!

This book was crazy!

It's a creepy concept that often gave me chills as I read it. This political tale of corruption is a masterpiece of work, and what's most amazing is the fact that it was written in the early 1940s, yet if someone was to read 1984 back then, they would probably think Orwell was completely off his rocker... however, in today's world it's such an appropriate diction/view/warning of where this world could be headed. Eek! :) Like I said; creepy... but a brilliant novel.

Forget about the actual date and/or title of the book. You have to take into consideration when this was written and what Orwell thought 1984 was going to be like. Okay, so he missed it by twenty years or so. The point is, 1984 is more relevant now than it was back in the actual 1984.

Harrowing, like "Brave New World" it pretty much hits the nail on the head. Aren't you wonderful WHY this book is so successful and on the bestseller list after all these years---once again?

Just look around at the world and what's happening. Sure, parts of this book are depressing, but it makes us look at ourselves and what we've become (or not) thereby showing us where we should go (or not).

I have to recommend one other Amazon pick, which just totally knocked my socks off with its humor, look at human nature, and take on corporate greed and human problems: Jackson McCrae's "Katzenjammer" which should not be missed. Totally first rate with a surprise ending, short chapters, and great characters. Highly recommended for those who like good fast-paced reading.

In "1984", George Orwell proved his brilliance with this short novel. It portrays the life of a simple man, Winston Smith, in a totalitarian society. In Oceania, where Winston lives, the Party controls every aspect of every person's life and has the ability to erase the past and "vaporize" any member of the society who betrays the Party.

Winston Smith,or better known to the Party as "6079 Smith W.", is a seemingly average worker of the Ministry of Truth who begins to let his mind wander, an act punishable by death. He purchases a journal where he begins to express his true feeling towards the Party and Big Brother, the ultimate source of power. Even more dangerous that keeping a diary, Winston forms an on-going love affair which he cleverly hides well. All of these act, if caught, could potentially put him in Room 101, the most terrible punishment ever created.

As the plot thickens the reader feel a part of Winston's life. Although dense, this suspenseful page-turner keeps you on your toes. The three slogans that run Oceania, "WAR IS PEACE/ FREEDOM IS SLAVERY/ IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH" artistically portray the twisted and intense rules of the Party. Orwell warns his readers of the possibilities of the future government. 1984 subtly hints the government's power over the brotherhood and our society today.

George Orwell's "1984" is a thought provoking novel that will make you stop and reflect about your own life and the government's ultimate control over you. Once the ideas of "1984" get into your mind, they inevitably will always linger as life goes on. Honestly, this book will haunt you. Pick up a copy! Another book I need to recommend -- completely unrelated to Orwell, but very much on my mind since I purchased a "used" copy off Amazon is "The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition" by Richard Perez, an exceptional, lonesome (but also funny) little novel I can't stop thinking about.

In "1984", George Orwell proved his brilliance with this short novel. It portrays the life of a simple man, Winston Smith, in a totalitarian society. In Oceania, where Winston lives, the Party controls every aspect of every person's life and has the ability to erase the past and "vaporize" any member of the society who betrays the Party.

Winston Smith,or better known to the Party as "6079 Smith W.", is a seemingly average worker of the Ministry of Truth who begins to let his mind wander, an act punishable by death. He purchases a journal where he begins to express his true feeling towards the Party and Big Brother, the ultimate source of power. Even more dangerous that keeping a diary, Winston forms an on-going love affair which he cleverly hides well. All of these act, if caught, could potentially put him in Room 101, the most terrible punishment ever created.

As the plot thickens the reader feel a part of Winston's life. Although dense, this suspenseful page-turner keeps you on your toes. The three slogans that run Oceania, "WAR IS PEACE/ FREEDOM IS SLAVERY/ IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH" artistically portray the twisted and intense rules of the Party. Orwell warns his readers of the possibilities of the future government. 1984 subtly hints the government's power over the brotherhood and our society today.

George Orwell's "1984" is a thought provoking novel that will make you stop and reflect about your own life and the government's ultimate control over you. Once the ideas of "1984" get into your mind, they inevitably will always linger as life goes on. Honestly, this book will haunt you. Pick up a copy! Another book I need to recommend -- completely unrelated to Orwell, but very much on my mind since I purchased a "used" copy off Amazon is "The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition" by Richard Perez, an exceptional, lonesome (but also funny) little novel I can't stop thinking about.

In the late 70's there was a movie that projected what the world would be like in 2001 and was way off. This book was first published in the late 1940's and predicted what life would be like when I was one year old, in 1984. It would be pretty rough if there actually was a thing called the Thought Police.

Orwell's most well-known novel may have changed the English language, but that doesn't save it from being a somewhat overrated work of fiction.

First, the positives: Orwell is an excellent writer as such - the prose is perfectly fine, transparent, and readable. His critique of Soviet language-terrorism (the "newspeak" of the novel) is dead-on. There are moments of great tension, and the atmosphere of terror is effectively maintained throughout.

However, the prose can also be pretty bland, and Orwell can't resist the urge to get overly didactic to make some of his points (take, for example, the interrogation, which sometimes reads more like a propoganda pamphlet than a novel). His characters are dull at best - and as his ironies get more sadistic, they lose all interest. He's so desperate to make his point that it becomes overkill.

But in the end, the major failing is that Orwell denies the novel any humanity, or any sense of human warmth. In a novel that is supposed to serve as a warning about the cold regimentation of society, we need an author who's not guilty of the same cold, formulaic approach as the society as he criticizes - otherwise the whole point is undermined. If mental, emotional, and physical freedom are really the powerful (and playful) forces Orwell claims they are, then we as readers need to feel this - but Orwell is incapable of cracking a smile. As D.H. Lawrence said of Melville: "One wearies of the grand serieux. There's something false about it... Oh dear, when the solemn ass brays! brays! brays!"

It's not simply a matter of form following fuction (bland prose for a bland society): I'd highly recommend reading Zamyatin's novel "We", which - let's face it - Orwell practically ripped off. The key difference is that Zamyatin allows those things like humor, love, and playfulness to sneak in through the cracks... before they're crushed by the totalitarian state around them. While Orwell delivers a "message," Zamyatin delivers a novel. You'll be surprised how much more effective, moving, infuriating, and clever Zamyatin's approach is, why Orwell borrowed so much from it, and why 1984 pales in comparison.

So: read it for entertainment, if you enjoy dystopian literature. Its influence has been enormous, and there are things to enjoy. But feel free to laugh at Orwell's pretentions: it's your right.

Attempt to conjure up the idea of a society where the government is always watching, like a spy. You brush your teeth, you go to work, you eat, you talk to your spouse, you water your plants ...and they are watching. Not only is every activity monitored, but also your deepest inner thoughts are screened, picked and prodded through for the smallest indication of rebellious thoughts. Telescreens constantly feed propaganda from the government into unsuspecting minds. War is just a normal incidence. A neighbor or even a friend might turn you in to the thought police at any moment. The government is in total and complete control. You can trust no one. George Orwell created this enslaved world in the book, 1984 and put an ordinary middle class man, named Wilson, in the position of the protagonist.
Wilson, an average member of this controlling society, begins to have an itch for rebellion as the novel, 1984 commences. He has an underlying craving for freedom, of thought and expression. He has a job that includes activities considered inappropriate by most of today's standards. Basically, Wilson edits history to fit the beliefs and preaching of Big Brother for the populace. Wilson finds a forbidden love. He searches for a sympathizer, someone who shares his same beliefs and values. But above all, he searches for clues about the past and the truth. Suspense, Deceit, and Passion are foremost components in this novel.
For many students and adults alike the thickness as well as the font size of the novel sends them running. Others find the genre that the paperback is placed in - Science Fiction - to be discouraging. And many of those who do actually start reading are quickly bored. Some, who are required to read it, hurriedly skim the pages and discontinue comprehending and processing the book.
The story doesn't begin to pick up steam until about thirty pages into it. However these first pages are essential to have a complete understanding of the book. After that, Orwell adds depth and dimension to the plot that is unlike many stories. Orwell also adroitly applies high-level vocabulary and sentence structure to his tale. 1984 is exciting and gripping with a distinctive and unforeseen ending. It is a chilling tale of what could happen to the human race in the midst of the race for technology and an unattainable utopia. Encrusted with many essential and important themes, every student should read it, so they can reflect on their individual lives and prevent possible future atrocities from coming to fruition.
This novel is well worth anyone's time and thought. It is not just your average run-of-the-mill science fiction story that will captivate only the Trekkies among us. 1984 is thought provoking as well as emotionally stimulating. This narrative, written more than half a century ago, still applies today. It ends in a unique and unpredictable way.