1984

Rating:
Summary: The Best Extraordinarily-Depressing Book Ever
Review: 1984 is an amazing cautionary tale of what happens when the government runs amok and squelches the very people it is supposed to represent. As with any symbolic tale, readers will allow The Party- and its figurehead, Big Brother- to embody whatever agency or institution they deem oppressive, although it should not be lost that the political philosophy of 1984, or "INGSOC," is a paraphrase of "English Socialism." Orwell, like Ayn Rand, foresaw the bleakness of a socialism approaching its purest form, and recognized how society becomes much blander and grayer with regulation and equal rationing for everyone.

For everyone, that is, except for those in charge, such as the antagonist O'Brien and the Brotherhood. The Inner Party members purposely created a caste system under the auspices of caring for those who are less fortunate or intelligent, while in reality systematically ensuring that the rich and powerful stayed that way, without threat of the lower classes revolting. The Inner Party learned from history that those in power rarely stay that way, and eventually get knocked off their pedestal by the leaner, hungrier classes below them. By creating artificial scenarios of constant war, Thought Police, and imprisoning work conditions that held no promise of improving societal conditions, the Outer Party members and "Proles" (from proleteriat) would always remain too tired and intimidated to rail against their surroundings. The primary aim of modern warfare, for instance, was to use up the products of the machine without raising the general standard of living.

Politics aside, 1984 is a compelling action story, and I was surprised at the many racy, sexy, violent, and terrifying scenes therein, all of which kept me spellbound. Though the future predictions of Big Brother had not materialized by 1984, or (arguably) even now, this story's plot or action sequences are not one bit dated. Protagonist Winston Smith, and eventually his love interest Julia, is involved in a true rage against the machine that immediately engages the reader and summons both interest and sympathy. Surprises abound, and I had no idea until the story's end as to whether Smith would conquer the system, or end up being convinced that 2 +2 = 5.

There are far too many fascinating aspects of this book to list. For one, the concept of memory eradication, and whether or not something really did happen if there is no proof to be found of its occurrence. Oceania, homeland to Winston Smith, was alternately at war with either Eastasia or Eurasia, and as soon as the enemy changed, any proof of having battled the other was immediately banished. In fact, Winston worked in the Ministry of Truth, where he and his coworkers spent their days erasing (e.g., burning papers or rewriting newspaper columns for the archives) any proof of events whose existence contravened the present philosophy- this way, (a rewritten) history would show that Big Brother never got his facts or predictions wrong.

The book's language is amazing- clearly Orwell envisioned not only an entire dictionary's worth of new words, but a revolutionary new approach to speech as a device to control the thoughts of the speaker. The elimination of words which hold secondary meanings, and/or which convey independent thought, engenders a world in which people are incapable of- or not aware of the possibility of- treasonous thoughts ("thoughtcrimes"), let alone acts. "Doublethink" is the act of consciously denying reality, and making oneself believe wholeheartedly Big Brother's fictions.

Rating:
Summary: Terrifying yet interesting futuristic vision.
Review: I read 1984 a few weeks ago after having ordered it from Amazon.com. My reasons for this were because the book had been mentioned quite frequently on some of the websites that I freqent online, and with all that is going on these days with the government, and everyone's fears (including my own) of our diminishing freedoms here in the United States, I found my site interested in reading this book. I haven't actually read anything else by George Orwell and not sure if I will or not, but I did enjoy reading 1984 and found it to be of great interest.

Some of the parts throughout the book were scary. Some were sad. A few were humorous, such as when they were talking about the newspeak for the first time and how they wanted to get rid of a lot of words, which would no doubt make the language quite confusing. Much of the book was creepy, though, and I found myself comparing certain things in this book to stuff that was happening currently in the United States. While an exact replica of Oceania probably isn't likely to occur, it is very possibly, and unfortunately very likely as well, that the US may at some point in the near or distant future become something very close to what Oceania was in 1984, and that's what is so scary about it. I am not saying that it is a premonition set in stone, of course, but 1984 does serve as a warning that, yes, something like this could indeed happen and will happen if we allow it to; if only more people would listen to it...

The character of Winston Smith was very well portrayed. He is a confused character throughout the beginning of the book, not sure where he stands, not sure if he is insane or not, though as it goes on, he becomes more sure in his stance against Big Brother, and his struggle to remain human in an inhumane society devoid of all emotion, save for a fierce loyalty and devotion to Big Brother.

There isn't a lot of action and suspense in this book, so if you're looking for that, you might do well to look elsewhere.

On the other hand, there are a lot of interesting philosophies and politics discussed throughout the book, and its definitely something that will make you think long after you are done reading. Along with being thought-provoking, it lends a credible, yet very terrifying vision of the future.

Rating:
Summary: Not to be taken lightly
Review: Like his earlier novel 'Animal Farm,' George Orwell's masterpiece 1984 explores the terror of totalitarianism. Both novels are cases of socialism gone awry, of revolutions which start out trying to throw off an oppressive government and end up establishing a new one which is even more oppressive than before. The masses (not very intelligent, according to Orwell, and easily manipulated and persuaded) are used by the middle-class to displace the upper-class, not so a system of equality can be established (though that is the promise given to the masses) but rather that a new upper-class can take the place of an old one. It is significant that Orwell, who was a believer in socialism himself, used socialism as the basis of the revolution, but it is also true that this concept can be applied to any form of government.

This book expands upon Orwell's message in 'Animal Farm.' In that book, the animals stage a revolution--in this book, the revolution is already accomplished, and the new government firmly in place. The government of 'Big Brother' (the dictator figure of 1984) allows its subjects no liberties and no freedoms whatsoever--not even privacy in their own homes. The past-in the form of old media and history books-is controlled by 'The Party,' as is the language (The Party is working on a system of language, which will eliminate any words which do not agree with the Party's intentions). The Party government of 1984 seems very exotic, since nothing of that sort has actually taken place. But there are still lessons to be learned.

Perhaps the most poignant lesson of the novel is described by the 'Newspeak' word "Doublethink" (Orwell coined this word). It means, in effect, the ability to believe something even in the face of evidence to the contrary. A parent who will not believe her child would use drugs even when she finds them in his room is a good example of this. In fact, "Doublethink" is a much greater threat than we choose to believe. The genius of this novel is that Orwell is able to point out problems such as these, problems in our own society. Though most of the setting of the novel is extreme, many of the ideals and guidelines the Party teaches are real threats, threats we face today.

This is one of the great novels of the 20th century. It is almost standard reading for high-schoolers, but this does not mean that it is a juvenile work of fiction. On the contrary, the mental dictatorship of 1984 is not an impossible threat, even today, and for this message the book is justly termed a classic.

Rating:
Summary: 1984
Review: 1984,by Georgee Orwell,is not fun to eat although cheese is. The book itself is uninterestring and the text is plain like water. Some parts of the book are ok but the rest is lame. The things it talks about can be related to the events that are going on today and events that have happened. It shows how totalitarianism works and how it feels to always be watched. So in some sense it is educational but I would certainly not choose this book to read if i wasn't forced like in this situation. All of my friends that read this book said the same thing, "Boring!" Students that are into more action and adventure will not enjoy this book.

Rating:
Summary: 1984- A Masterpiece
Review: 1984 was a phenomenal book. Few books I've read have caused me to think so closely about societal issues, the government, and human instinct. The book proposed a sociey in which the government has complete and utter control over every action and thought that it's citizens experience. I don't usually enjoy books that have a science fiction basis, however, 1984 truly captivated my attention, and I found myself reluctant to put it down. It relays the story of a man, Winston, who wishes to change a society where all oposition to the government is dealt with swiftly and severely, usually by death. He joins forces with Julia, a strong willed woman, who also acts as his love interest. Together, they attempt to get in touch with the Brotherhood, an anti-Big Brother agency, in hope that one day Big Brother will be overthrown. The twists and turns that the book contains are exquisite and they culminate into one superb ending. The book is at times somewhat dry, but none the less, I would highly recommend it to anyone who is ready to read a thought-provoking piece of outstanding literature.

Rating:
Summary: 1984
Review: Few books I have read have captivated me as much as 1984 did. In the two days I read it I actually stayed up near midnight and it took me all the willpower I had to put it down and finally go to sleep. I would highly recommend this book to any reader and personally consider it one of the greatest political statements agains communism ever written.

George Orwell's grim tale begins after a future government's attempt to create a utopia goes awry. We start the story as it pertains to Winston Smith, a man who works in The Ministry of Truth, which, despite it's misleading names, works on the 'correction' of 'false' records. Despite his desires to fit in, Winston is at risk merely because he can remember what life was like before 'Big Brother'. He knows that much of the party's propogands is fluid fiction; he realizes that the party controls individuals by brainwashing them with lies and alienating them from each other.

Winston soon begins having a love affair with a woman named Julia. In their hatred of Big Brother, they both decide to join an underground resistance call the Brotherhood. However, the organization is not quite as Winston had conceived, and he and Julia realize just how hard it is to resist Big Brother and the Thought Police.

Rating:
Summary: Recommended, of course
Review: A review of this book seems totally unnecessary, but why not? Of course, it is wonderful, and seems more relevant with each passing year. I prefer some of Orwell's earlier works though, and suprisingly, "Burmese Tales" is my favorite, because it reveals Orwell's personality better than books like 1984.

Rating:
Summary: Jason's review of 1984
Review: 1984 was a desent book. The caution of not ever letting a Totalitarianist government come to power was the over arching theme of the book. There were several thought provoking passages that made me think about the world in a new way. However the plot and charcters seemed dull and uninteresting to me. This isn't a book I would recomend to anyone who wants a casual book to read but if you want a book that will make you think a little than this is a good book to choose.

Rating:
Summary: 1984
Review: 1984 over all is a very boring book. Their are parts in the book that catch your attention but just for a while and then it just gets boring again. I don't really like futuristic based books and the book 1984 is a perfect example why. I wouldn't recommend this book to any one, unless your into this type of genre. I give this book 1*.

Rating:
Summary: A little too slow
Review: I found 1984 to be an intriguing book. The plot of the book was interesting. How the author went about telling the story was too slow for me. I found it hard to pay attention while reading it. Throughout the entire book there were bits of intereseting parts followed by several paragraphs of, what i found to be, random information. I though it was a great plot but the storyline wasn't to my liking.