1984

Rating:
Summary: 1984=2002
Review: If you've yet to read this masterpiece, hurry. When you get tired of reading or think that what Orwell writes is unrealistically drab, then flip on CNN and catch your daily dose of propaganda. The world of 1984 is modern America, bin Laden is Goldstein and the book is terrifying. John Ashcroft on 1.29.02 ordered a semi-nude statue of Justice in the Justice Department to be covered by a sheet (check the nydailynews.com archive - No Nudes Good News at Justice). 1984 depicts a world in which the populace suffers but suffers because a war is being waged, a war against faceless terrorists whose existence is only proved by the occasional bombing and "telescreen" broadcasts of the Brotherhood's evil leader Goldstein. Life in Airstrip One (UK) is a miserable existence with barely enough food, many people going without shoes, no art, no free speech and cheap, rotgut alcohol. Give the recession and the Bush administration a few more years in their 'war against terrorism' and see if you can even still find this book outside of illegal personal collections.

After you're done with 1984 check out "Homage to Catalonia" Orwell's account of his time spent in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Communists and Anarchists (which means believing in no central government by the way, the way the Native Americans, Druids and numerous other peoples lived, not all out savagery like the American thought police would have you believe) versus the Fascists. Homage to Catalonia will help you have a better understanding of what WWII was all about, how the advent of technology set the stage for the top nations in the world to battle of raw materials, slave laborers and market share. Do some research and see that nearly all of Europe was Socialist or full on Communists at the time of WWII and then realize that American Fascism and Soviet Communism (really Soviet Fascism) defeated Nazi Fascism and that the Cold War was necessary for American Corporations to grow and take over the world with every country that didn't want to be bent over by the US Corps. being invaded outright or overthrown by American backed troops for being Marxists. The collapse of Soviet Russia was disatrous for America because no bad guy meant we had to pay back debts and answer for the daily suffering of millions of Americans. Enter the evil camel jockeys and the questions of fairness for the common man are again put on the back burner.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books of the 20th century
Review: This is a very powerful novel of great meaning to today's society. One of Orwell’s most important points in his portrayal of society is how it fits the old adage that “Ignorance is bliss.” The citizens believe whatever the Inner Party members tell them because through ignorance they do not have to worry about the meaninglessness of their own lives. The choice between acting upon the truth and staying “blissfully” ignorant of it is one that Winston has to face, and he—-like the other millions of Outer Party members—-chooses to avoid the truth for a less physically painful life.

This novel shows that the quest for individuality and freedom can often be a dangerous thing. By accepting the kind of euphoric idealism of modern society, one can quite ironically lose all meaningful freedom in the process.

This book's prophecy is quite similar to that of Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" (another excellent novel), in that they both try to point out that our increasing trend toward individual freedom, coupled with our materialistic attitudes and increasing lack of morality, are leading us down a path to a “Brave New World,” or a 1984 scenario. Of course, the feelies will most likely not become a part of our reality, and Thoughtcrime and memory holes are equally as unlikely. What is likely, however, is a new generation whose thought patterns could be very similar to that of Huxley’s Alphas: “Ending is better than mending.”

The one question that remains unanswered in either of the two novels is whether it is worth trying to mend our rapidly conforming society, or to simply end all attempts at revealing the hideous face of ignorance that encumbers so many people today. Perhaps, as Orwell’s Inner Party slogan claims, ignorance really is strength, and those that believe themselves to be free truly are. However, as Huxley and Orwell agree, the “strength” of ignorance can never be compared to the power of truth.

This is a novel that should be required reading in school. Everyone can benefit from Orwell's brilliant work, and every reader's life will be changed because of it.

Rating:
Summary: Reader Beware
Review: 1984 is a study of the human psyche, both at individual and group level. Written in the setting of a Nazi and Communist style dictatorship, the book examines the struggle between the individual and the masses as well as providing a brutally frank answer to the question of why does history repeat itself. Orwell's profound insight takes the reader on a rewarding journey of discovery. But let the reader beware: once you read 1984 and comprehend its message, there is no going back. This book is not for the squeamish.

Rating:
Summary: more a kind of summary than a review on 1984
Review: The protagonist Winston Smith works as a minor member of the ruling Party in London, under the leadership of ubiquitous Big Brother, who has never been seen except on telescreens and posters which are hanging everywhere. The posters keep reminding him that 'Big Brother is watching you'and by means of telescreens he is indeed observed day and night.
The Party disapproves of art, of sex and of any kind of spriritual activity.
In these conditions it is quite impossible for the individual to lead an authentic life and to express emotions except those in the daily recurring procedure of the Two Minutes Hate.
Every Party member knows the worst crime to be commited is 'Thoughtcrime' which means to be affected by wicked thougts against the totalitarian regime of the Party.
Winston is bothered with dreams and memories of past times and provoked by secret glances
from O'Brien, a powerful member of the InnerParty.
Winston meets Julia, a dark haired rebelling Party member.
They begin a love affair in a private room and both agree that love like theirs will destroy the Party.
Later on, Winston receives a message from O'Brien to join O'Briens secret group, the brotherhood, whose obeject is also to overthrow the Party.
After reading a frobidden book written by Goldstein, the enemy of the Party which contains the philosophy and the ultimate goal of the Party, Winston is convinced that the hope of the future lies in the proles.
His world collapses when the Police crashes into the room.
He is held prisoner and tortured in the Ministry of Love, where O'Brien spends months trying to brainwash him.
At the end Winston's spirit is broken'..

I enjoyed reading the book'it informs much about the conditions people had to live under in totalitarian regimes..for example in Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia.
The novel also reveals the cruel, inhuman and merciless methods used by the Communists in the endless tortues of brainwashing'

Rating:
Summary: A Modern Classic
Review: 1984 is a great read but not a compelling one. It can be a little hard going at times. The characters are a little frustrating thus making it a little annoying to read. Still it is a great classic and well worth persuing to the end.

Rating:
Summary: Oh (Big) Where art thou?
Review: In today's technologically oriented world, people still seem shocked when movies come out that portray governmental security that seemingly invades on the public's privacy, which makes George Orwell's 1984 even more of a masterpiece. This thought-provoking novel, written in 1949, well before computers, surveillance cameras and hidden microphones, depicts a world in which the government controls everything, knows everything and has no feasible opposition.
Winston Smith, our connection to Airstrip One, lives under the oppressive leader Big Brother. Big Brother has set up an undefeatable party that monitors its citizens with telescreens, Thought Police, Newspeak, and Doublethink. Newspeak is a language that the party has created, eliminating all words that might bring
negative feelings toward the party, and doublethink is the party's control over its citizens' minds that makes them believe anything (ex: 2 + 2 = 5). Winston strives toward defeating the party, but is constantly met with another layer of Big Brother control. Orwell constructed the book to have a gloomy feel over it, one that creates "negative utopia" for which it is famous. The reader will never get fully emotionally involved with any characters, yet will be engrossed in the plot. This book is one that leaves readers thinking 'What If?' days later, and exercises the mind in the meantime. Orwell crafted the book precisely, evoking certain feelings and certain times, which I think makes this book a must-read for anyone interested in expanding their imagination while reading a classic. But remember, once you pick this book up, don't stop before the end. Big Brother might be watching, and you
certainly don't want to be on his bad side.

Rating:
Summary: Hopefully not another Jules Verne...
Review: Read this book! It's not only at once convincing and absorbing, but its also a reflection and an analogy to many things are in our society today. The novel it's hunting not only in the sense that the regime described could become reality (although it seems it would work I refuse to believe it) but because we can see a lot of it taking place today; in a much lessen degree off course. Things such as the lack of reasoning of the majority of people; the destruction of language by slang and the lack of reading; the dictatorship of ideas, dogmas and parameters of life by the "telescreen" (TV); the absent-mind of the people, where everyone is too absorbed in their day-to-day activities to know any better...
The novel is also a lot of fun because we can virtually immerse ourselves in it, seeing it all to the least detail, to such an extent that we can breath the air, and feel in our skin even things that are not explicitly described in the book. Orwell's power is truly amazing, and this novel should be read by everyone, either for entertainment or deeper thoughts (ideally both). The only problem is you might have trouble sleeping at night, scared of having to wake up speaking "Newspeak!"

Rating:
Summary: Manipulation in "1984"
Review: How easily can humans be influenced and manipulated?
This question has to be considered to decide whether the novel "1984" written by George Orwell in 1949 as a "negative utopia" is realistic or not.
The protagonist Winston Smith lives in London, the capital of Oceania which is one of the three existing superstates. As an outer party member he is constantly controlled and observed by the "English Socialist Party" (Ingsoc) and its imaginary leader, Big Brother. The country is always in the state of war with some other state to prevent an increase in the living standards to keep the power over the population.
The plot of the novel is divided into three parts that reflect Winston's development in the totalitarian system that requires full orthodoxy. In part 1 he secretly starts to rebel against the horrible circumstances, the emptiness and loneliness of his life while he works in the Propaganda Ministry of the state. The second part describes Winston's relationship to Julia, an uncomplicated, optimistic woman. When the two are arrested because of unorthodoxy and so-called "thoughtcrime" Winston is tortured and brainwashed in part 3.
The novel describes the experiences and reactions to a cruel suppression of individuality. The continuous control body and mind (emotions and thoughts) by the Thought Police and the punishment Winston is afraid of, force him to look expressionless to the telescreens while his doubts and emotions whelm up inside him. He tries to express himself in a diary (thoughtcrime) though his feelings are manipulated by indoctrination to hatred towards a virtual enemy. In his work Winston has to manipulate himself: he has to alter the past by rectifying newspaper articles the party needs to prove their correctness. One has to learn to believe in two contradictory aspects simultaneously (doublethink). In his love affair with Julia Winston experiences peace and trust, but, at the same time, he knows the cruel end that must come. As expected, the two are discovered after Winston tired to understand the sense and intention of Ingsoc. In his torture, that is carried out by O'Brien who has a sort of father role, Winston has to learn that nothing exists than through human consciousness, that truth is what the party claims to be true and that the individual is only a biological cell. Winston finally accepts what is required after he has given up his hope and starts to love Big Brother in the belief that it is an authentic feeling.
You see in part 1 a common manipulation of the party members through the everyday recurring "Two-Minutes-Hate" and information given on the telescreen. After Winston' s search for his authentic feelings in part 2 he is individually manipulated by O'Brien the way of brainwashing "to make him sane".
As the story is conveyed through Winston' s perception and written in an eloquent style, you can be easily involved, so while reading you get almost always the same opinion as Winston even if they are sometimes contradictory. When finally the party uses Winston' s counter-strategies against himself I got confused what happened to "me".
The manipulation of emotions and thoughts is quite obvious in the novel. Even the reader can be partly manipulated by the imaginative and convincing expression.
In our time the technical methods to manipulate are numerous. For example in the advertising. But I think, because of Orwell's intention to make ways of influence obvious we shall be critical to search for our own thoughts and authentic feelings.
This is what I think we can learn out of this novel.

Rating:
Summary: Instant paranoia!
Review: 1984 is a classic and rightfully so! It does not matter that the year has come and passed without such a world but there are subtelties that resemble such a world. In the wake of recent events the atmosphere (in the U.S.) is begining to strikingly resemble some of the aspects of Orwell's nightmarish world.

Rating:
Summary: 2+2=5, 2+2 has always been 5, and 2+2 isn't anything but 5
Review: ...you don't only believe this, you know this. History is irradiated, because everything has always been the way things are now. 2 and 2 has always been 5.

The characters don't matter. It's the content. There are hardly any characters in the book, and Winston, the main character, doesn't go on an epic quest of rebellion. And the "good guy" (by our standards), doesn't win. Government does. Brainwashing, corruption, win -- his own mind doesn't.

You believe what they tell you. 2 + 2 is 5. 2 + 2 has always been five, and 2 + 2 never was anything other than five. You don't only accept that, you don't only do what they tell you, you yourself believe it. You KNOW that 2 + 2 is 5.

1984 is a warning of what we could become. "Negative-Utopia."

A society where everything depends on the fact that everyone believes, understands, and knows the way things are. And everyone believes, understands, and knows that things have always been that way.

Anything against this doesn't live ... not literally but figuratively. If someone goes against this they are not killed, they are taught to believe this. Anything against this doesn't exist and isn't allowed to exist, even in death. Everything is altered to comply to this.

1984 - what we could become.