Rating: 
Summary: doubleplusgood
Review: George Orwell's 1984 is unquestionably one of my favorite novels, if not my favorite (and not merely because the title is my birth year). Powerful and enlightening, it offers the reader a glimpse into a society in which the omnipotent State controls the populace through manipulation of language, alteration of the past, and other devices. With a population composed of brainwashed Party members and apathetic proles, the zeitgeist is characterized by contented and unthinking servitude to Big Brother. Yet Winston Smith (committing an odious, illicit act) begins to think negatively of the status quo, giving the basis of this thought-provoking novel. Admittedly, one section (but only one!) becomes a bit tedious, Goldstein's book. Keep reading! The immaculate third chapter soon follows, culminating in the most effectual ending that I have ever read. Its impact proves that Orwell successful captivated the reader throughout the novel. I wonder, considering that literature as chimerical as David Deutsch's Fabric of Reality gains placement as non-fiction, if 1984 has been incorrectly categorized. It would not surprise me if Pol Pot had used this novel as a guide book. Of course, elements are also apparent in modern American society, from the welfare state to political correctness to surveillance devices. The advice I give to the prospective reader is this: quit reading reviews (in a worst case scenario one might learn the ending) and read 1984!~pythia~
Rating:
Summary: have we escaped?
Review: One of the most irritating and literal-minded criticisms of this book is that the events in it didn't happen in 1984--as though Orwell were writing prophecy rather than social commentary or just plain fiction. In fact, the majority of thought-control processes he described are in full effect today, as Fromm's splendid addition to this edition makes clear.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than most
Review: The author has come very close to predicting the future, but we still have a long way to go. A very interesting story built around the future. Although 1984 has come and gone, the future of cameras watching our every move is very possible. As the war in Kosovo proved, some tactics are not just fiction.
Rating:
Summary: An incredibly powerful book.
Review: 1984 is unquestionably one of the greatest books in the history of English literature. A terrifying look at the dangers of totalitarian government, it is ingeniously written and scarily realistic. George Orwell is meticulously thorough in his depiction of a world that is bleak, hopeless, and horrifying--and perhaps not as distant as we think. The writing style is factual and almost impersonal, reflecting not only the government but the people themselves, who have been reduced to unthinking robots. Protagonist Winston Smith's resistance against Big Brother (the symbolic leader of the Party) and ultimate complete acceptance and execution demonstrate the debility and irresolution of the human mind and spirit. The authoritarian government itself is eerily familiar, complete with conspiracies, cover-ups, and double-dealing politicians. While the year 1984 is long past, the book is still a relevant and potent warning of what the future may bring if we let it. The concept of 1984 is brilliant, the writing is brilliant, and it is nearly impossible not to love this book. 1984 is a definite must-read for anyone. Enthusiastically recommended; 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking and hard to put down...
Review: This is one of my favorite books of all time (and Orwell's Animal Farm is on that list also). I had to read it my sophomore year of high school. If you enjoy reading books that really make you think, then 1984 is a good choice. Orwell has a way of writing so that a reader is interested and challenged at the same time.
Rating: 
Summary: Limited perspective
Review: I am going to go against the grain with this one. There are many other reviews of the exact details of the plot, so I'll just make a few comments as to why I think the book is limited in its overall social value, particularly in its assumptions about human nature. Whilst it may be true that the book serves as an educational warning against totalitarian thinking and so on, and while yes it is well written and widely regarded as a classic, I personally thought this book far too limited in its perspective of how human nature and society interact to justify its solid reputation. It is, in a nutshell, a very absorbing but deeply fatalistic analysis of political totalitarianism. The trouble is, is that this fatalistic perpsective is such a limited a picture of how people actually think, and how society actually functions, as to become self defeating. A large assumption pervades the book- human nature and society is largely fluid and 'infinitely malleable'. This so- called malleability, of course can be co-opted by psychopaths/etc into various forms of totalitarianism. But this process, of couse, is not inevitable, nor is it as pervasive a social process as Mr Orwell seems to think. In a nutshell, the books assumes that human nature, and biological forces in general, do not play a large part in society and politics. The problem here is that Mr Orwell creates a world in this book that transcends the relationship between socio-politics and human nature, in much the same way political ideology and totalitarian thinking does. It serves little purpose, for example, in analysing totalitarianism by committing, in turn, the same mistake totalitarians make-exaggeration and over-simplification. The books general negativity is rooted in the same political ideologies it is trying to expose and warn against. It fails to appreciate the nature of the underlying biological forces which shape, and are co-opted by political forces. For example, the moralisitic fallacy is wrong because what "ought", to be is not necasarilly what "is", which is a strong subtext in the views of both the resistance('brotherhood') and power brokers in this book. To gain a different perpsective, to that generally assumed by Mr Orwell, and to show why 1984 could only ever be a passing socio-political fad, I would recommend The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker. Societies do undergo revolutionary cultural transitions, and yes, these often become co-opted by psychopaths and dictators as a social system (often under the notion of 'the Blank Slate', together with the 'moralistic fallacy'), but these social systems inevitably fail and subside-primarily because of the grounding of human nature.
Rating:
Summary: 1984: Heed the Warning...
Review: Being an avid reader and lover of great literature, 1984 was an advious choice for a good read. Orwell's gripping realism captivated me in the first chapater and held my attention untill the last three words. Not only did I find the plot captivating, but Orwell's voice spoke straight to me.The strong political theme doesn't override the call to every one for a better world. Any one who reads this book and take from it the message Orwell sends, would understand why it is a classic. A fan of classic literature or high thrill novels will enjoy this page turner.
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Summary: Orwell's Bleak Future
Review: Please don't think me arrogant, but I've always thought of myself as a rather capable reviewer of the modern novel. I've read just about every kind of book I can think of(Orwell to Hemingway-London to Stevenson-King to Koontz- and yes, even those trashy little pulp novels with stories of witches and heroes)and have enjoyed in some manner or another almost every one. But, fellow readers, if I was forced to choose a single book, just one to promote to those people eager to turn pages, it would be George Orwell's classic story of Oceania. "1984" From its first paragraphs to the final four words, this book grabs the reader's attention and just refuses to let go. Orwell's story deals with a man named Winston, an employee at Oceania's Ministry of Truth, who is responsible for the almost daily altering and destruction of historical documents and photographs in an effort to serve the political interests of a group known simply as "the Party." With such activities as "Hate Week" and public slogans like "War is Peace Freedom is Slavery Ignorance is Strength" the forementioned party keeps to its philosophy of Totalitarianism with a firm and painful grip. And I won't forget to mention the leader of it all, a pseudo-religious figure named Big Brother who never fails to rid Oceania of its more troublesome citizens with the help of the infamous "Thought Police," an elite and cruel gestapo-like police force charged with the task of making those citizens of Oceania brave or foolish enough to speak ill of "the Party's" policies or even look unsatisfied at home(their is human as well as mechanical surveillance everywhere)disappear in a discrete and timely manner. "1984" seems more like a hint, a prediction if you will, of a future disturbingly possible(it was written in 1949). The book moves at a quick pace and even the most casual reader would have little trouble with the language. Don't miss this one folks. It's definitely worth the time.
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Summary: Big Brother is watching you - read this book and see how!
Review: George Orwell's classic was incredibly visionary. It is hardly fathomable that this book was written in 1948. Things that we take for granted today - cameras everywhere we go, phones being tapped, bodies being scanned for weapons remotely - all of these things were described in graphic detail in Orwell's book. Now that we have the Internet and people spying on other people w/ webcams and people purposely setting up their own webcams to let others "anonymously" watch them, you can see how this culture can develop into the Orwellian future described in "1984." If you've heard such phrases as "Big Brother," "Newspeak," and "thought crime" and wondered where these phrases came from, they came from this incredible, vivid and disturbing book. Winston Smith, the main character of the book is a vibrant, thinking man hiding within the plain mindless behavior he has to go through each day to not be considered a thought criminal. Everything is politically correct, children defy their parents (and are encouraged by the government to do so) and everyone pays constant allegiance to "Big Brother" - the government that watches everyone and knows what everyone is doing at all times - watching you shower, watching you having sex, watching you eat, watching you go to the bathroom and ultimately watching you die. This is a must-read for everyone.
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Summary: A Future that Could Soon be Real...
Review: Ever heard of the "Dummying" of the education system, or the "Liberal" press? Well, you should have. These are examples of areas where Orwell's nightmarish vision have come true. Do you merely vote for the party and fall into the trap of propaganda? Then you have succombed to the ministry of truth. Now, I am sure you are asking, "What do these things from our time have to do with Orwell's story of a future ruled by communism?" The answer was simple: Orwell wasn't merely poking fun at Stalin like he was in Animal Farm. He was presenting a world where people don't think, they merely do. He was envisioning a world where human beings work like robots and cannot question why. When you read 1984, think of the connections to our world today, and think of how they can be changed. This novel is truly scary than any formulaic horror story: it shows us what will happen if we don't excersize our right to free speech... while we still have it.
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