1984

Rating:
Summary: The Best of Orwell's Books, No doubt
Review: I'll admit the book starts sorta slow but once you get 20 or so pages into it, it's hard to put down. While I found the world that Julia and Winston lived in scary, what was even scarier is that some day this could actually come true! While I'm only 14, anyone who is 13 or above should be able to grasp the main concepts of this book. You are very compassionate when you realize the vain struggle of Winston and Julia. This book also shows that human emotion while difficult can be altered and controlled. Your only hope in totalitrain society is mass rebelion or death. And the song, "Under the spreading chestnut tree, I sold you and you sold me." When that played at the end my heart dropped cause it makes you realize that when humans are dissected to the core all they care for are themselves. If you think you are liberal enough to get a new view on life, read this book for it will change your outlook on life, love, and politics. It you like this book you will also like "Animal Farm" although not as good as 1984, still a classic.

Rating:
Summary: A chilling view of what could be..
Review: Orwell's "1984" should be read by every voter. He brilliantly illustrates the old catch theme "Power corrupts, Absolute power corrupts absolutly." The government controls the populace through the "telescreen" which was the predecessor to video conferencing!(scary, yes) 1984 will really make you think; the people of 1930s-40s Soviet Union could probably identify a lot with 1984..

Rating:
Summary: This was a well written, compelling novel.
Review: I liked 1984. It was a terrificly entertaining book to read, so much so, I could hardly put it down, it is scary how a story like this could easily become a reality.

Rating:
Summary: How can we have enthusiasm to grow if we see no wrong?
Review: BRAVO! This is my all-time favorite book. Its wonderfully intriguing and sophisticated plot sparks intelligent thought, reexamination of our society, and serves as a warning for our future. This book should be on the "Human Required Reading List" anyway becasue of the every day references to Big Brother and other common analogies. Be prepared to be amazed by the power of the mind!

Rating:
Summary: The truth is scary, isn't it?
Review: I feel as though I should be shouting all the cheesy cliches: "What a page-turner!", "I couldn't put it down!"; but I would hate to parallel such mindlessness with Orwell's pure genius. 1984 is an excellent story with familliar characters (the rebel, the romantic, etc.), but also much more. Orwell's accuracy surrouding both the government and the media is undeniably disturbing. This book and "Brave New World" have turned me on to a whole new genre of literature.

Rating:
Summary: Only read this if you like getting depressed.
Review: This is a good example of the fact that pessimistic and shocking books often receive rave criticism while dynamically optimistic books are dubbed "unrealistic"... NO further comment.

Rating:
Summary: An accurate parable, for the era in which it was written:
Review: The key to really grasping Orwell's "Negative Utopia" is to get an idea of where he was writing from. Note that the power of the Orwellian totalitarianism stems completely from punishment and fear of such. This seems reasonable considering that Orwell had just witnessed the "glory" of the Nazi dictatorship and the birth of Stalinism. However, such a society still creates a certain level of discontent.

Rating:
Summary: A true prophecy and warning
Review: This was a great book. I thought every scene was true and had actually happened, even though it was about how the government can control a person or people. George Orwell sounded like a true Prophet as I read this book.

Rating:
Summary: A sometimes misunderstood classic
Review: I'm rating 1984 a 10, since it's pretty apparent that the book has indeed stood the test of time to become a twentieth century classic.

But people growing up today- particularly since the fall of the Soviet bloc- may have a hard time understanding what Orwell was writing about. At the time the book was written, the Soviet show trials were still in the news, and Orwell- a lifelong socialist who still distrusted most socialists- saw in the Soviet trials what could happen to England. 1984 was then written as a warning to the British of what Orwell felt their world was coming to.

Today's readers should keep in mind that the world Orwell warned about was not a fantasy world, but aside from the techology of the Telescreen, very much a real picture of the Soviet Union of the 30s. When government officials start talking about controlling the Internet, and restricting communication between people, or wanting to hold onto everyone's encryption keys, think of 1984.

Rating:
Summary: Muy bueno
Review: de este libro me habìan hablado bastante, por lo cual me decidì a leerelo, y desde esta modesta opinion lo considero uno de los clásicos de la literatura universal.Por lo cual muy recomendable.