Rating: Summary: One of the Greatest Novels of the 20th Century! Review: I don't think I could say anything about this book that hasn't already been said! This is probably my favourite novel of all time! This has unbelivable power, the atmosphere is incredible. It still grips and absorbs me every time I read it! I love the ambiguity of the ending. If you haven't read this novel and are wondering if you should, don't think about it any more, get a copy as soon as you can and get reading. It'll be one the most rewarding reading experiences you'll ever have!A totally exceptional novel!
Rating: Summary: The Best Book! Review: When my English teacher made a reference to 1984 I knew I had to read it and that was the best decision I ever made! 1984 is so deep with many twists and turns. Just the idea of "crimethink" and "telescreens" and "big brother is watching you" expresses the deep and futuristic feel of the entire book. Really relating to Winston and Julia helped a lot and when at first I thought it would be to deep for me as I am 13 I actually really enjoyed it alot. But you are warned. Once started you wil not be able to put it down!
Rating: Summary: Admit it, 1984 is a Classic Review: I have recently done an essay on 1984's commentary on society (now there's a topic!) for my English class, and reading it made me realize that it is truly one of the greatest books ever written. While Communism isn't exactly the "threat" that it was when Orwell was writing this, the topic is still potent to today's society because it's all about power, and what better topic to represent society when the control of the government is rocking back and forth between the Democrats and Republicans? The book has one vice, and that is the rambling. Take my advice, do not read all of Emmanuel Goldstein's "The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism." It will only bog you down, and most of it is unnecessary to the plot. The first few pages of it give you a clear picture of where and who Oceania is and is composed of, respectively. It will also give some info about Eastasia and Eurasia, but otherwise, just skim. Otherwise, the book is fascinating, vivid, and mind-bogglingly poignant. Do yourself a favor and read it, for your English class, if nothing else.
Rating: Summary: "1984" Review: "Thought Police." "Big Brother." "Orwellion." These words have become part of our national vocabulary because of George Orwell's classic novel "1984," the story of one man's nightmare odyssey through a world ruled by warring states and a power structure that controls not only information but individual thought and memory. A minor functionary named Winston Smith joins a covert brotherhood and pursues a forbidden love affair against the cold, gray backdrop of the Republic of Oceania-only to become a hunted enemy of the state-and of Big Brother.
Rating: Summary: A frightening reminder as to why our nation was founded Review: One of the greatest works of fiction of all time, a book that I found abhorrent to read, with characters that aren't likable. I wouldn't say that I enjoyed reading it, as such, but I was compelled to continue reading through to the end. Not nearly as grim a tale as other distopian novels, 1984 is a book that every American citizen should read. After all, the European union is our ally, and has always been our ally.
Rating: Summary: So confusing!!! Review: I read this book last year, in 8th grade, and it was one of the hardest books I have ever had to read. It was so long and dragged on and on. I did think this book was pretty good but it took me forever to read because of the vocab and there were so many scenes that could have been cut to make this book shorter. I am going to read this book again someday when I am a little older and will understand it a bit better because I did think it was good. I do recommend this to people but beware if you are young that it is a hard read. I recommend this to people in high school or above.
Rating: Summary: Read this book! Review: In George Orwell's '1984' he describes a world that might someday be. Maybe even a hightened view of today's 'democracy'. In '1984' there are really only two classes- that of the party members and that of the proles. But no matter which you belong to, you are really the same, because you are born into a world where freedom is unknown. Born into a world where your future is pre-determined, and therefore, you are 'happy' in your ignorance. All of your actions and conversations are constantly monitored, and if you dare to challenge the rule that you are put under from birth, dire consequences are known to follow. So you grow up in only one world with only one option- that of obeying. And in your mind and in the minds of those around you, you become so accustomed to this system of unchallenged rule, that you begin to believe that it's right. This is a story of a man who suddenly awakens to the injustices of the Party. He examines the phsychology of the system and comes to understand just how the Party has manipulated and altered the past in order to control the future. I'm quite amazed at the depth of Orwell's knowledge and how he see's the precense of a ruling class in it's entirety. Throughout the novel he remains completely unbiased, and therefor gives us a true view of the mentality of government rule and how the working class comes to accept it. The only way that one could possibly dispute this book is if they came into it with an altered opinion, which is exactly what the book describes. This is really a work of genius and can change the way you view your life entirely. It's something that everyone should examine and study and try to understand. It really is an amazing piece of work.
Rating: Summary: An excellent social commentary Review: George Orwell's 1984 is a futuristic novel in which every movement of people is controlled by a government headed by "Big Brother", which is determined to dominate every aspect of people's lives. The slogan that "freedom is slavery" and "war is peace" is a constant theme within the story, and Orwell's explanation of war being a mere political and economic tool is exactly correct, as has been demonstrated by vietnam and the korean conflict, as well as other US military involvements. His description of the government being an all-powerful, all-knowing entity is not entirely too far off from the communistic governments of today. What is amazing is that Orwell wrote the book in 1949, projecting what life would be like 35 years later, and he was not very far off in his assessment. The amount of freedom that people have has drastically been reduced in society, as is the case in 1984. Telescreens which can see and listen to people's private lives are the norm in a world where nothing is secret and almost anything is a crime against the State. The main character, Winston Smith, spends the entire novel realizing that this is the case. Orwell's 1984 is truly a fairly accurate portrayal of the social and governmental conditions that are present in todays society
Rating: Summary: an orwellian world... Review: 1984 was truly ausome book. I read Orwell's Animal Farm in middle school and thoroughly enjoyed that book. I had also started reading 1984 in middle school, but never got into the story. I started reading 1984 a few weeks ago and after getting past the first 20 pages was immersed in the story. 1984, written in the 1940's is about a future gone awry with no freedom of anything, and the political party in power having overwhelming control over all its citizens. The party is divided into 4 main factions the ministry of love, plenty, truth, and peace. It is interesting that they don't call it the ministry of the economy but the ministry of plenty. They are also speaking a new language called Newspeak which tries to simplify all words into their most basic meanings. This is to prevent the formation of new ideas and independent thinking. The thing that I liked most about the book was the believability of the world, it seemed plausible that the future of 1984 could have existed instead of the one we have today. Overall I would rate this book a 9.5 on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest. If you are looking to read a truly insightful book into the diabolical possibility of party systems this is a great book to read. If you have some time on your hands this is also a great book to read.
Rating: Summary: Awesome work Review: This was the first time I had tried the "futuristic" genre- and I loved it! 1984 really made think- it was in-depth without being totally confusing. The characters are realistic and Orwell does a great job of describing how the citizens are controlled in the republic of Oceania. If you ever get the opportunity, read 1984- you will not be disappointed!!!
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