1984

Rating:
Summary: Introspective
Review: "Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four."

In the world depicted in this powerful novel, the use of logic is prohibited. Citizens are required to follow the Party's ideas, believe the Party's lies, hate the Party's enemies, rejoice at the Party's victories. If the Party contradicts itself (which is common), the members are forbidden to ask questions, but to follow blindly, as sheep led to slaughter. Big Brother perfected what the Communists only dreamed of -- absolute obedience, total loyalty to a cruel master. Even simple human emotions are discouraged.

What a perfect setting for a love story! Of course, there is romance entwined into the precise fibers of 1984, but the novel is not a love story. It's a society story, a political story. A story of human existence, if you will. This is a story about an eternal food chain. Though Winston's story is not the message, one grows to love him for endeavors to understand his twisted world.

I read this book after hearing about it for many years. People will hear of it for many years to come, no doubt. The main message of the novel leaves the reader reeling, suddenly needing some time to reflect. Questions arise in the reader's mind: What holds our society together? What keeps Communism from working in reality? Could this ever happen?

As a citizen of the US for all of my 17 years, I have come to value my freedom more after reading 1984. I'm thankful to live here where I can do pretty much anything I please, instead of Orwell's imaginary Oceania, where imagining committing a crime could land you several months of torture at "The Ministry of Love".

I can say for certain that this book isn't in my high school's literature curriculum. It should be. If we could learn to appreciate our liberty while we are young, the US would be a much better place.

Rating:
Summary: Scarrrryyyyy
Review: Do you ever feel like you are being watched constantly? Is there an excess of authority figures in your life? Winston Smith feels this way too, or at least at the beginning.

This everyman lives in a very complicated time and place. The year is, of course, 1984, and the setting is war-torn London. London is a part of Oceania, which is either in open conflict with Eurasia or Eastasia at any given day. Its confusing because the folks at the Ministry of Truth literally make up new history everyday, shifting public opinion instantly with a few efficient word changes.

Dark and truly frightening, the novel focuses primarily on the organization that tries to control the doubting character of Smith. Highschoolers can easily find elements of Smith's story to relate to. In fact, the book's Thought Police may remind you of your parents on a bad day.

Rating:
Summary: Read it!
Review: If for some reason you got through high school without being forced to read this book, I highly recommend that you read it now. Besides being creative and extremely thought-provoking, 1984 paints a vivid picture of a hopeless future world... a world void of privacy, friendship, love, and family. In this world, where Big Brother is god, mindless conformity is the highest virtue. Winston, the main character, serves as a powerful narrator in revealing the true nature of this society that, in the late 1940's, did not seem all that distant. The two factors of Orwell's society that struck me most were: 1) the disintegration of the family unit, where children control and betray their parents and 2) the mass brainwash of citizens and the idea of "doublethink," where history is repeatedly rewritten within citizen's own minds. Everyone should read this book, if only to appreciate the society that we do live in.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic.
Review: Orwell's striking story about the dangers of, basically, communism. It still strikes a chord ALL these years later. It may seem daunting, being an "out of touch old book" but better chance than not, you'll love it. ~Andy

Rating:
Summary: DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER!
Review: Big Brother's watching, and there's no escaping him.1984 is the story of Winston Smith, a employee for the Ministry of Truth, and how he tries to escape the wrath of big brother, and even tries to.well you'll just have to read the book to find that out.This book is full of twists and turns, that will leave you on the edge of your seat, up to the last four words. oh by the way "war is peace freedom is slavery ignorance is strength." and "2+2=5"

Rating:
Summary: A must-read
Review: In "1984", Winston, the main character, finds himself dissatisfied with a world he feels powerless to change. Cameras are everywhere, and no one knows when they are being monitored. Furthermore, government spies abound, and children are taught early on to snitch on someone who is being disloyal. Public records are constantly altered to ensure that "Big Brother" is seen as flawless and all-powerful. Unable to hide in the shadows any longer, Winston begins to search for others who are equally disatisfied. As the story unfolds, the uneasiness builds as Winston tries to find a way to thwart the seemingly unstoppable Big Brother.

Privacy advocates often reference "1984" for its nightmarish vision of a world where one's every move is monitored. Equally unnerving are the descriptions of an all-powerful government that can hide the truth by altering documents and that "reprograms" those who disagree. If you're sleeping too well at night, this is a book for you. It should be read by everyone who's ever considered the importance of freedom.

Rating:
Summary: 1984: A Future that Might Have Been but Wasn't
Review: The world of George Orwell's 1984 is a dirty world that is filled with equally dirty people. This filth is both external and internal. There is scarcely a page in which Orwell does not describe the run-down condition that is Oceania. Grime sems to cover each wall and window. Elevators break. Nearly all moving devices need continual repair. The only device that is guaranteed to work is the ubiquitous telescreen. The characters are the human equivalent of their eroding technology. Almost everyone is fat, gross, balding, or otherwise plain ugly. Winston Smith, the hero, is described in terms that make the reader wonder why his lover, Julia, fell in love with him. It is this preoccupation with grubbiness that serves as a subtext to point out that the world of Oceania is the inevitable result when the beauty of individuality is removed and the uncaring and life-denying collective psychology of the state is substituted. When the only ones in a society who seek to celebrate their independence of mind and body can do so knowing full well that their discovery is certain, then their relationship takes on a significance that is worth the terrible cost. For most of the book, Winston and Julia tap dance around each other before finding out that each is not alone. When they couple sexually, their orgasm is a political statement. The next logical step is to find others like themselves. They believe that Winston's boss, O'Brien, is a kindred soul who is also a member of the secret brotherhood. He gives them a book to read which explains the principles by which the group's members live. Ironically, to become a member of this group dictates that both Winston and Julia must merge into the group's collective consciousness more thoroughly than demanded by Big Brother for his group, the symbol of the party that governs Oceania. Their relation is detected nearly at once, but the party allows them to continue until it decides to arrest them. O'Brien is really a traitor to the probably non-existent brotherhood, and it is he who interrogates both Winston and Julia. O'Brien is described as an aging but still vigorous torturer. In fact, he uses his wrinkled face as a metaphor for the futility of Winston to seek to enhance his own psychological life by engaging in forbidden love. Winston is thoroughly beaten, humiliated, broken. His de-evolution from Thinking Man to Orthodox Man is both rapid and irreversible. As he stares into the mirror, O'Brien tells him that if Winston believes himself to be the last free thinking man on earth, then the wreck that stares back at him merely punctuates the party claim that the individual counts not at all in the political scheme of things. When Winston acknowledges that he now loves Big Brother, the reader can see that this love is not the love of emotion but one of indoctrinated and inculcated values, and thus not worthy of the term 'love' at all. The tragic irony is that the reader can see this even if Winston Smith cannot.

Rating:
Summary: ... Rather Weird
Review: A great book a little scary with the idea... that BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING... although we always think of who wathing us in public the idea of being watched in work and in your house kinda brings an idea of the Nazi Gestapo back, terrorizing you in your house and in public if they think your against the government body.

Rating:
Summary: very critical but this is the best book ive ever read
Review: people are complaing about the plot but i found this book extremely entertaining and i cannot look at the world or listen to the news the same way. Read the dictionary of newspeak terms at the end and you wont be as depressed when you are done (still not a happy ending but atleast big brother falls)

Rating:
Summary: A twisted eery tale
Review: This is one of the most disturbing stories ever written. But it is done so perfectly. If you want to read about messed up polatics and a twised state of human affairs than this is the book to read. It had parts where my brian would tingle as it talked about the economics behind war the the strength in developing a conflict. It was truely remarkable. A very influencial peice of literature.