1984

Rating:
Summary: Shouldn't Be Taken For Granted
Review: I first read Orwell's masterpiece for seventh grade summer reading in 1983 (got in right under the gun!). It remains one of the key books of my intellectual development. 1984 was the first book to get me to think about the importance of the freedom of the individual, the dangers of mob psychology and the evils of totalitarianism.

Winston Smith is a member of the Party, as is everyone else who isn't a "prole," and like everyone else, he lives "from birth to death under the eye of the Thought Police." Orwell builds up a gray and chilling world where "no emotion was pure, because everything was mixed up with fear and hatred."

This is what Orwell imagined in 1949 would be the logical extension of communism. And look where we are, fully sixteen years after the year 1984, with the video camera technology that can do effectively the same thing as the Party's telescreens. Imagine life with a TV that could watch you while you watched it--a TV that could bellow at you to do your calisthenics in the morning or face arrest! That's what Big Brother is all about, the absolute lack of privacy to enforce the absolute conformity of action and thought--something to contemplate before tuning in one of those cheesy "real-life" TV-ratings-grabbers. In Orwell's 1984, there was nothing to laugh about.

Orwell's writing style is intentionally as stark as the world he creates. The narrator does a lot of telling as well as showing, but this does not slow the pace. I heartily recommend 1984 for anyone over eleven who appreciates his or her freedom and individuality. You may appreciate it far more once you have finished this book.

Rating:
Summary: So prophetically accurate, it's scary
Review: Orwell's book, "1984" has been banned. It's actuallyone of the top 100 banned books of all time. Interesting, a book whose principal villian is Big Brother, a figment who controls society through an organization called the Thought Police, would be banned by none other than: government organizations here in the Land of the Free, Home of the Brave. Or is it, "Land of the Chained, Home of the Coward," I never can tell.

Anyway, before I praise the book, I must tell you which organization led the way in banning Orwell's classic: The John Birch Society...An organization of people so far right-wing that they make George W. Bush look like Joseph Stalin. And what side of the political spectrum is supposed to hold the belief in less government and individual autonomy? Oops.

So, the real value in this book is this: Orwell is telling us to fight against organizations with these "divine" attributes: omnipotence, omniscience, and omni-benevolence. In English: all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good. Why is Orwell saying, "fight these things?" Well, what were the government's ministeries called in this book? They were the Ministry of Love, whose business was hate (that's all-loving); the Ministry of Truth, whose business was lies (that's all-knowing), the Ministry of Peace, whose business was war (that's all powerful) I believe there was another one, but it is not important.

The point here is the message from the book. Orwell wrote this book not only as a warning against totalitarian government, but also against totalitarian religion. He was a socialist and an atheist. When the government says it knows what's best because it's the government and the government is all-knowing, then we've got problems. When the Fundamentalist says that he knows what's best for you because he knows God's word, which is written by God, and God is all-knowing, so if anyone knows what's best it's God, and the Fundamentalist knows what God wants, etc. You can follow the circular reasoning.

This book has no other value other than to warn. As an update, Orwell's nightmare may occur some day, hopefully never. But look at these hopefully coincidental highlights: UN troops are called "peacekeepers;" there are three major powers in the world: The US, the EC, and China; fundamentalism is seeing a resurgence world-wide, while liberal religions that allow room for people with another faith, or no faith, are dying; the US government is spending trillions of dollars on a "War on Drugs," this war can never be won and is being used as an excuse to destroy basic freedoms (police can now almost act with impunity as long as the alleged crime is somehow related to drugs).

I could go on, but I have written enough, and the parallels are obvious already. George Orwell must be spinning in his grave.

Rating:
Summary: One of the world's best books
Review: I adore George Orwell's works! He is a master of the satire, and can convey humanity's greatest fears in his masterful storytelling. 1984 was no exception. it could be called a "what if" book, to show the state of the world had such and such occurred, a world where freedom is lost and hope, and love, and all that is left is power, for power's sake. In this desperate setting, Winston falls in love with Julia, both of them members of the party which occupies itself with total control. surrounded by posters, telescreens, all reminding that Big Brother is wathing, the two hold onto their love. When they are captured, however, Winston is victim to terrible tortures, ending in his renouncing his love, having been forever altered in mind and body, a pure minion of the party without emotion for the remainder of his life.

Rating:
Summary: A twisted, dark, and influential masterpiece.
Review: I have trouble believing you're even looking at this page if you're not planning on (or required to) read Orwell's shocking and gut-wrenching classic, but if for some reason you are, and you haven't read this, you should.

Among the most disturbing novels I've read in my life, Orwell's' 1984 is a "prophetic, nightmarish vision" of the world which we might have found ourselves in had we not been vigilant in defending our personal rights. In this world, freedom of expression is a moot point, since freedom of thought has already been eliminated -- officials in a mysterious government organization known only as "The Party" have reduced the language of society to an abbreviated dialogue called Newspeak, which decimates the vocabulary of the people, and makes the communication, expression, or formation of many ideas impossible. Using tactics of artificial wars and group hate sessions to keep the public united, the Party has perfected this complete censorship of society to an art -- even the news is processed by the Party, allowing them to change the past, present, and future as needed with a few taps on the keyboard. Records are meaningless unless they come from Party hands, and Party members are free to revise records as needed.

The nightmare that Orwell presents is a world in which there is no truth to be found, because there is no subjective view allowed to the individual.

His vision is strengthened in impact by his particularly strong writing and descriptive style -- one particular scene focusing on mental torture (using rats!), and the use of fear as a persuasive mechanism, is among the most disturbing I have ever read, and will ever read. If I enjoyed this novel, it was only in the most morbid, shivering, appreciative sense, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world, all the same.

This book, in my mind, far surpasses the supposedly comparable Brave New World.

Rating:
Summary: I love George Orwell
Review: I read this book 5 years ago for an English book report. I've never been able to forget it. It's the haunting account of Winston Smith, an employee of the Ministry of Truth who hasn't forgotten the past, and who wants to change the future.

However, Big Brother is watching him. Try as he might, our hero is trapped in a totalitarian world where he faces extermination if he wants to think as an individual and question the government.

Published in 1949 during the Cold War, Orwell puts a spin on communism and totalitarianism that to this day makes my blood run cold. I shutter at the thought of our world ever becoming like Oceania, even in the slighest bit.

Highly recommended book for the whole world to read. Let's hope we never come to this.

Rating:
Summary: el peligro del hombre en una sociedad asi
Review: pobre winston, el hecho de que su memoria funcionara y de que no olvidara las cosas lo ponia en un grave peligro.... y nosotros, que somos constantemente espiados a tarves del telefono, de la internet, de las camaras en las tiendas, eso a veces me pone a pensar que el autor no esta tan lejos de la realidad como podria parecer, si se siguen usando los avances tecnologicos para fines de vigilancia, terminaremos en una sociedad sin privacidad donde un hermano mayor siempre estara observando nuestros pasos paraque no nos descarriemos del camino que desde el momento de nuestro nacimiento se nos ha impuesto. al final, el protagonista sucumbe a su hermano mayor, cuidado los hermanos mayores nos vigilan pero no hagamos como winston, sigamos siendo unos rebeldes.... LUIS MENDEZ [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Chilling
Review: The only book that I have read that scared me as much as "Transfer-the end of the beginning" by Jerry Furland. Just because one is paranoid it doesn't necessarily mean that someone isn't really out to get you. In this case it is the government.

Rating:
Summary: Five stars is faint praise indeed.
Review: The essence of 1984 that carries it beyond mere fiction is Orwell's deep understanding of the totalitarian urge common to those who seek and wield political power. Today we stand at the brink of a technological society where the political levers of control and surveillance are far beyond Orwell's darkest imaginings. All that prevents their implementation is the political calculus of the time. As Jerry Furland has shown so vividly in the novel "Transfer" the systems already exist to enslave each of us. We are left wondering when, not if, the political will to execute the final transfer to a new Utopia will occur. This is the dilemma of our modern age.

Rating:
Summary: Boring and depressingly morbid at the same time...
Review: OK, maybe Mr. Orwell intended it to be this way, but it still doesn't hide the fact that this book moves incredibly slow compared to the author's other works. I read this book because I remember thoroughly enjoying and understanding Animal Farm years ago, and this work was recommended by several of my friends. If you want an unrealistic view of a future that is totally morbid and depressing, check this out. Yes, this is science fiction, and just because some people call it a classic doesn't mean I like it. If you want some of the best in this genre, I recommend 'Dune', by Frank Herbert, '2001: A Space Odyssey', by Arthur C. Clarke, or 'Enders Game', by Orson Scott Card.

Rating:
Summary: Just remember--Big Brother is watching you.
Review: "1984" was a prediction of the world from 1949 by a British author. The scariest part of all is that it could still come true.

"1984" deals with a parallel universe, if you will, of modern times. Instead of the somewhat feuding-but-happy world we live in, this universe is controlled, right down to the very razor you scrape your face with. Oceania is the setting, and Winston Smith is our protagonist. He lives in a catch-22; he knows what he has seen will get him killed, but trying to hold back his thoughts will drive him insane.

Winston confides in a fellow worker, Julia, and she turns him on to The Brotherhood, an underground organization against The Party that may or may not exist. This decision forever changes Winston's life, and the horrible betrayals and consequences that follow will blow your mind and keep your fingers turning.

It took me a while to recover from reading this book. Clarity about so many things came to me, and also a bitter realization that one misstep can trigger this in the real world.