Rating: 
Summary: A Little Far-Fetched
Review: I have read many reviews that consider this book a "warning" and seem to think that this is the direction that American society is heading. Personally, I find it a little hard to believe that the American society that so treasures its freedom of thought and actions, as well as its privacy, could ever evolve into the society described in this book. I did, however, enjoy the book and would recommend it, but not as a "warning". If anything, it would, perhaps, make the reader value his own freedom.
Rating: 
Summary: So Believable
Review: After I read this book, I became paranoid for day, because I truly BELIEVED every word of the book! I was absolutely shocked. The setting of this book doesn't seem very far from where our history is now. With all of the technological advances happening now, especially with nanotechnology, the survalence on the people in America and elsewhere could very well get to this incredulous state.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!!
Review: 1984 is one of the great Big Brother books to read. Pretty freaky how close to reality it actually is.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I have read!
Review: 1984 is indeed one of the best books I have read, its a books that got you thinking about the events happening around you and getting you to arrive to your own conclusions. I do not think that a long continnous read is desired for this book, its a book that should be read in smaller sections and then *absorbed*, rather then in a long contineous run which in the end the reader fails to grasp the smaller more important details of the book.In visiting literary post boards, and from people's reactions in school (high school that is), I have noticed many people fail to see the clear difference between Bigbrother-ism and communism.
Is Communism the same thing as Bigbrother-ism? To be frank, the answer would be an stern no. If you have paid enough attention to Emmanuel Goldstein's essay on "War is Peace" (chapter 3 of Goldstien's book) you should have noticed that the constant warfare is support by the government of the 3 powers (Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia) because without constant warfare a hierarchical society would cease to exist! The goal of communism is certainly not the existance of a hierachical socieity, but rather the elimnation of one. Stalinism, Maoism and perhaps even Leninism is not true communism, but a distorted version of communism, Stalinism, one can honestly say, is something that resmbles Bigbrother-ism. The constant warfare, as explained by Goldstein, is to prevent the build up of WEALTH in the general people. If WEALTH was evenly distrubuted, then POWER would be impossible to remain to a small privileged elite, therefore in order to have power, warfare is needed to take away wealth from the people and spent on military purposes. Therefore, one would be utterly mistaken to think of communism (the word "commune" as base) as the same thing as Bigbrother-ism. What Orwell offers us in 1984 is not something completely fantastic but very much likely to occur in the near future. Keeping secrets from the general masses, lies and propganda and the distoration of certain truths exists in all of the powerful "democratic" states. Orwell's Big brother simply goes a step beyond the conventional control and offers us a view of extreme control, in which only a small amount of people actually notices it. Rather, the general mass accepts it and whole-heartedly welcomes it (same as some of the general masses today), a very horrific thing to see. All in all, Orwell's book offers us a great, relavent story and desveres to be read by all who has an interest in our political future.
Rating:
Summary: My review
Review: This is a great book. The book is full of suspense, you never really know what is going to happen next. It is also scary that someone would predict the future to be so negative and it is even worse that some things in the book are actually happening today. The author really brings the to life book by using good diction. Overall, I immensely enjoyed this book and I believe it is a must read for all people.
Rating:
Summary: Go to the real source
Review: This is a great book. Because it has been unsuccessfully re-written many times by lesser minds people suggest this as the source. However, the book "We" by Eugene Zamatin, an exiled Russian (like Nabokov, or Dostoyevsky), came first is even more powerful. I believe that it is out of print (at least the english translation), but if there is enough interest in it that could be rectified. Also, now more than ever the theme of governmental control is very relevant.
Rating:
Summary: Yes, we are being observed
Review: Ten years ago I would have dimissed this book as a good work of the "science fiction" category, and refused to believe that the government is orchestrating a plot to take full control of its citizens and the rest of the world. Sadly considering the present state of affairs, when we see that a group of criminals, is in charge of the US government. When they openly lie to its citizens in order to scare them so that a war can be sold to them. When Fox News as well as CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS, are devising ways to misconstruct reality and eliminate any posible inquiry or doubt about the behavior of their government. When we notice that the so called Patriotic Act is nothing more that a facist manifesto, intended to erase all the freedoms which it is supposed to protect. Then, its almost impossible to think that this book is not profetic, and its just missed its mark on the title by a few decades. Although, the atmosphere of the book is so gloom, as life is today, the author points out that forces such as love, or sex, can not be effectively kept under control by anyone be it a person or a government, no matter how well structured such control is. Therefore at some point fear will be challenged and with that small act of defiance a possibility opens so that that freedom, even as a concept, will not cease to exist. Lets hope that the US voters some day will see their present leaders as the criminals they are and avoid - for their benefit of and that of the world - the completion of the story depicted in this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Must-Read
Review: Read this book. No matter what your political affiliations, this classic will open your eyes to the dangers of conformity and control. In Orwell's chilling vision, only opinions and views approved by the State are permitted. Is the world we live in today so very different? Yes and no. No, we are not arrested for listening to the Dixie Chicks. Nor are we jailed for reading Ann Coulter. Yes, there are those in positions of influence (on both sides of the political spectrum) who would probably like to make a few such arrests. Just kidding ... maybe. This book is brilliantly written, the characters well-developed and compelling, the setting frighteningly real. The central thrust of this novel is the idea that being able to tell the truth is essentially being free to comment upon the world as you understand it. We all have different points of view, none of which represents the sum total of reality. Orwell creates a world where the ruling powers dictate the perception of reality to the masses. Reading this book will help to train you to identify this practice in the modern world and, hopefully, also train you to resist.
Rating:
Summary: Scarry Real
Review: Those TeleScreens are just a few years down the road...
Rating:
Summary: Something everyone must be made to read
Review: 1984 is probably the most bonechilling novel I have ever read. It isn't even a cheap thriller either. A true testiment of the reality of human nature and that of the future. I cried at parts. Everybody should read this book at sometime in their life or they will be missing out on a chance to really understand how frightening Bolshevism could have been. I would also like to say that you shouldn't read this book to young or you will be shocked and you will also not fully understand it.
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