1984

Rating:
Summary: Nineteen Eighty-Four
Review: George Orwell depicts a horrible totalitarian state that suppresses all opposition. In 1984 the world is divided into three parts, Oceania, Eastasia and Eurasia. These three parts are constantly at war. The charismatic figure of Big Brother stands in the forefront of the Party. It is a figure of mythical power. Winston Smith struggles against the Party, he rebels against Big Brother and the totalitarian regime. But his rebellion will result in his own destruction. We should bare in mind that this novel was published in 1949 and we so realise that Orwell's imaginary future world is a brilliant creation, his vision of brutalised and manipulated humanity is gripping and unfortunately still supremely relevant.

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Summary: Manipulation to read 1984
Review: George Orwell's 1984 is a book about control in the reality of his world to the connection it has to ours; it's fascinating and shocking how Orwell was able to see a world such as the one in his book. The book is a prediction and shadow of our world today. Ever since Orwell published his book, it has been like a bible to people everywhere. This book is fascinating not because of the feeling put into it, but because of how it shows and gives the reader a sense of how humanity is and can become like the world in Orwell's book.
The only freedom shown in the world of 1984 is the self-thought of what the word actually means. Winston Smith is the man who experiences this and leads us through this horrible world. He doubts the righteousness of the totalitarian government (Big Brother) that rules Oceania, (one of three superstates in the world of 1984). The book starts with Winston and then shows how Big Brother (the government) is unreal. The government made its own language, is at constant war with the other two superstates, and watches its citizens at all times. As Winston's rebellion develops, we see how Big Brother is not as unreal as we think, he seems real, and to all the citizens he is real, this is what helps control Oceania the belief of Big Brother.
Oceania, Eastasia, and Eurasia are the three battling superstates. All want control, have the same kind of government, and are at constant war to obtain what they want. The process used to get absolute power is one used by past, present, and future dictators, like Stalin, Mussolini and Hitler. Big Brother manipulates its citizens psychologically into suitable ways of thinking. Instead of only using propaganda techniques, Big Brother also uses something called Newspeak and telescreens. Newspeak is the official language of Oceania, and it is used to control the citizens' unorthodox thinking. Winston works at the base of Newspeak; he changes words, news, stories, and information for the government. The telescreens monitor each citizen and stop them of their privacy, revolt, or un-orderly behavior.
Winston meets a girl named Julia who also feels the same as Winston does about Big Brother. They become lovers and their relationship leads them to what gives the reader the true sense of what the book is truly about. The backbone of Big Brother (the government) is revealed. When Orwell shows what really is Big Brother, gives the reader the true sense of the masterpiece of George Orwell's book.
The manipulative technique used by Big Brother to control their citizens is unrecognizable; it is all about mind control. The secret for Big Brother's success is doublethink, the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously and fully accepting both. Big Brother is supposedly a person, the head leader of the government in the book 1984, but he doesn't exist. The government controls people by creating a false leader with a system of mind control.
The book shows us how a government can become powerful and how it is possible in our world today. The thought of the possibility actually happening is frightening because our world now can become the world of greed for control, violence, mystery, and slavery that is shown in the book 1984. That is what makes this book so good; it truly pulls us into the reading because the reality in the book and our life, is paralleled by the possibility that can exist.

Rating:
Summary: A Glimpse in the Future
Review: Big Brother sees everything you do. Nothing you do is private. You must live according to how Big Brother sees fit for you to live. Anyone with even a hint of rebellion or disobedience disappears. Everything is carefully rationed. Information is carefully distributed. That information can also be changed if it needs to be. Everything is secretive. Nobody really knows what is going on in Oceania, except those in the "Inner Circle", but do they even know?

Winston Smith is living in this time. He vaguely remembers a time before this, but goes on with the present world just the same. His monotonous life of work for "the Party" is changed when two unlikely events occur. He buys a forbidden diary, and he falls in love. His life soon spirals out of his control at the hands of Big Brother, and he soon discovers what it is all about.

This book was required reading for English class. I started it with slight optimism based on what I heard it was about. I also was anticipating a less than pleasing novel, since we previously read Lord of the Flies and Catcher in the Rye, both of which I was very displeased. My doubts soon disappeared, as I became mesmerized with George Orwell's novel. It was so wonderfully written that I could barely take my eyes off of it (much to the annoyance of several of my teachers). Even though I had to reread the last page a few times, the message therein was powerful. This book is definitely one of my favorites that I have read in school, and maybe my life. Please read it if you ever get the chance!

Rating:
Summary: On 1984, A Brave New World, and A Clockwork Orange
Review: The 20th Century has brought forth dystopia, and a plethora of dystopia literature. Some of the books, such as The Giver, are very good. Others, like Fahrenheit 451, are excellent. Of them, two are genius - A Brave New World (Huxley) - A Clockwork Orange (Burgess) - and one is supreme: 1984 (Orwell).

1984 is comprehensive. Not in explaining the machinery and origin of the nightmare state, but in the experience of the individual within. Huxley is much more scientifically aware than Orwell, and his replacement of the party structure with a caste structure is profound and dark. Burgess, better than both these, understands the dependence of creativity upon destruction and destruction upon creativity, within the individual and the state. Neither Orwell nor Huxley offers their hero the alternative of 'coming alive' through violence, which Alex so beautifully illustrates.

Also, I believe Burgess, of the three, to be the best storyteller. His prose is high art; musical, rhythmic, and perfect in its strangeness and familiarity. Huxley's book is somewhat like a puzzle with 8 big pieces, which fit exactly and predictably. His strength is not the flow of his story, but the brilliance of his images. Orwell is much too engrossed in his political message to be purely an artist. He is, of course, an artist, but firstly he is a political theorist.

Still, it may seem unfair to compare these three; they are written for different purposes and theorize from different experience. This is indubitably true. But it is also true for us to want to organize, sort, and place books into a logical whole. And placement, for most of us, is related to importance.

These three books are of the 20 most beautiful written in English in the last century - it is only my opinion that 1984 is the best. The knowledge and medium of 1984 is diverse. In part it is a theory on the meaning of history - it offers definitions of impersonal experience - it is an account of the individual, his will, passion, and perspective - it is about love and sex and their relation to the state - it is an attack upon intellectuals - it is about the nature of fear and courage - but, first of all, it is literature, written as a story...because it belongs to the individual, the private reader, not to academics or institutions.

Rating:
Summary: 1984...Twenty Years Off
Review: This book is so strangely close to today's life, it almost isn't funny. I read things in this book, and I always hear things within hours, I generally find a relation. Today, there are cameras EVEWRWHERE! My friend's friend(or something like that) dissapeared one day. He found out that they found footage of him going all through the airport, arriving at his parking garrage, and entering his office. You can't hide.

This is happening today! "Terrorists" are being taken away for ungiven reasons. Its all so wrong, I don't know how to describe it.

5 stars, must read.

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Summary: I COMMAND YOU TO READ THIS BOOK!!!
Review: Everyone must read this book. If you read Animal Farm and thought it was good wait until you read this! It blows away Animal Farm by far! It shows what George Orwell projects as the future when he believed at the time would be under strict totalitarian rule. If you think communism would be a good form of government you might change your mind by the end of this book for it shows how society will be enslaved by its rule and eventually even the freedom to think will not endure.

Rating:
Summary: Admit it...
Review: you didn't really read it when the teacher assigned it. Even if you did, you probably forgot nearly all the detail. Get this book and read it "again" because it's worth it. Some books should be read at least once ever five or ten years for your whole life. This is one of them.

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Summary: One of the most important novels of the 20th Century!
Review: When I first read this novel, the first four words were just amazing! 1984 is a book that has to be read, it is just simply amazing! Pure and simple. Some of the things in this book is just frighting! George Orwell did a great job creating a story that is just VERY REALISTIC! Sure it does start off slow, George Orwell does into a lot of detail in the book about how things COULD OF BEEN if Communism did take over the world. No one has the right to privacy, the people in this book are always being watched by the Party, and it is just outright amazing.
The story evolves around Winston, he works for the Ministry of Truth, deep inside he hates the Party, but he does not reveal it because of the Thought Police! So he goes to work everyday eating the nasty food the Party gives the people, he then thinks that he is being watched by the Thought Police, which turns out to be a girl who is MUCH MORE YOUNGER than he is! He is 39, and the girl is in her mid-twenties. Her name is Julie, he wanted to kill her because he thought she was spying on him, sound real huh?
1984 is a HARD novel to read, and going through the novel is HARD, but it is worth reading. The novel brings hatred toward one's government, and how one of could of lived if Communism did spread throughout the world. Very scary, but yet very interesting because George knows how to write a very good book.
Read it, and you wont be disappointed!

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Summary: Is This Fiction?!
Review: Isn't it eerie how the Patriot Act could have come straight out of this masterpiece? Don't we have people in jails right now in Gitmo, people who have been detained for no legal reason, except they might be "terrorists?" Doesn't the government now have the right to tap our phones and spy on us without a court order (a la Big Brother)? Many people thought this book was silly when the actual 1984 came and went without this apocalyptic vision becoming reality. However, 20 years later, you can't read this classic without getting a familiar chill down your spine as a "president" tries to find imaginary weapons while seemingly rewriting history? If any English teacher wants to assign this book in 2003, they can find plenty of real world parallels to it, which should get the kiddies' attention!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Nineteen Eighty Flub
Review: I recently took up the hobby of reading "classics" instead of teenage dramas or mysterys. 1984 was second on my list. But now I'm left wondering why is this book a classic? This book was descriptively crude with its love affair and prostitute, redundant with its thoughts and routine, and overall dull. I admit that this book did have a good message and was thoroughly enforced from the beginning to end. However, thats all that happened.
It was just thoughts of a sad man with perverse and suspicouis thoughts. The main character constantly dwelled on how horrible everything was and eventually how he was going to fight against it. But never did, unless you count having an affair and writing in a journal or buying an old paperweight.
At times the story would pick up, and just as quickly as it picked up it drastically fell back into the continuous complaints of Winston.
1984 is well written. I guess, there were quantities of complex words tied in with a new language created within the book (Newsspeak). Keep your dictionary handy.
The chararcters also lacks personality. They were so 2 deminsional.
Overall it was impossibly hard to follow, and paragraphs could be skipped and you wouldnt miss a thing.

Not to mention that tragic ending. No steps were made toward anything! It stops about were it left off except Winston loves BB and loves his torturor.

This book was an overrated classic and a big fat FLUB!