1984 by George Orwell

Amy      
Lynnie 

classic, science fiction, dystopian

Lynnie read 1984 by George Orwell so long ago, before she wrote reviews, that we are only going to include Amy's review of the novel.  Goodreads describes it as a "prophetic, nightmarish vision [...] of the world we were becoming" and "the great modern classic of 'negative utopia'".

Amy's Review

Apparently, I’m one of the few adults who had not read this novel. What’s especially interesting is that I graduated from high school in 1984 (!), and had to read another George Orwell novel, Animal Farm, for a social studies class, but was never assigned 1984. I’ve finally read it for my book club.

I almost never love classics. I also never enjoy books that end in a way where there is no hope for any of the characters. If there had been any hope at the end for even one person, I might have liked this book more. So, you guessed it. I didn’t love it. But, I also didn’t hate it. I don’t know if that’s a testament to the novel itself or that I’m, perhaps, finally growing up a little in my reading sensibilities (after rating over 450 novels on Goodreads).

Its grim alternate reality was interesting and thought-provoking. I assume this is the book that coined the usage of the term “Big Brother” as we know it. Written in 1949, I was surprised that such a dismal future was imagined to be possible only 35 years into the future—just two generations. How sad and scary. The setting was an environment where everything is completely controlled by The Party—peoples’ jobs, their marriages, their living conditions, and, especially, their thoughts. No one has freedom to make a choice on their own. And, if the Thought Police decide that you are having incorrect thoughts, you disappear.

I’m not a great lover of history or philosophy unless it’s fed to me within the context of an entertaining book or show. The “textbook” sections (while Winston was reading The Book) dragged on painfully for me. The philosophical/political sections dragged too. And, I was listening to the novel instead of reading it so I was unable to skim ahead through those sections. Thankfully, there was enough of a story outside of those sections to keep me going. Without giving too much away, I still don’t quite understand why they would go to such trouble to attempt to change an individual’s behavior. Perhaps it was simply O’Brien’s pet project and he was afforded the space and time to do what he wished. But that doesn’t seem likely. I suppose everyone with a job needed work to do. Also, why would they observe Winston for seven years before taking any action? That also seems wasteful on their part. They could have saved a lot of money and effort if they simply took care of “the problem” sooner and quicker. I’m sure these questions are discussed ad nauseam in literature and social studies classes everywhere.

So, I’ve read it. I’m not sure whether I’m glad I read it. But, it’s now been added to my accumulated knowledge. (This is a funny inside joke for my high school friends who had Mr. Biggs for a teacher. He’s the one for whom I had to read Animal House.)