1984 by George Orwell (1949)
306 pages
Goodreads Summary: Thought Police. Big Brother. Orwellian. These words have entered our vocabulary because of George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel, “1984.” The story of one man’s nightmare odyssey as he pursues a forbidden love affair through a world ruled by warring states and a power structure that controls not only information but also individual thought and memory, 1984 is a prophetic, haunting tale.
More relevant than ever before, “1984″ exposes the worst crimes imaginable–the destruction of truth, freedom, and individuality.
This beautiful paperback edition features deckled edges and french flaps — a perfect gift for any occasion.
Well I finally got around to reading this and am glad to have experienced it for myself. I can’t say I was that blown away or shocked by it and I’m not sure if it’s just because I knew about the book for so long and it didn’t meet my expectations or for some other reason.
To be honest I had no idea what this book was really about other than it was set in a dystopian world with Big Brother always watching. I knew nothing about the characters Winston and Julia and the actual plot of the book. So it was great to discover and actually get a feel for the book instead of having it as this abstract concept.
That being said, I didn’t really get drawn into the plot or feel that much for the characters. I don’t know if I was even meant to and I think a classic book like this makes me over think things and wonder if I’m missing some bigger points.
In the middle part of the novel when Winston is reading the book, things slowed down quite a bit and I had a hard time staying interested. I didn’t think the way the world was set up really made that much sense and it seemed strange that there were only 3 regions and their names were Oceania, Eastasia, and Eurasia. I mean, doesn’t Oceania refer to Australia and other islands in that region? I just had a hard time picturing that world and kept thinking of Australia every time Oceania was mentioned.
Plus I have to say that I have an entirely different perspective of the world than Winston and so I couldn’t always relate to his thought processes and what happened to him later in the book. I kept thinking how I would have behaved if I were in that situation so it was definitely thought provoking and I kept hoping for a happy ending.
So this book didn’t dazzle me. Parts of it were definitely scary and of course the writing was excellent. Again, I keep thinking I’m missing something so I want to do a bit of research and get some other interpretations of this book. I’ll be interested to read others’ reviews as well and get more insight into this book that has become such a huge part of our culture.
What did you think of it? When did you read it? Did this impact your enjoyment or understanding of the book? What, if anything, am I missing?
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
Twitter: nrlymrtl
says:
I haven’t read this since highschool. It was coupled with The Animal Farm. Both were disturbing in their ways, but I remember The Animal Farm much more vividly, while 1984 has pretty much faded to a vague memory of having to answer 5 quiz questions on it.
nrlymrtl recently posted..The Adventures of Stanley Delacourt by Ilana Waters
Maybe you just didn’t like it. I tend to question myself as well when I read a book (classic or not) that people seem to love and I just go “meh” and shrug. I loathe Jane Eyre, but everyone else seems to love it. Good for them, but it matter little to me (although I still desperately want to know why anyone would fancy Rochester).
Having said all that, I’m going to be cheeky and link you to my review of 1984 since I tend to write whole essays in people’s comments (and I’m not sure it’s appreciated). So here: http://killmeifistop.blogspot.se/2011/07/nineteen-eighty-four-by-george-orwell.html#comment-form
FBT recently posted..All You Can Eat by Robin Hemley (3/5)
I wouldn’t say that I really enjoyed the book or the reading experience. It wasn’t a fun read to me and I don’t think it was meant to be. I checked out your review and I agree that there are tons of layers and so much to think about. But because I was late to the party too I think my expectations were high and I was expecting to be completely blown away and terrified and I just wasn’t, which led me to think I’m missing something. I haven’t read Jane Eyre yet either but I know the entire plot and I’m with you in that Rochester doesn’t sound all that appealing. I guess I’ll have to read it and find out for sure!