Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - 1984

Extremely depressing, although I’m glad to have read it to understand what people are talking about when they refer to 1984. Slow paced and drags especially in part one. I did not enjoy how the female characters were written.

Content Warnings

alexiasophii's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This book is scary. There's not much I can say about it besides saying that it's scary and that I honestly think it should be mandated reading in schools... wow.

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manatad's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"The best books... are those that tell you what you know already."

It was a pleasure (in its own special, stomach-churning way) to read this book again for the first time after nearly a decade. It is an undisputed classic, having introduced terms such as "doublethink," "thoughtcrime," and "Big Brother" to the global vocabulary, along with other themes that continue to feel relevant and eerily predictive of the world we live in today. It is George Orwell's nightmarish vision of the perfect totalitarian society.

I'm afraid I'm not able to say anything about 1984 that hasn't already been said at least a thousand times already, so I'll try to keep this as short as I can.

"It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words."

What I consider to be the most interesting theme in the book is the concept of language being utilized as a form of mind control against the general populace. This idea is explored through the invention of Newspeak, a mutilated form of the English language so restricted in its structure and vocabulary that it would render an individual unable to even think disobedient or illegal thoughts. Some of what were for me the most intriguing passages in the book were the ones related to Newspeak. It lead me to think a lot not only of language and its influence on our manner of thought and expression, but also of the realization that I believe the English language has naturally evolved to be more simple over the course of time. Additionally, Orwell's warnings about technology, surveillance, privacy, control of information, and alteration of history have all indeed emerged in one way or another as problems in the early 21st century.

If I could reasonably do so, I would recommend that everybody read this book. It is as thought-provoking as it is haunting. Simply an unforgettable novel.

It has also spurred in me an interest to reread the other two classic dystopian novels: Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World, which I may make a goal of doing this year. I might even look into getting my hands on a copy of We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, a direct inspiration to Orwell which I have not read before.

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friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

My thoughts while reading:
-The ideas in this book are interesting but i really did not like the actual story or writing style.

-This screams written by a man. Also disgusting towards women.

In my opinion this is overhyped and I really dont like george orwell.

-Yes the book is sometimes interesting but mostly it is boring and outdated.
-This does not need to be as graphic as it is.

-This book is about how the whole world turned into a giant cult, features a spineless mc and doesnt make any sense in the interactions between people in it. The relationship with Julia didnt make sense at all and the relationship with O’brian didnt either.

-A lot of big words and ideas but non are applicable. This is just opression and gaslighting. I just do not care!

-This is probably the worst book I’ve ever read.

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maess's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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raypaws's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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gabriella_'s review against another edition

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reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

why do British dystopians always have a nursery rhyme involved? it takes me out because it’s juvenile in an otherwise pretty heavy story

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lorraine19's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

The beginning can be a bit difficult to understand and slow to get into. But once as you really get into it and appreciate the world building, it opens your eyes to why this is considered a classic. There is a deep examination on what it means to be human at the root of this book that I think is often overlooked in favor of the political debates. The characters are complex people in a complex world. It is a very dark read but not a "feels good" book if that's what you are looking for. I personally appreciate the seriousness and the depth of this book.

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