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superstar_y2k's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Confinement
Minor: War and Death of parent
jenna_justi2004's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Death, Drug use, Gore, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Grief, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and War
fernandalopez's review against another edition
tense
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? No
2.0
Only read it bc it's a classic but i honestly regret ir, idk how i manage to finish it
It's really slow, nothing really happens untik the last 100 pages
And the worst thing it's how the author and the characters describe and trear women
It's really slow, nothing really happens untik the last 100 pages
And the worst thing it's how the author and the characters describe and trear women
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Sexual assault, Sexism, Physical abuse, Torture, War, and Violence
secretly_a_human's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Body shaming, Slavery, Police brutality, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, and War
Moderate: Vomit and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Rape
ribert's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Gaslighting, Police brutality, Torture, Vomit, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Classism, Emotional abuse, War, Physical abuse, Violence, Xenophobia, and Body shaming
remytherat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
3.75
It's easy to see why this is a classic, and why it's so important to read. There were, however, things that I didn't love. It's clear Orwell has never met a woman, for one, and some parts in the middle dragged quite a lot. There were moments where the writing didn't flow as well as it did in Animal Farm; moments that were written to be dreamlike felt a bit too stiff. While this is definitely an impactful book, if only to understand the cultural references and the themes brought up, it's nowhere near my favourite classic.
Somehow, it feels different when a lot of the contents of the book already happen in one way or another; less like it's a dystopian future, and more like it's a worse version of the present.
Somehow, it feels different when a lot of the contents of the book already happen in one way or another; less like it's a dystopian future, and more like it's a worse version of the present.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Police brutality, Sexism, Medical trauma, and Torture
Moderate: Classism, Alcoholism, Body shaming, and Suicidal thoughts
manu_k's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Beautifully horrifying, this book is a ride from start to finish. We know it has been a cornerstone for the dystopian fiction genre, but reading it makes me realize just how much this book has shaped this genre.
On the writing style: I thought it was very beautifully written, descriptive but not very much so, the exact kind of thing I like. The way it was written and the analogies and the non - linear storytelling in some parts came together so well, it was immersive in the best way.
On the story:the first part was almost boring, which I thought was the point. It showed us how the regime worked, some background to Winston, but didn't actually contribute to advancing the story line as such. The second part was much more fast paced and actually exciting in regards to the advancement of the story, and by far some of the chapters in this part are my favorites. I didn't appreciate the whole 'I love you' debacle in the beginning, but I guess it shows how much sexually and emotionally repressed these people are. I believe it seems very fitting that Julia is introduced as a central character at the start of the second part and her role ends at the end of the second part. The third part was one of the most difficult parts to get through, despite me having experience with reading torture scenes (I read The Surgeon when I was 15, it still haunts me). It was brutal no holds barred kind of writing, with the descriptions, O'Brien's almost - almost - loving teacher like treatment of Winston, and then the change in the way of Winston's thinking, how different it was from the other two parts. The ending was surprising to me, despite knowing that it won't end happily as other dystopian books I have read.
On the writing style: I thought it was very beautifully written, descriptive but not very much so, the exact kind of thing I like. The way it was written and the analogies and the non - linear storytelling in some parts came together so well, it was immersive in the best way.
On the story:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Violence, Sexism, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Classism, Cursing, War, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Gun violence, Gore, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Slavery, Sexual violence, Rape, and Vomit
librarymouse's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
1984 is a deeply upsetting book. It does not give me hope for the future. By the end of this book, the reader is left with the feeling of having finally reached a handhold at the top of an almost insurmountable summit only to have the bones in your hands systematically crushed by someone you had assumed loved you.
1984 almost makes the unwavering patriotism/belief in a singular person/undefined political ideology, that some of my older family members feel understandable. To see the hero worship for an untouchable ideal that contradicts itself and causes harm without room for critique or progress is painfully relatable for me as an American reader in 2022. I think that crushing dread that there may never be a better world than the one you currently live in with all of its flaws and hardships has been one of the few, traumatic, incorporeal heirlooms that's been passed down for generations.
I really enjoyed the character of Mr. Charrington. I loved the idea of someone lovingly curating ephemeral garbage from generations passed to create a museum of unsellable antiques, and I loved that that persona was an artfully constructed façade for a nefarious character. Orwell drew a brilliant parallel between the telescreen being concealed behind one of the few truly valuable antiques and the thought police officer being behind the studious looking façade that made him look almost like a relic from the past. Behind one of the last few images of the long dead world Winston longed for, which gave him hope for the future, was the symbol and force of the omnipotent presence they thought they were momentarily free from.
I was genuinely convinced that Winston's fear of rats was going to have stemmed from his baby sister being eaten by them. The repeated mentions of proll women not leaving babies unattended for fear they be eaten by rats combined with the thing Winston had been blocking out, the poverty his family lived in in his early childhood, and his mother and sister's disappearance made that thought a tangible possibility.
Winston's character development before his time in prison was quite interesting. Initially, he was internally quite violent and held a deep hatred for the people around him, especially the women. His dreams of bashing in Julia's skull and his distaste for his neighbor's wife mixed with his misogynist internal monologue made Winston an intensely unlikable character for the first part of the book. Julia's complacency with party rules and regulations so long as they didn't interfere with her sex life, her zealously performed orthodoxy that she performed fluidly and without thought made her similarly unlikable at the beginning. Their pre-prison development made them into almost beautiful people, in terms of personality. They were both developing forms of self expression and learning to appreciate the small joys afforded to the prolls that their stations did not allow. Winston's longing for familial past he could barely remember and Julia's desire to break the rules slowly morphed into a tentatively explored new way of life and love that pulled from both the pre-party way of life and engsoc orthodoxy. The total destruction of their sense of selves during and after their time in prison was upsetting to read, but gave the book a satisfying ending. Winston's breaking point being something so benign and mortal as rats humanized him in such a way that it felt like the culmination of his characterization throughout the book. To have the thing that shatters his psyche be something so ingrained into him that all the mind tricks and double think in the world couldn't erase was weirdly oxymoronic. O'Brien's promise was that they would want to confess and die for the party and the love of big brother before they would be killed, and Winston's descent into truly believing party orthodoxy happened in a way that is recognizable in the real world in the reactions of people with zealous, deeply held belief systems.
I'm glad I didn't read this book in high school. I had too much optimism for the fate of the world then. It would have gone right over my head.
1984 almost makes the unwavering patriotism/belief in a singular person/undefined political ideology, that some of my older family members feel understandable. To see the hero worship for an untouchable ideal that contradicts itself and causes harm without room for critique or progress is painfully relatable for me as an American reader in 2022. I think that crushing dread that there may never be a better world than the one you currently live in with all of its flaws and hardships has been one of the few, traumatic, incorporeal heirlooms that's been passed down for generations.
I was genuinely convinced that Winston's fear of rats was going to have stemmed from his baby sister being eaten by them. The repeated mentions of proll women not leaving babies unattended for fear they be eaten by rats combined with the thing Winston had been blocking out, the poverty his family lived in in his early childhood, and his mother and sister's disappearance made that thought a tangible possibility.
Winston's character development before his time in prison was quite interesting. Initially, he was internally quite violent and held a deep hatred for the people around him, especially the women. His dreams of bashing in Julia's skull and his distaste for his neighbor's wife mixed with his misogynist internal monologue made Winston an intensely unlikable character for the first part of the book. Julia's complacency with party rules and regulations so long as they didn't interfere with her sex life, her zealously performed orthodoxy that she performed fluidly and without thought made her similarly unlikable at the beginning. Their pre-prison development made them into almost beautiful people, in terms of personality. They were both developing forms of self expression and learning to appreciate the small joys afforded to the prolls that their stations did not allow. Winston's longing for familial past he could barely remember and Julia's desire to break the rules slowly morphed into a tentatively explored new way of life and love that pulled from both the pre-party way of life and engsoc orthodoxy. The total destruction of their sense of selves during and after their time in prison was upsetting to read, but gave the book a satisfying ending. Winston's breaking point being something so benign and mortal as rats humanized him in such a way that it felt like the culmination of his characterization throughout the book. To have the thing that shatters his psyche be something so ingrained into him that all the mind tricks and double think in the world couldn't erase was weirdly oxymoronic. O'Brien's promise was that they would want to confess and die for the party and the love of big brother before they would be killed, and Winston's descent into truly believing party orthodoxy happened in a way that is recognizable in the real world in the reactions of people with zealous, deeply held belief systems.
I'm glad I didn't read this book in high school. I had too much optimism for the fate of the world then. It would have gone right over my head.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Body shaming, Death, Vomit, War, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Excrement, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Classism
Minor: Antisemitism
metanoialaxy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Sexism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Gore, Gaslighting, War, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, and Abandonment
zykx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
To answer, "Is this book mainly plot- or character-driven?": neither, it's driven by the setting. The setting is the main highlight of the book, but it doesn't have much else going for it. I didn't like the characters and I'd have difficulty describing what the plot is. The main tension is the fact that Winston is a dead man, figuratively speaking, from the beginning. This isn't a spoiler as it's established in the first couple of pages. He commited a thoughtcrime. A boring exposition and I spent the entire time waiting "for the plot to start". I didn't understand the book while reading the beginning, but I get it now. The middle did not have to drag on as long as it did and some parts that were up to ten pages long, simply did not have to be in the book. For example, when Winston starts reading Goldstein's book and we get excerpts from chapters one and three to read for ourselves, we don't learn anything new. Similar to how Winston phrases it, it clarifies what we already knew, making it boring and redundant. I wish it wasn't in the book at all. In my opinion it would have made it feel less like a chore to read. Because of these redundant and unneeded parts, I was counting the pages I had left to read, literally.
The end was good. It gave a much better perspective on the setting than any of the long winded exposition parts did and I appreciated the dive into how the Ministry of Love worked as most dystopian novels don't go into the gory bits of their punishment/brainwashing systems (that stuff).
The plot twists at the beginning (parts one and two) made sense, and they were believable. Part three was the opposite. In a way, you could argue that was done on purpose, but I didn't feel anything (because I didn't like the characters) and it didn't dwell on it either. Just onto the next thing. This I suppose was just a preference thing similar to how I didn't like the emphasis on sex which, again, made sense, but was kind of mood-breaking because of my immature sense of humor.(i DIED when O'Brien said "we will abolish orgasms" like bruhhh T-T)
Now onto Winston: I hate him.Why are you having rape fantasies, you creep. Please leave, exit, and i wish you died. The way he thinks about women is gross and so uncomfortable. Let me just barf right now. He fits as narrator though. He grants us a good perspective to see Oceanic London through.
Julia was forgettable and slightly annoying.
Controversial opinion that I have decided to hold: we stan Mr. Charrington
As a political commentary, it's good. It's the whole reason why people like it, recommend it, etc. I'd much prefer to get all of this information from a youtube video essay, however. I suppose from my background of learning about the Gestapo in world history class and the thought provoking video essays I've watched, nothing feels new here. The ideology of Ingsoc was well developed and interesting along with the history of Oceania.
2.5 stars because it wasn't enjoyable. I would recommend people to read it though, just once to get it over with. 1984 is definitely very fun to talk about and the discussions that stem from it are some of the more fun ones I've had over books.
The end was good. It gave a much better perspective on the setting than any of the long winded exposition parts did and I appreciated the dive into
The plot twists at the beginning (parts one and two) made sense, and they were believable. Part three was the opposite. In a way, you could argue that was done on purpose, but I didn't feel anything (because I didn't like the characters) and it didn't dwell on it either. Just onto the next thing. This I suppose was just a preference thing similar to how I didn't like the emphasis on sex which, again, made sense, but was kind of mood-breaking because of my immature sense of humor.
Now onto Winston: I hate him.
Julia was forgettable and slightly annoying.
As a political commentary, it's good. It's the whole reason why people like it, recommend it, etc. I'd much prefer to get all of this information from a youtube video essay, however. I suppose from my background of learning about the Gestapo in world history class and the thought provoking video essays I've watched, nothing feels new here. The ideology of Ingsoc was well developed and interesting along with the history of Oceania.
2.5 stars because it wasn't enjoyable. I would recommend people to read it though, just once to get it over with. 1984 is definitely very fun to talk about and the discussions that stem from it are some of the more fun ones I've had over books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Torture
Moderate: Rape and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism and Body shaming
The narrator has gross thoughts sometimes.