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claires_17's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-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? Yes
2.5
lucyy_bxo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’ve never listened to an audiobook like this before - it felt like listening to a film because of the music and acting which made it a lot easier to picture what was going on. 1984 is obviously a great story anyway and I know it well which helped but this version managed to be more humorous than I’ve ever found it and probably scarier too. I’m hoping to find more of these sorts of audiobooks to listen to now I have a free few months of using audible but I think it’ll be hard to top this one!
diggi47's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
nadinefrisk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
duhitsvalexd's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
2hannon's review against another edition
4.0
i read this as part of my preparation of my english exam (i read it to better understand the handmaid’s tale by atwood), but i ended up really liking it and considered it a book that i read for pleasure rather than further academic reading.
i enjoyed the writing very much. the whole concept is incredible but the writing really enhanced the idea. a particularly favourite quote of mine would have to be:
“Nothing was your own, except for the few cubic centimetres in your skull.”
- i found this, among many other quotes, to be brilliantly written. orwell intricately conveyed winston’s realisation that despite the mass control of such an authoritarian regime, your mind is truly the one thing they cannot change (well, not in winston’s case at the end of the book, but still). it very much reminded me of the purpose behind the night sections in the handmaid’s tale, how offred retreated into her mind as an escape from her situation - an escape that Gilead couldn’t prevent her from doing.
i overall liked the book very much. the ONLY thing that irked me a bit, which i kind of expected since this is dystopian fiction being written from the perspective of a man, was winston and julia’s relationship and how julia’s character was written. i understand that orwell didn’t primarily focus on gender, granted, but julia strikes me as such a one dimensional character? i know the spotlight is on winston and his experiences, but ugh. while reading and getting to know her character, i was reminded of what atwood had said about how female characters are depicted in dystopian fiction written by men:
“The majority of dystopias – Orwell's included – have been written by men and the point of view has been male. When women have appeared in them, they have been either sexless automatons or rebels who've defied the sex rules of the regime.”
i’m not necessarily ‘complaining’ about the direction orwell took with julia. in fact, i found it interesting to witness right in front of me, as i read the book, how dystopian fiction may be heavily influenced by the gender of the writer. i take this ‘issue’ or ‘irk’ i have with the book to be quite a subtle learning experience.
nonetheless, i’m glad i read the book. it’s quite the staple in this genre of writing, so if anyone is reading this by any chance and you haven’t yet, i genuinely suggest you do!
i enjoyed the writing very much. the whole concept is incredible but the writing really enhanced the idea. a particularly favourite quote of mine would have to be:
“Nothing was your own, except for the few cubic centimetres in your skull.”
- i found this, among many other quotes, to be brilliantly written. orwell intricately conveyed winston’s realisation that despite the mass control of such an authoritarian regime, your mind is truly the one thing they cannot change (well, not in winston’s case at the end of the book, but still). it very much reminded me of the purpose behind the night sections in the handmaid’s tale, how offred retreated into her mind as an escape from her situation - an escape that Gilead couldn’t prevent her from doing.
i overall liked the book very much. the ONLY thing that irked me a bit, which i kind of expected since this is dystopian fiction being written from the perspective of a man, was winston and julia’s relationship and how julia’s character was written. i understand that orwell didn’t primarily focus on gender, granted, but julia strikes me as such a one dimensional character? i know the spotlight is on winston and his experiences, but ugh. while reading and getting to know her character, i was reminded of what atwood had said about how female characters are depicted in dystopian fiction written by men:
“The majority of dystopias – Orwell's included – have been written by men and the point of view has been male. When women have appeared in them, they have been either sexless automatons or rebels who've defied the sex rules of the regime.”
i’m not necessarily ‘complaining’ about the direction orwell took with julia. in fact, i found it interesting to witness right in front of me, as i read the book, how dystopian fiction may be heavily influenced by the gender of the writer. i take this ‘issue’ or ‘irk’ i have with the book to be quite a subtle learning experience.
nonetheless, i’m glad i read the book. it’s quite the staple in this genre of writing, so if anyone is reading this by any chance and you haven’t yet, i genuinely suggest you do!
astratton1027's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
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
elenaj15's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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? Yes
5.0
This book was truly incredible and the ending was unexpected but expected… amazing social commentary that is still applicable today as it was when it was written
taubenfrau's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5