challenging dark medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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informative mysterious tense 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: Complicated

I hate Winston so muuuuuuuch…

But I think I actually really have issues with Orwell. Winston’s flaw are by design, he’s the epitome of someone who is content to uphold and even benefit from a system while also telling himself he is resisting it in a way that will make a difference. Looking at you white liberals. My issues with Orwell are more in line with how he’s an incel here. Julia just loving Winston is a plot hole. Julia not running away screaming when Winston tells her all the horrible things he wanted to do to her is fucking detached from reality. The characterization of the washwoman also reinforces this view of women as less-than-human in a different way, and it’s an unfortunate downer in a book that is otherwise a very interesting time. 

But yeah, this book does a great job at highlighting the trap of fascism, rather than presenting us a fantasy of a company man changing anything. Honestly expected him to be a member of the Thought Police the way he was going, but this ending suits him, and those he represents, much better. I should watch the film adaptation sometime. 

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dark reflective tense slow-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

Literally the worst book of the year. Definitely my least favorite classic. There will be a good amount of interesting world building, talking about totalitarianism, hyper-nationality, privacy, etc., but then, out of nowhere, will be some of the misogynistic comments you will ever hear. What the actual fuck? I just can't overlook that. Am I reading the same book everyone raves about? This is crap! Read Brave New World and Saha instead. Also, what infuriates me to no end is how Julia is written! She's nothing like I heard, and why on earth would she be obsessed with Winston? Fucking men writing women crime.

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challenging dark hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad 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

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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

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challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

So this was actually my second read of this book, the first having been around 10 years ago. Just as I did the previous read through, I was struck by just how much of this book is relevant to our world today. This is one of the books that I will keep coming back to again and again throughout my lifetime.
The book itself is a somewhat dramatised (hopefully) version of Stalin's Russia/Nazi Germany. It has so many layers to it, and I', still not convinces I've worked out just how deep the 'Party' goes in their propaganda, gaslighting, and plotting against its own citizens.
This is an incredibly well planned out (or perhaps the word is researched) and realised world, where even the bits that are fiction could very easily be real. That, I think, is the true terror of this book: How easily society could go from even today's status, to that found in this book. Thus, Orwell's intention to have this book serve as a warning was fully realised.

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challenging dark sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-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

The main character really grossed me out. A scene made me kinda disgusted, and I was really close to stopping reading the book. I liked the message and how detailed and sophisticated the world Orwell created. It felt realistic which adds to the horrifying aspect of the novel. If you are extremely nihilistic and losing hope, please please please don’t read this book. It won’t do you any good. 

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dark informative slow-paced

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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