Reviews with content warning for War - Nineteen Eighty-Four

"1984" by George Orwell is a powerful book about a scary future where the government controls everything and watches everyone all the time. The story shows how bad things can get when people lose their freedom and privacy.

The main character, Winston Smith, tries to fight against the harsh rules of Big Brother, the leader who wants total control. Winston's struggle makes you think about how important it is to have freedom and think for yourself. The book talks a lot about how language and information can be used to control people, which is very interesting and still important today.

While the book is very well written and makes you think, it can also feel very dark and depressing. Some parts are slow, and the constant feeling of hopelessness can be hard to handle. Despite this, the book is important and worth reading to understand the dangers of a society without freedom.

Overall, "1984" is a tough but important read that sticks with you. It gets 3.75 stars for its strong message and great writing, even though it's not always enjoyable because of its dark themes and pacing.

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koiolee's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective sad 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

2.0

This was by far one of the boringest books I've ever read. It wasn't until about 60% through the book that I was actually hooked and wasn't until 80% that I started enjoying the book. Thats not to mention that the book really ended at 90% completion. So why such a high rating? It is a very intellectual book that is very influential on how we view politics. Despite how boring Winston is, he is the best narrator for this story. Just a completely average guy with very little intelligence is exactly how people need to consume a story like this. To really feel the true hopelessness of the situation, they need to see it through the eyes of the average guy who can and will always lose.
This book could have been a hundred pages shorter. The writing was so bland and atrocious it made me want to peel the vision from my brain word by word. And that is an inforgivable offense which makes me reluctant to give this book anything more than 2.5 stars.

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amaranth_wytch's review against another edition

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challenging tense slow-paced

3.75

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thehollyking's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

This book took me a long while to read, but thats more to do with my changing mood than the book itself. I'm glad I kept coming back to it.
Its a classic for a reason. It still rings true today and I don't know if thats good or scary. If you're not into politcal books, than this one won't be for you. It does get slow in places and a couple bits I had to audiobook and read along to keep me going, but its well worth it in the end. Lots to think about and to talk about afterwards.

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nikireadss's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective sad 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? No

3.0

First, I want to acknowledge the importance of this book and its status as a dystopian classic. However, I didn't quite enjoy it. I found the narration and how it reads very boring. Some parts felt like the author didn't want to create a plot so he just put pages-long monologues and retrospections to explain the world. Unfortunately, I read this book a while ago and can't remember my critique points besides that I found this book boring. I remember Orwell's writing being very dry.

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lilybjj's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad 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? No

4.5

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