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dobbyssocks421's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Forced institutionalization, War, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, and Gaslighting
andrealinia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
te_ss_i's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, War, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Xenophobia, Grief, Rape, Death, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Genocide, Mental illness, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
night3aven's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
- 1984 - review
1984 may not be the best book ever written in terms of style and narrative, yet its powerful and ever-present themes certainly make it a masterpiece.
Orwell's style is capable of appearing analytical and rigorous, but also colourful and full of emotions at the same time, depending on what's necessary.
Moreover, the language in part I and many parts of part II is strictly logical and linear, while the parts where Winston and Julia fall in love
The feeling is overall that of a slow and decadent decay, from freedom and happiness to sadness, humiliation, melancholy, suffering and, finally, blind obedience.
The author thus proves himself a master of writing, versatile and capable of telling different moments with different nuances. Furthermore, although act I and act II may seem boring at first, as soon as the reader finishes the book by travelling through
Orwell's psychological characterisation of his characters is superb, with Winston being the protagonist and the main point around which the plot revolves, while giving also importance to the role of other characters, but always through Winston's eyes.
It is no surprise then, that many of the characters appear and behave differently than they really are:
- O'Brien
- Mr. Charrington
- Julia herself
The most elaborate, important and essential part, still to this day, is however the precise and accurate way in which Orwell explores the ways through which a government can overpower and overwhelm his own citizens to become a dictatorship, or even worse.
The fact that each and every man, apart from the proles, is constantly monitored by tele-screens, hidden cameras and hidden microphones highlights the first step the government takes to gain power: the constant control of his citizens, followed immediately by punishment when someone doesn't do what the Party wants (something really relevant even in our age, where we are already increasingly surrounded more and more by technology)
Then, all the lies and propaganda through which the party indoctrinates its citizens, not only by constant lying but by making sure they are happy to lie to themselves (freedom of thought and freedom of the press are not only important, they are necessary, otherwise everything could get always worse and worse)
And in the end...
(Power can be gained in many different ways, not only through a politics of the image ("image-politics") - which we see also really often today as well, though with different and certainly less evil goals - but also through widespread control of the state and the individual, by manipulating the popular masses and by means and terrible tortures that are always hidden)
It could be argued that most of Orwell's ideas might be too influenced by the historical era in which he lived and by his strong opposition to communism, however, even if we remove his personal views, the novel still maintains its clear and functional moral messages.
1984 is thus not only a book, but also a clear advice and a useful warning against how any of us might be manipulated and controlled, thus vindicating its role as a masterpiece for its highly cultural and historical importance.
Being in a minority, even in a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad.
Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now you begin to understand me .
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Classism, Torture, Violence, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body shaming, Slavery, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Minor: Deportation, War, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
parenthesis_enjoyer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Classism, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, and War
Minor: Alcohol, Acephobia/Arophobia, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Infertility, Misogyny, Alcoholism, and Addiction
vnfhcxksiw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Death, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Body shaming, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Confinement, Genocide, Sexism, and Sexual assault
gabriella_'s review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death of parent, Medical trauma, Torture, Body shaming, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Child death, War, Kidnapping, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Police brutality, Blood, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
meganpbennett's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
1984 is a terrifying look at what could be. It was also not intended to be an instruction manual, but a look at what happens when things are taken far, far, far too far.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Death, Genocide, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, War, Addiction, Alcoholism, Torture, Violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Blood, Grief, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Body horror, Classism, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Excrement and Vomit
jenna_justi2004's review against another edition
- 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
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
mxdegroot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
As someone who finds literature hard to read and wouldn't quickly label it as their favorite genre, this is a great book to read if you really have to do it!
1984 is a tense, mysterious, dystopian book with exceptional writing, a very unexpected plot twist and a not too stereotypical romance. This book is commonly read by teenagers and in schools for a reason! A big big recommendation!!
Graphic: Torture, Murder, Violence, Body horror, Confinement, Death, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, War, and Kidnapping