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ohcorrica's review against another edition
2.0
I did not like this that much. it was fine, but the romance really ruined the entire book.
afonsohenriques's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
aecinf's review against another edition
4.0
On second pass, I listened to the audio performance production on audible. Great cast.
calistacyq's review against another edition
5.0
Dark, satirical and thought-provoking, 1984 by George Orwell tells a story about a dystopian totalitarian society and a man who tries to rebel against it.
Summary: Winston Smith is a citizen of Oceania, a totalitarian state that scrutinises every human action and lacks freedom of thought. He tries to rebel by expressing his thoughts in a diary and engaging in a relationship with a woman named Julia.
Tropes/Genres:
• dystopia
• totalitarian state
• science fiction
• classics
Review: This book is a satire on Stalinism, portraying a totalitarian state that has no freedom of thought. Everyone is taught the Party's ideologies from a young age, and families are taught to turn against each other for the sake of the state. There is no freedom of thought at all, and there's a heavy amount of brainwashing present in this society.
"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past."
Oceania is modelled on the Soviet Union in the era of Stalinism. It's kind of scary how this book still somewhat relates to today's world. It allowed me to see the negative sides of surveillance, where power is given to the wrong hands. It also showed me the lack of freedom of thought or speech many people in the world don't have. I thought this state was ridiculous, to be honest, as it's portrayed. The sheer trust the citizens have in the words of the Party to the point that they don't stop to think whether they make sense is astounding.
Many literary devices are used in this book, such as satire, irony and allegory. The author shows how bad Stalinism is with the way it restricts human rights and controls their thoughts. It also shows how easy it is for a government to brainwash a whole mass of people into believing what they want them to believe. The way the Party tries to eliminate human instincts, such as sex, is kind of crazy – they manipulate the citizens into thinking sex is merely for procreation and not pleasure. Their slogan "War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength." is kind of ironic as well. I mean, you can tell. It's insane. I can't imagine living in a society like THAT.
This book also mentions how the Party takes children away from their parents from birth and turns them against them, teaching them to expose their parents if they ever go against the Party. It shows how oppressive regimes work to separate children from their parents to manipulate their young minds, effectively strengthening their hold on the people. It's dangerous. And it's scary how this specific part of the book applies to today's world, albeit in a different context.
"Big Brother is watching you."
In conclusion, this is an interesting book that gets you thinking about totalitarianism. I recommend it to those who enjoy classics, especially satirical novels that comment on politics. It's scary how this somehow still applies to today's society.
Summary: Winston Smith is a citizen of Oceania, a totalitarian state that scrutinises every human action and lacks freedom of thought. He tries to rebel by expressing his thoughts in a diary and engaging in a relationship with a woman named Julia.
Tropes/Genres:
• dystopia
• totalitarian state
• science fiction
• classics
Review: This book is a satire on Stalinism, portraying a totalitarian state that has no freedom of thought. Everyone is taught the Party's ideologies from a young age, and families are taught to turn against each other for the sake of the state. There is no freedom of thought at all, and there's a heavy amount of brainwashing present in this society.
"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past."
Oceania is modelled on the Soviet Union in the era of Stalinism. It's kind of scary how this book still somewhat relates to today's world. It allowed me to see the negative sides of surveillance, where power is given to the wrong hands. It also showed me the lack of freedom of thought or speech many people in the world don't have. I thought this state was ridiculous, to be honest, as it's portrayed. The sheer trust the citizens have in the words of the Party to the point that they don't stop to think whether they make sense is astounding.
Many literary devices are used in this book, such as satire, irony and allegory. The author shows how bad Stalinism is with the way it restricts human rights and controls their thoughts. It also shows how easy it is for a government to brainwash a whole mass of people into believing what they want them to believe. The way the Party tries to eliminate human instincts, such as sex, is kind of crazy – they manipulate the citizens into thinking sex is merely for procreation and not pleasure. Their slogan "War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength." is kind of ironic as well. I mean, you can tell. It's insane. I can't imagine living in a society like THAT.
This book also mentions how the Party takes children away from their parents from birth and turns them against them, teaching them to expose their parents if they ever go against the Party. It shows how oppressive regimes work to separate children from their parents to manipulate their young minds, effectively strengthening their hold on the people. It's dangerous. And it's scary how this specific part of the book applies to today's world, albeit in a different context.
"Big Brother is watching you."
In conclusion, this is an interesting book that gets you thinking about totalitarianism. I recommend it to those who enjoy classics, especially satirical novels that comment on politics. It's scary how this somehow still applies to today's society.
sj_meadows's review against another edition
3.0
oh my gosh, i don't even know what to say. what a horrible ending! i thought this book was really well written and was a powerful, disturbing story but i hated it because i know it could be real.
aki_flyte's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
logolepsy_e's review against another edition
5.0
A loro può essere garantita la libertà intellettuale proprio perché non hanno intelletto...
Quando ho esposto ad un mio amico, che non conosceva il libro, la situazione che ci descrive Orwell in questo suo romanzo, la sua risposta è stata: "Beh, non è tanto di diversa dalla situazione in cui viviamo oggi."
Questo commento, del tutto inaspettato, mi ha aiutata ad apprezzare ancora di più questo fantastico racconto di Orwell, in cui viene dipinta, con toni forti e tinte cupe, una società in cui un'unica, grande potenza domina su tutta la razza umana: il Grande Fratello e il suo Partito.
Essi tengono gli uomini completamente assoggettati al loro potere che, però, non è solamente materiale. Sono infatti in grado di controllare, dirigere e manipolare le menti di ognuno grazie alla propaganda, ai messaggi più o meno espliciti e all'ambiente in cui vivono.
Le condizioni di vita per chi non fa parte del Partito Interno sono pessime, ma il Grande Fratello fa in modo che si pensi che siano le migliori condizioni di vita possibili.
Gli uomini sono costantemente osservati, attraverso i teleschermi che, oltre a trasmettere continuamente slogan e canzoni propagandistiche, tengono d'occhio ogni singolo cittadino, impedendogli addirittura di assumere strane espressioni del viso per non rischiare di essere portato via dalla Psicopolizia, l'organo che punisce il peggior crimine che si possa commettere: lo psicoreato.
Sentimenti come l'amore, il senso della famiglia, la fratellanza, il desiderio sessuale sono completamente sopiti: gli unici sentimenti permessi sono l'amore verso il Grande Fratello, la fedeltà verso il partito e l'odio per i loro nemici.
Il passato non esiste in senso oggettivo, in quanto viene continuamente modificato per far sì che le parole del Grande fratello e del Partito non incappino mai in qualche contraddizione.
La libertà di pensiero (e, anzi, qualunque libertà) e l'oggettività sono del tutto azzerate, e il pensiero degli uomini è tenuto stretto nel pugno dei dominatori.
E' in questo ambiente che vediamo il nostro protagonista, Winston Smith, risvegliarsi da un certo torpore intellettuale e rendersi conto di quanto orribile e degenerato sia il mondo in cui vive. In questo modo, grazie ad alcuni sprazzi di ricordi lontani, grazie all'amore di un'altra ribelle e all'appoggio di qualche altro uomo che, in fondo, la pensa come lui, Winston porterà avanti una lenta, silenziosa e nascosta lotta contro il Partito, almeno dentro di lui.
Quella narrata da Orwell è una storia tremendamente attuale e che fa riflettere. Si viene proiettati in questo mondo cupo e occluso, tanto da riuscire quasi a sentire il tremendo "lezzo di cavolo bollito e di vecchi e logori stoini", e si cerca, insieme al protagonista, una qualunque via d'uscita, che sembra impossibile da trovare.
In questo scenario in cui ci si sente catturati e imprigionati, quindi, si riflette su quanto pericolosa possa essere la sete di potere degli uomini e a quali azioni essa possa portare.
Questo romanzo deve essere preso come monito per le generazioni future... Perchè in fondo chi ci dice che in un futuro, neanche troppo lontano, un regime del genere non possa essere stabilito davvero?
ally_saurus's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
4.5