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A review by hexkittie
1984 by George Orwell
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
***Spoilers ahead***
I understand why this book is a classic for a reason. Orwell’s writing explores themes and concepts that are still eerily relevant as ever due to the human race’s propensity for repeating history.
However, to say that this book was everything that I wanted and more wouldn’t be accurate. Overall, the plot and ending of the book were well received, and I really enjoyed how Orwell was so easily able to illustrate such a feeling of suspense and uncomfortable tension through the description of the way Big Brother ran society with a brutally unforgiving iron fist. This anxious feeling was especially magnified for me through his descriptions of the telescreens, newspeak & doublethink, and the slogan,
“WAR IS PEACE.
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.”
So insanely chilling.
My chief complaints about the book were
A) How much of the book that Winston & Julia’s love affair took up. While I understand Orwell’s choice to go in such a direction, I was hoping that the book would focus more on day to day life whilst living under the regime of big brother and would show Winston rebelling in some other more exciting way. That being said, the depiction of their relationship is very much convincing and realistic and it really does a good job at showing how often the complexity of human sexuality rears its ugly head, even under the most extreme of circumstances. I do also particularly appreciate and agree with Orwell’s sentiment of the act of being sexual being a political act in itself. But all in all, I felt that the elongated scenes of intimacy shared between the two read more like a sort of sci fi romance novel.
B) How long that the reading of the manifesto of the Brotherhood took!!! I felt like the concepts described were redundant and I was a bit frustrated by how in depth it went because I was more interested in the plot of the book itself. That being said, I’m sure when I reread this in the future, I’ll grow to appreciate it a bit more.
All of that aside, I really enjoyed reading this book. The ending was perfect, IMO. Very realistic in showing how both vulnerable and malleable the human psyche is when it comes to falling victim to propaganda and indoctrination. Chefs kiss. Will be re-reading in the future. This is without a shred of doubt, a most crucial read, especially while weathering through a society on the verge of collapse.
I understand why this book is a classic for a reason. Orwell’s writing explores themes and concepts that are still eerily relevant as ever due to the human race’s propensity for repeating history.
However, to say that this book was everything that I wanted and more wouldn’t be accurate. Overall, the plot and ending of the book were well received, and I really enjoyed how Orwell was so easily able to illustrate such a feeling of suspense and uncomfortable tension through the description of the way Big Brother ran society with a brutally unforgiving iron fist. This anxious feeling was especially magnified for me through his descriptions of the telescreens, newspeak & doublethink, and the slogan,
“WAR IS PEACE.
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.”
So insanely chilling.
My chief complaints about the book were
A) How much of the book that Winston & Julia’s love affair took up. While I understand Orwell’s choice to go in such a direction, I was hoping that the book would focus more on day to day life whilst living under the regime of big brother and would show Winston rebelling in some other more exciting way. That being said, the depiction of their relationship is very much convincing and realistic and it really does a good job at showing how often the complexity of human sexuality rears its ugly head, even under the most extreme of circumstances. I do also particularly appreciate and agree with Orwell’s sentiment of the act of being sexual being a political act in itself. But all in all, I felt that the elongated scenes of intimacy shared between the two read more like a sort of sci fi romance novel.
B) How long that the reading of the manifesto of the Brotherhood took!!! I felt like the concepts described were redundant and I was a bit frustrated by how in depth it went because I was more interested in the plot of the book itself. That being said, I’m sure when I reread this in the future, I’ll grow to appreciate it a bit more.
All of that aside, I really enjoyed reading this book. The ending was perfect, IMO. Very realistic in showing how both vulnerable and malleable the human psyche is when it comes to falling victim to propaganda and indoctrination. Chefs kiss. Will be re-reading in the future. This is without a shred of doubt, a most crucial read, especially while weathering through a society on the verge of collapse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail