A review by tribonyx
1984 by George Orwell

dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

1984 deals with a ton of heavy topics (obviously), but the ideas it presents are still very relevant today; it provokes a lot of thought on the roles that censorship, oppression, and language take in our modern lives as well as the roles they played in history. I do feel that this novel gains more worth when read and studied in conjunction with other pieces regarding similar topics, like Orwell's "Politics and the English Language" or Huxley's Brave New World, rather than as a standalone read since they allow for other perspectives/arguments on the subjects that 1984 presents.

As a book, though, it's not... super great. The prose is okay if pretty dry and none of the characters are particularly likeable in personality (although they're very interesting people. To me.) If you come here looking for a good story, I wouldn't say that this is it, but it's a fantastic work to analyze and reflect upon.
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