A review by coramorton02
1984 by George Orwell

challenging dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

3.25

I think that the setup of the world and political system is genius, and I thought part I and part 3 were disturbing but really great reads. It really made me think about the meanings of loyalty, history and memory. However, I thought that the middle section of the novel was a huge drag and I really struggled to get through part II- it felt more like a political manifesto from Orwell than a novel with a plot. That’s not to say that I didn’t find the ideas interesting, and the commentary on totalitarianism is relevant even today, but I think I would have preferred the book if the political elements were wound throughout rather than presented as an info dump. 

I also think that the female characters were badly fleshed out, used as plot devices rather than characters in their own right, and I was uncomfortable with the presentation and lack of exploration of misogyny in the book. 
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