BOOK REVIEW: 1984

Name: 1984

Author: George Orwell

Genre: dystopian

Language: English

Pages: 267

Published date: 8 June 1949

ISBN 0-547-24964-0

MY RATING: 4.75 OF 5.

Note for new readers: this book was published in 1949 shortly after World War II, keep that in mind while reading.

SYNOPSIS: 

1984 is a dystopian, anti-governmental, post-revolutionary novel, the plot is set in 1984, in airstrip 1 formerly known as Great Britain, a province of super state/super country Oceania. Due to perpetual war, the world nations are divided into three superpowers, Britain and the western nations joined together to form Oceania, Europe joining with Russia forms Eurasia, the south of Asia forms East Asia. Oceania is ruled by big brother with a political ideology “INGSOC”, 

Winston smith a common man, is a lower member of a party and works in the ministry of truth. He changes historical information to portray party in a better light. He believed there is an underground revolutionary group called brotherhood. And he thought his co-worker(or should I say comrade) O’Brien is a member of it.Julia who works in fiction department in the ministry of truth falls in love with Winston, sends him a note telling she loves him. They start their romantic affair.

Winston meets O’Brien. O’Brien gave him a manifesto of brotherhood “the book”. But really O’Brien is a spy to the government. He gave the book to test the loyalty of Winston. And captured Winston and Julia in their secret place. They took him to the room 101 aka torture chamber, where your worst fears came true, in the case of Winston its “rats”.

The final pages say how Winston was brainwashed and become loyal to the government, he meet Julia after few months but feels nothing for her. While seeing the poster of big brother, he doesn’t hate him but instead he loves and respect the big brother.

AUTHOR: 

George Orwell whose real name was Eric Arthur Blair was born on 25 June 1903, in British India. His works involve awareness of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism, and commitment to democratic socialism. His other famous work was animal farm. Terms such as "Big Brother", "doublethink" and "newspeak" have become part of everyday, "Orwellian" is now a universal shorthand for anything totalitarian, 

Nineteen Eighty-Four has been translated into more than 65 languages and sold millions of copies worldwide, giving George Orwell a unique place in world literature. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 

1984 is a common man’s life in a dystopian world. A classic masterpiece.

                                                                                 -----SIDHARTH