Literally 1984

 



Continuing the dystopian theme (Animal Farm, 20,000 leagues under the sea), I decided to write about another book I really enjoyed: 1984. This book is written by the famous author George Orwell, also known for writing Animal Farm. His writing style is unique in that his books are concise but often contain deep meanings. They are written so that even a 3rd grader could easily understand the words used in this book. Still, even adults discover hidden meanings in the book, often containing elements of historical satire.

The book mainly features Winston Smith, a 39-year-old man living in London, Oceania (a fake country, of course, to encourage the reader to figure out which place Orwell is talking about). The Party, the political party in power, watches everyone in the community through telescreens (basically a Zoom meeting that never ends). On the telescreens, a message that says "Big Brother Is Watching You" is present at all times. In this world, even thinking about rebelling against the Party is a severe crime. 

At the start of the novel, Winston Smith feels anger toward the Party, which prohibits one's individuality. He goes to a store located in a low-income town and buys a diary to write down his rebellious thoughts. At work, he notices a coworker named Julia staring at him and is worried that she might be a spy trying to report him to the Party for rebellious thoughts. 

Soon, Winston gets a letter from Julia that says, "I love you." They begin an affair, always on the lookout for anyone who might report them to the Party. They end up renting a room on the second floor of the store where Winston purchased his diary. One day, Winston gets a message from O'Brien, a high-ranking Party member that Winston suspects is plotting to overthrow the Party. 


Like Animal Farm, this book has a large focus on communism and a dystopian society. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy Orwell's other books, as it almost feels like a sequel/prequel since so many of the themes and ideas overlap. Nonetheless, this book was very interesting and I liked the ending. 


Final Score: 8.5/10

-Jay











Comments

  1. Sophia DeltasNovember 9, 2022 at 5:05 PM

    Hey Jay!
    Your review is slightly irritating becasue now I have all these questions about what happens to Winston. I'm also really intruiged but the description of the narrating style, becasue I've never read a deep book with simple vocabulary, and I always love books that are a bit cryptic. I wish you reveiw wasn't so good becasue now I really want to read 1984 and I do not have the time. Good job on a really really captivating reveiw I guess.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Olisa AllanahNovember 10, 2022 at 11:03 AM

    I'm liking the dystopian theme you've been going with in these reviews, Jay! I might have to start reading these books

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aldo ZepedaNovember 10, 2022 at 2:26 PM

    This is a great review. I, too, found this book very interesting and a little bit confusing. I liked how detailed your review was. It really gave a good rundown of what it was about.

    ReplyDelete
  4. RishiNovember 15, 2022 at 7:52 PM

    I read this book last year and I agree with your takes. The book is engaging with its themes and plot. Although it can be a bit confusing sometimes with the book section.

    ReplyDelete
  5. JessyNovember 16, 2022 at 9:39 AM

    Great review jay, I like how you really got specific on what the book was about and what you really liked about it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Chizara OnyemereNovember 28, 2022 at 11:35 AM

    Hi Jay! I like how you sort of give a build up of what the book is about but leave the ending out. This makes me want to know what happens at the end and read this book myself. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  7. RicoJanuary 31, 2023 at 1:31 PM

    I never really liked dystopia books, but George Orwell's introduced me to a new kind of dystopic book that I enjoy a lot. Nice review

    ReplyDelete

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