A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick With extraordinary relevance and renewed popularity, George Orwell’s 1984 takes on new life in this edition. “Orwell saw, to his credit, that the act of falsifying reality is only secondarily a way of changing perceptions. It is, above all, a way of asserting power.”—The New Yorker In 1984, London is a grim city in the totalitarian state of Oceania where … city in the totalitarian state of Oceania where Big Brother is always watching you and the Thought Police can practically read your mind. Winston Smith is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be.
Lionel Trilling said of Orwell’s masterpiece, “1984 is a profound, terrifying, and wholly fascinating book. It is a fantasy of the political future, and like any such fantasy, serves its author as a magnifying device for an examination of the present.” Though the year 1984 now exists in the past, Orwell’s novel remains an urgent call for the individual willing to speak truth to power.
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My strangest book rec: 1984 was one of my first ventures into dystopian works and it has been amazing, and frightening, how much reality has blended with the book. Double think/speak is currently the norm, Big Brother IS watching, and other seemingly fantastic occurrences are now commonplace. There was so much that was new and strange in the …
George Orwell created a dystopian world where many aspects have become similar to what our world faces today. Frightening, but true, as we move ever so closer to an Orwellian society.
I think this book should be a must-read in schools and/or universities. It is an excellent sociological warning to the dangers of an over-powerful government and the suppression of the individual under such. For such an old book, it is truly a classic, with morals and warnings applicable today, more than ever.
Orwell’s 1984 was the strangest book I enjoyed. I read it in high school. The futuristic Big Brother genre isn’t usually my thing, but as I was reading it 1984, I really appreciated what Orwell envisioned.
1984 has been on my want to read list since high school and I am finally getting around to reading that list! I liked the subject matter of 1984. Even 70 years later I find it is still relevant for today, and a little creepy that it is still relevant. So many aspects of the story could explain current events. However, I found myself having a …
I think everyone should read this book after they become an adult. It leaves a completely different point of view on you as an adult, comparative to a teenager. I absolutely loved the book. I still have trouble believing that humans can treat other humans so badly. It brought me to tears. It is not a book for the faint of heart.
Everybody should read this book. It’s as relevant today as when it was first written, and may always be, though hopefully one day it will be a remnant of the past. I knew the gist of story, the basic plot, the common takeaways… but it’s different to read it all yourself. I’m really impressed that a long book-within-a-book exposition passage was …
One of the most poignant science fiction novels I have ever read and could not relate any more closely to today. Part of my high school science fiction class, (I actually liked some of the books!) this book was very hard for me to put down and wait until the next reading was assigned to know what happened next. It’s really hard to say anything …
Very relevant today and keeps you thinking! Should be required reading in high school.
Ultimate dystopian book. Should be required reading for every person. So sad that everyone is controlled by the state, but it is true of many nations, including maybe the U.S. He wrote this in 1948 and transposed the numbers to 1984. I read this in h.s. graduated in 1985. So not far off from his “futuristic” date. Many nations (China, USSR) …
A classic for a reason. At first I was disappointed with the ending, but the more I thought about it the more I liked it (and the more devastating it became). A truly great read.
Orwell painted with words. 1984 has been dissected into the ground, so I will spare you another rehash. But, I will say that a recent re-read chilled me to the bone based on the current political climate. A must-read for anyone with a functioning brain.
1984 changed my life and the way I think about government control. I consider Orwell’s message often, especially in this day of fake news and hacking personal information.
Although written in 1949 the prophetic words “Only by maintaining the strain and tension of continual conflict could the ruling parties enforce absolute power”
1984 is considered a classic and rightfully so. Orwell’s vision of the future of humankind is not only frightening but quite accurate as well.
In this dystopian classic we find a world …
Every poltician or anyone who wants to be one should have to read this to know what they’re getting into, and likely what many of them will become.
Was assigned in my High School English class and it became one of my favorite reads.
Still relevant after all these years. Even more so now.
A very thought provoking book and, most importantly, a very realistic description of our society.
Perhaps the book that fueled my desire to read in adulthood. In today’s world, however, I find Orwells forethought to be somewhat frightening and strangely inspired. It’s amazing to observe his ability to predict the future and the dangers of government on paper.
A must read