night3aven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
- 1984 - review
1984 may not be the best book ever written in terms of style and narrative, yet its powerful and ever-present themes certainly make it a masterpiece.
Orwell's style is capable of appearing analytical and rigorous, but also colourful and full of emotions at the same time, depending on what's necessary.
Moreover, the language in part I and many parts of part II is strictly logical and linear, while the parts where Winston and Julia fall in love
Spoiler
or the moment in which they believe they have really found a way to rebel against government (through the so-called "Brotherhood")Spoiler
In the same way, part III of the book displays the horrible state of mind in which Winston is reduced (and then even enslaved, we may say) by the Party and presents a load of different emotions, hence contrasting Winston's attempt to break free and his hopes with the tortures and the will of O'Brien and his other tormentors.The feeling is overall that of a slow and decadent decay, from freedom and happiness to sadness, humiliation, melancholy, suffering and, finally, blind obedience.
The author thus proves himself a master of writing, versatile and capable of telling different moments with different nuances. Furthermore, although act I and act II may seem boring at first, as soon as the reader finishes the book by travelling through
Spoiler
the challengingSpoiler
sharing all of Winston's hardships and struggles in the processSpoiler
and tragicallyOrwell's psychological characterisation of his characters is superb, with Winston being the protagonist and the main point around which the plot revolves, while giving also importance to the role of other characters, but always through Winston's eyes.
It is no surprise then, that many of the characters appear and behave differently than they really are:
- O'Brien
Spoiler
more than any other, initially considered a friend and a saviour, eventually turns out to be one of the worst - and therefore, one of the best - villains ever written- Mr. Charrington
Spoiler
, initially seeming like and old friend who is nostalgic for the past times and hopeful for a new future, eventually betrays both Julia and Winston for the Party- Julia herself
Spoiler
, seen always only through the main character's view, which is positive and blissful when Winston starts to date her and really loves her (giving also in this instance more space to her own ideas and opinions) but which in the end, after the torture they both endured and after they both betrayed each other, is totally cold and distant, partly still secretly wanting to get her back but still surrendering to the rules imposed by the Party and thus seeing her as something useless and bad for him.The most elaborate, important and essential part, still to this day, is however the precise and accurate way in which Orwell explores the ways through which a government can overpower and overwhelm his own citizens to become a dictatorship, or even worse.
The fact that each and every man, apart from the proles, is constantly monitored by tele-screens, hidden cameras and hidden microphones highlights the first step the government takes to gain power: the constant control of his citizens, followed immediately by punishment when someone doesn't do what the Party wants (something really relevant even in our age, where we are already increasingly surrounded more and more by technology)
Then, all the lies and propaganda through which the party indoctrinates its citizens, not only by constant lying but by making sure they are happy to lie to themselves (freedom of thought and freedom of the press are not only important, they are necessary, otherwise everything could get always worse and worse)
And in the end...
Spoiler
as explored in act III, a terrible procedure of torture and oppression that makes the individual not only renounce to his freedom to act, but also to his freedom to think and even his freedom to feel, then replacing the broken shells with blind obedience to the government and making citizens betray each other.(Power can be gained in many different ways, not only through a politics of the image ("image-politics") - which we see also really often today as well, though with different and certainly less evil goals - but also through widespread control of the state and the individual, by manipulating the popular masses and by means and terrible tortures that are always hidden)
It could be argued that most of Orwell's ideas might be too influenced by the historical era in which he lived and by his strong opposition to communism, however, even if we remove his personal views, the novel still maintains its clear and functional moral messages.
1984 is thus not only a book, but also a clear advice and a useful warning against how any of us might be manipulated and controlled, thus vindicating its role as a masterpiece for its highly cultural and historical importance.
Being in a minority, even in a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad.
.Spoiler
Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now you begin to understand me
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Classism, Confinement, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Body shaming, Slavery, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Murder, Deportation, Panic attacks/disorders, and War
vnfhcxksiw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Death, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Body shaming, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Confinement, Genocide, Sexism, and Sexual assault
gabriella_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Death of parent, Medical trauma, Torture, Body shaming, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Child death, War, Kidnapping, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Police brutality, Blood, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
meganpbennett's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
1984 is a terrifying look at what could be. It was also not intended to be an instruction manual, but a look at what happens when things are taken far, far, far too far.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Death, Genocide, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, War, Addiction, Alcoholism, Torture, Violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Blood, Grief, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Body horror, Classism, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Excrement and Vomit
jenna_justi2004's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Death, Drug use, Gore, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Grief, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and War
modernathos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
As someone who finds literature hard to read and wouldn't quickly label it as their favorite genre, this is a great book to read if you really have to do it!
1984 is a tense, mysterious, dystopian book with exceptional writing, a very unexpected plot twist and a not too stereotypical romance. This book is commonly read by teenagers and in schools for a reason! A big big recommendation!!
Graphic: Torture, Murder, Violence, Body horror, Confinement, Death, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, War, and Kidnapping
martu_pm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Colonisation, Confinement, and Cursing
hibou's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kojarzycie te książki, które was połykają, potem wypluwają, połykają po raz drugi i trawią was aż w końcu czujecie się zdruzgotani? to jest jedna z takich książek
wizja takie antyutopijnego świata jest przerażająca, ale tak świetnie opisana że wydaje się jak najbardziej prawdziwa
kiedy nauczycielka historii pożyczyła mi tę książkę, to myślałem, że to będzie kapitalistyczna propaganda
oj, jak ja się myliłem
książka porusza bardzo ważne tematy, jest napisana przecudownie
ja pochłonąłem ostatnią jej część w jednym siedzeniu, a podczas punktu kulminacyjnego (jeżeli przeczytał*ś książkę, to wiesz o jaką sytuację chodzi) dosłownie dygotały mi ręce
bez wątpienia lektura uświamiadająca wiele spraw i zmieniająca pogląd na wiele spraw
5⭐ /5
ZDECYDOWANIE POLECAM
chociaż boję się, że ta książka straci na znaczeniu, bo stała się lekturą szkolną ;///
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Torture
Moderate: Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, Vomit, and War
simixfe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
The concept was good but the implementation was lacking...
I probably would have enjoyed it if it hadn't been written by Orwell
I read it a second time for my A-level and surprisingly I liked it even less. As for now, I would only give it 2⭐ My criticism from the first time reading it still holds true for me but the second time it felt even more annoying and repetitive...
The plot could be summarised with only a few words
Spoiler
Winston: all women bad, government bad too
Julia: I love you
Sex
Talking about rebellion
More sex
Even more sex
Receives "the book" from O'Brien
Info dump
Arrest
Torture
Rats
Gives in
End
And a lot more passages with only info dump
Graphic: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Antisemitism, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, and Police brutality
Moderate: War, Child death, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide, Murder, and Slavery
greendorito's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Slavery