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
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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
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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
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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
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, 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
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, 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...
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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
woundedhouse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Slavery, Police brutality, Emotional abuse, Gore, Alcohol, Torture, and Vomit
vinniee's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Violence, War, Stalking, Slavery, Torture, and Kidnapping
ivytwines's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: War
Minor: Rape and Slavery
natalia64's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
La homosexualidad es un tema recurrente en el libro: el Socing lo considera como "poco deseable" y una "desviación". La sexualidad es hetero, pero desligada siempre de todo tipo de deseo - el acto sexual tiene que ser no-placentero y con el único fin de la reproducción. Sin embargo,
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Winston, el protagonista, piensa en O'Brien desde que lo comienza a registrar hasta en la misma sala de torturas de una forma que dista la sencilla admiración fraternal. A veces me preguntaba si era que yo estaba leyendo "demás", aberrantemente (Umberto Eco), la relación en un instinto de re-lectura queer (me acordaba del canal Are they gay?) porque cuando mi mamá lo leyó en su momento ni se le cruzó. Cuando pensaba en Julia, incluso en alguna fantasía sexual, empezaba a pensar en O'Brien. Para mí, que se sienta tan "comprendido" cuando O'Brien lo TORTURA es porque le pasan otras cosas. Siento que toda la temática de la homosexualidad de Winston es todo un ejemplo de doblepiensa, salvo que este está tan preparado con las barreras del antecrímen que ni se le ocurre. Si 1984 hubiera sido escrito en el SXXI, hubieran sido un poco más canónicos. Incluso sin perder el mensaje y aumentando la "traición" de O'Brien.Con respecto al ritmo, se relaciona con lo que decía al principio: cuando es más narrativo, cuando se enfoca en contar ese mundo "desde el cuerpo" me resultó rápidísimo y demasiado interesante. En este sentido creo que el principio, la mitad tardía y el mismo final son los más atrapantes.
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Las torturas en el Ministerio del Amor fueron adictivas de leer, visuales, potentes. Llegué tarde a una juntada porque no me di cuenta que había pasado tanto tiempo. Tenía que seguir leyendo para detener el dolor. Con la tortura de la habitación 101 tuve que parar un segundo de leer, consideré dejarlo ahí, pero no pude. Di vuelta la página y me encontré leyendo la restitución a la sociedad de Winston. Primero no entendí, pensaba "debe ser un sueño" y después "debe ser una farsa", no lo pueden haber roto tanto. Fue tristísimo y amargo ese final. Yo seguía esperando una revolución, aunque sea leve, aunque sea emocional. Que cuando vea a Julia, además del vuelco en el corazón (quizá una mínima revolución - la primeridad no la pueden borrar con ninguna tortura), ambos sientan una conexión, una cuestión duradera, la continuidad del flechazo. El mismo personaje lo dice: podrían tener relaciones ahí nomás, en el espacio público, pero son distintos, eso ya no está, la desilusión y la desesperanza le ganaron al deseo, a la utopía y a que valga la pena arriesgarse. En ese pasaje no priman los antecrímenes, como en la escena del bar y Africa.Con el epílogo me cerró más la postura de Orwell porque me faltaba info de contexto
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sobre el partido laborista inglés y pensé que sólo criticaba al stalinismoGraphic: Torture, Police brutality, Violence, and War
Moderate: Sexual content, Misogyny, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Slavery
omarhabib's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Slavery and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Torture
Minor: War and Alcoholism
readerorwateva's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Torture, War, Violence, Death of parent, Confinement, Classism, Colonisation, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Sexual content, War, Vomit, Racial slurs, and Slavery
elihrus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Torture, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, and Gore
Moderate: Antisemitism, Police brutality, and Sexual content
Minor: Rape, Alcohol, Slavery, and Abandonment
calamitywindpetal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Death, War, Sexual content, Murder, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Vomit, Suicide, Genocide, Self harm, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Alcohol
Minor: Slavery and Racism
alexiasophii's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Blood, Classism, Torture, Slavery, Death, Forced institutionalization, Violence, War, and Vomit