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A review by bookishevy
1984 by George Orwell
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
"War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength."
This is a reread. I decided on an audiobook this time around because it was free on Audible, and I've been too busy to sit with a physical book.
But OMG! If this read ain't as relevant as ever.
Orwell imagines an authoritarian socialist Britain that is based on Nazi Germany and Stalinism. A world in which even one's thoughts are controlled by Big Brother. There is no past. Only the present. The powers that be keep re-writing history and known facts to the extent that 2+2 now equals 5.
I love that Orwell uses math to show how ridiculous the Party is. The answers to equations are the one thing we should count on to never change, but they have brainwashed people into believing Math is wrong 🤣
But Winston is different. He refuses to forget and is keeping a diary of his thoughts. He's even taken a lover, a big no-no since sex is no longer for fun. Winston and Julia find freedom in defying laws. Laws the people in charge break because these laws aren't in place to better society. It's all about power. A power they have no plans of relinquishing.
They've tricked the majority into thinking war is necessary. That they're no longer slaves to society since they're all stripped of their identity and free will and are only of one thought: to love Big Brother and only Big Brother. That there is strength in not reading and simply parroting what Big Brother tells them is true.
The end result is people losing their humanity.
Simon Prebble is an excellent narrator. I felt the desperation in his portrayal of Winston. His will to remember and his defeat when he realizes the Party is just too powerful.
This banned book is required reading.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength."
This is a reread. I decided on an audiobook this time around because it was free on Audible, and I've been too busy to sit with a physical book.
But OMG! If this read ain't as relevant as ever.
Orwell imagines an authoritarian socialist Britain that is based on Nazi Germany and Stalinism. A world in which even one's thoughts are controlled by Big Brother. There is no past. Only the present. The powers that be keep re-writing history and known facts to the extent that 2+2 now equals 5.
I love that Orwell uses math to show how ridiculous the Party is. The answers to equations are the one thing we should count on to never change, but they have brainwashed people into believing Math is wrong 🤣
But Winston is different. He refuses to forget and is keeping a diary of his thoughts. He's even taken a lover, a big no-no since sex is no longer for fun. Winston and Julia find freedom in defying laws. Laws the people in charge break because these laws aren't in place to better society. It's all about power. A power they have no plans of relinquishing.
They've tricked the majority into thinking war is necessary. That they're no longer slaves to society since they're all stripped of their identity and free will and are only of one thought: to love Big Brother and only Big Brother. That there is strength in not reading and simply parroting what Big Brother tells them is true.
The end result is people losing their humanity.
Simon Prebble is an excellent narrator. I felt the desperation in his portrayal of Winston. His will to remember and his defeat when he realizes the Party is just too powerful.
This banned book is required reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, and War