1984
In 1984, London is a grim 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.
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Readers say *1984* is a compelling and thought-provoking classic that brilliantly warns against totalitarianism, surveillance, and loss of freedom. Ma...
Another classic. I read this as a teen & reread recently. It is a timeless piece and maybe its message is more relevant today than ever 👏
A very poignant story that reflects many current events 75 years after it's release. It's been burning in my mind to read this since high school, but now that I'm much older, I've gained better understanding of the characters because they reflect some of our experiences right now in America.
Review of 1984 by George Orwell
Should we judge 1984 as a work of fiction, as an essay on totalitarianism, or as a combination of both?
For me, the answer is simple: all three. The book works on several levels, but each reveals strengths and weaknesses that deserve to be examined separately.
1. 1984 as a work of fiction
As a novel, 1984 stands out for its narrative simplicity. Perhaps too much so. The plot progresses from point A to point B without real twists, each stage being predictable, even for a contemporary reader aware that the book was published in 1949. Not much “happens” in concrete terms, and the whole story can be framed in merely 4 stages/phases. It feels more like a vessel for ideas than a fully developed literary adventure.
The characters themselves lack depth. Winston is constructed as a morally ambiguous character full of hope, but his relationships with women consistently reveal misogyny: he systematically reduces female characters to their looks, judging them as ugly, stupid, vulgar, or insignificant. The episode where he contemplates raping a woman—presented in the book as a political act—remains disturbing, especially when combined with his general contempt.
One passage somewhat balances this impression: at the end, when he observes a woman singing despite harsh living conditions, he finally perceives a kind of beauty and dignity in her that goes beyond simple desire. Yet this positive note comes late and does little to offset the whole.
Winston’s relationship with Julia also illustrates these shortcomings. Their story begins abruptly and artificially: a simple note, and suddenly their intimacy is presented as if it had always existed. I understand that given their situation everything is heightened—their emotions, their physical desires, the speed of their relationship (both longing for human contact). But once again, the book could have taken the time to show this, to explain it. That is why, as a work of fiction, it feels somewhat lacking to me.
Julia, for her part, is not portrayed as an intellectual or political partner, but merely as a “girlfriend” whose concerns are personal, while Winston is the only one granted critical thought. Their relationship feels more like a narrative device than a believable bond.
2. 1984 as an essay on totalitarianism
On this ground, the book is undeniably a masterpiece. Orwell delivers a visionary, lucid, and chilling analysis of how a totalitarian regime operates. The strength of his writing does not lie in action but in the description of oppressive mechanisms: permanent surveillance, manipulation of language, erasure of the past, destruction of intimacy.
This aspect of the novel deserves a solid 5/5. More than a story, it is almost a manual: “Create Your Own Totalitarianism for Dummies.” Its philosophical, cultural, and political weight is immense, and it remains frighteningly relevant. The accuracy of Orwell’s insight is such that one could argue 1984 should be required reading (irony intended).
3. 1984 as a combination of both
Fiction, ultimately, is only a vehicle for Orwell’s ideas. The book can be seen as an essay disguised as a dystopian novel. This blend is not perfectly balanced: the weaknesses as a novel sometimes weigh down the reading experience, but the message still comes through with raw efficiency.
That is why 1984 endures as a classic. Not for its literary or narrative qualities as such, but because it succeeds in transmitting a terrifying and timeless vision of a world where individual freedom is annihilated.
Should we judge 1984 as a work of fiction, as an essay on totalitarianism, or as a combination of both?
For me, the answer is simple: all three. The book works on several levels, but each reveals strengths and weaknesses that deserve to be examined separately.
1. 1984 as a work of fiction
As a novel, 1984 stands out for its narrative simplicity. Perhaps too much so. The plot progresses from point A to point B without real twists, each stage being predictable, even for a contemporary reader aware that the book was published in 1949. Not much “happens” in concrete terms, and the whole story can be framed in merely 4 stages/phases. It feels more like a vessel for ideas than a fully developed literary adventure.
The characters themselves lack depth. Winston is constructed as a morally ambiguous character full of hope, but his relationships with women consistently reveal misogyny: he systematically reduces female characters to their looks, judging them as ugly, stupid, vulgar, or insignificant. The episode where he contemplates raping a woman—presented in the book as a political act—remains disturbing, especially when combined with his general contempt.
One passage somewhat balances this impression: at the end, when he observes a woman singing despite harsh living conditions, he finally perceives a kind of beauty and dignity in her that goes beyond simple desire. Yet this positive note comes late and does little to offset the whole.
Winston’s relationship with Julia also illustrates these shortcomings. Their story begins abruptly and artificially: a simple note, and suddenly their intimacy is presented as if it had always existed. I understand that given their situation everything is heightened—their emotions, their physical desires, the speed of their relationship (both longing for human contact). But once again, the book could have taken the time to show this, to explain it. That is why, as a work of fiction, it feels somewhat lacking to me.
Julia, for her part, is not portrayed as an intellectual or political partner, but merely as a “girlfriend” whose concerns are personal, while Winston is the only one granted critical thought. Their relationship feels more like a narrative device than a believable bond.
2. 1984 as an essay on totalitarianism
On this ground, the book is undeniably a masterpiece. Orwell delivers a visionary, lucid, and chilling analysis of how a totalitarian regime operates. The strength of his writing does not lie in action but in the description of oppressive mechanisms: permanent surveillance, manipulation of language, erasure of the past, destruction of intimacy.
This aspect of the novel deserves a solid 5/5. More than a story, it is almost a manual: “Create Your Own Totalitarianism for Dummies.” Its philosophical, cultural, and political weight is immense, and it remains frighteningly relevant. The accuracy of Orwell’s insight is such that one could argue 1984 should be required reading (irony intended).
3. 1984 as a combination of both
Fiction, ultimately, is only a vehicle for Orwell’s ideas. The book can be seen as an essay disguised as a dystopian novel. This blend is not perfectly balanced: the weaknesses as a novel sometimes weigh down the reading experience, but the message still comes through with raw efficiency.
That is why 1984 endures as a classic. Not for its literary or narrative qualities as such, but because it succeeds in transmitting a terrifying and timeless vision of a world where individual freedom is annihilated.
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