Friday

Book review: 1984

Nineteen Eighty-Four^- George Orwell
 We've had this book in the house for about 3 years but, although Rich read it when we bought it, I've never got round to it. After finishing Murakami's 1Q84, I thought it was high time to see what all the fuss was about and crack this one open.

At first, I loved it! It was so prophetic and relevant to today. How could Orwell possibly have had such a deep understanding of the future? I was completely sucked into the world that he created, where residents are watched at every moment of the day, fed media lies and brainwashed in every area of their lives.

Then Winston, the protagonist, meets Julia, who, like him, works for the political party that controls the citizens' lives. Boom! They fall in love. I really struggled with this. Due to the intense surveillance everywhere, they couldn't have a real conversation. They just met, then suddenly they were in love with each other and meeting up in secret. 
There was also a lot of filler. I mean a lot! This book is 325 pages long but it would probably have been a lot more effective at half of that. For example, Winston reads a book about the party and leader Big Brother. As the story has progressed, we've already learned all about the party, but Orwell still includes a 40-page chapter telling us what we already know. What's the point of that?

Not to mention that the plot is predictable and almost obscenely simple. Winston is unhappy with his life, falls in love and then things go wrong. There are no surprises, no twists, no complexities. Just one long, drawn-out tale. 
I guess everyone should probably read this at some point in their life. It's just one of those books that you should have read. Just don't expect anything amazing. 

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11 comments :

  1. I read this a while back and i agree i found it pretty boring. If i had the ability to stop reading something half way i would have probably given up xxx

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  2. I think it's interesting until a few chapters in when I put the book down and can't ever be bothered to finish or reread it

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  3. I've read about 1/4 of it, its on my bookshelf with as bookmark still in it from ages ago, its very drawn out and I wasn't a fan of the setting so it wasn't somewhere I wanted to tkae myself to for 5 minutes of reading, let alone the whole book! x

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  4. I liked it but it wasn't my absolute favorite book. I read it over the summer because it was one of those books a person should read in order to be well read. I'll probably read it again someday.

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  5. This, Animal Farm and The Wasp Factory are the 3 books I have read from start to finish for PLEASURE. (apart from biography's and shit) I really liked it!!

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    1. I haven't read Animal Farm but I think I should. I keep meaning to read The Wasp Factory too.

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  6. I skipped the 40 page chapter - it was SO boring! But the rest of it gripped me so...

    www.xoliviamae.blogspot.co.uk

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