1984 by George Orwell (1950)
Fiction | Dystopian
Blurb:
“While 1984 has come and gone, Orwell’s narrative is more timely than ever. 1984 presents a “negative utopia”, that is at once a startling and haunting vision of the world — so powerful that it’s completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the power of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of entire generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitions — a legacy that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time.”
–Goodreads
pooled ink Review:
I admit that I must re-read this book before posting a proper review for it has shamefully been a while since I last read it…3 or 4 years ago was it? I feel, and felt after my first reading, that this is the sort of book that must be read more than once to begin to fully digest all of its literary gold. Everyone knows the term “Big Brother” or the phrase “Big Brother is watching” and in case you weren’t aware that phrase stemmed from this book.
Oh my, this book…after reading so many modern dystopian stories and then reading this book I felt slapped in the face. I realized that my beloved YA dystopian novels were more akin to fairytales compared to this stark, ugly, truthful book. I’ll go ahead and tell you that it may not have the ending you desire and yet the ending is perfect. As much as one wants to push it away and retch up its words you can’t and you mustn’t. As dark and mysterious as it is it rings far more true than any other futuristic dystopian story I’ve ever read. And on top of that, it’s pure genius. Never mind the general story, the amount of detail and thought put into this book is astounding (a trait not often seen nowadays).
I highly recommend reading this book. Truly. Even if only for you to be able to use the reference “Big Brother” with an actual understanding of it. Don’t be that guy.
Cheers.
Purchase here: 1984
Recommendation for similar books: The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, Anthem by Ayn Rand, Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, and Animal Farm by George Orwell.
Meet George Orwell!
Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist. His work is marked by keen intelligence and wit, a profound awareness of social injustice, an intense opposition to totalitarianism, a passion for clarity in language, and a belief in democratic socialism.
-Goodreads
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