1984

Reader reviewed by Mi-chan

Much more thought-provoking than other "utopian" books. It makes one think whether they know their existence is real, whether what they know is real. One of the best books I've ever read. It brings up excellent philosophical points.

Reader reviewed by Katya

Yes, it's that old nut - a 'classic'. But this book more than earns the title. You can tell that it was written just after World War II, but when you think about it, the degree of accuracy with which it describes today's world is pretty scary.

The ending isn't the most upbeat one in the world, but it fits the novel - and the novel itself is fantastic, a chillingly bleak view of how Orwell pictured life in 1984. In a society that is growing ever closer to the one depicted in '1984', it's definitely a book that should be on your reading list.

If there's one reason to hate this book, it's that it spawned Big Brother - other than that, you've no excuse really!

Reader reviewed by carikube

1984 is an amazing description of an oppressive government, showing every facet of life in a totalitarian society: love, work, "fun," socialization... The main character, Winston, struggles to remember what life was life before the revolution. He wonders if capitalism is really what it is in the history books: rich men in top hats pushing the poor people into the mud. Is it really worse than Winston's life under The Party and Big Brother now? A life where his job in the outer party is to rewrite history? Where his every action is monitored by a telescreen? Where children, who are considered a "duty to the party," admit their parent's actions to the "Thought Police," whose job it is to execute anyone whose thoughts are against the party?

This is a great book to read for any person, especially those who have studied the Russian Revolution and Communism to some degree, because it draws amazing parrallels.

Reader reviewed by Amanda D.


"1984" is what George Orwell thought life would be like 35 years after he wrote this book. In this world, there are three provinces-Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Winston works in the Ministry of Love in Oceania, rewriting articles such as TIME magazine so history is distorted. There is the Thought Police. You are not supposed to think certain thoughts such as love or rebellion against the government. If they think your face shows these emotions, or someone turns you in, they take you. You are annihilated, then forgotten. All your records will be destroyed and you are never to be spoke of again. The government is ruled by a man called Big Brother. The government brainwashes you into loving him and believing his way is the only way. Telescreens are to be set up in every room of your house so they can keep an eye on you. You are not to fall in love. That would mean allegiance to someone besides Big Brother. When Winston falls in love with a woman in his building, their love gives him many things to think about-Is this all there is? Are people meant to be ruled by one person? Is the government right? That's where the trouble starts.

I liked this book because I think it shows people what can happen if they push it. It's an alternate world. Our government will not make these mistakes if they read this book and see what could happen.

Reader reviewed by stellargurl

big brother is watching. big brothers knows and sees everything. big brother is the ruler. this book it very interesting. it's kinda scary and it makes you think about stuff cause it deals with how people thought the futre was/is ganna be and everything. it's pretty cool but it can be hard to understand. i would recommend it to highschoolars and up. its kinda like the giver so if u liked the giver theres a good chace you'll like 1984

Reader reviewed by chardiddlyarlie

I was informed that this was a classic and worth reading by my parents so i immediately doubted that i would enjoy it. i did, however, find it really very interesting. George Orwell wrote the book in the 1940s and it is a futuristic book of how he expected 1984 to be. His world in 1984 is a world of totalitarian government and big brother, thought police and anti sex leagues, where your mind is tampered with and nothing is your own. This book is certainly not easy to read but if you get past that you can appreciate what an interesting and good book this is. Well done, George Orwell!

Reader reviewed by Nicki

When George Orwell wrote 1984 he didn't intend to frighten his readers, just warn them what evils the future can hold. There's always someone called Big Brother watching. No one knows exactly who or what Big Brother is, only that he exists, and anyone who attempts to defy him will be tortured and annihilated by his enforcers, the Thought Police. Even with this knowledge, Winston Smith and his companion, Julia, strive to resist the Thought Police and rid the world of Big Brother and his dehumanizing power.

Reader reviewed by Bec

Really scary look at the future. Its realistic, with multifaceted characters and a few great comedic moments. Political satire at its best. George Orwellreally knew his stuff.

Reader reviewed by rere

It is a kind of slow book but it is really interesting. It shows how life might be it some laws were different. I loved it. If you haven't read it you should.

Reader reviewed by Flak Monkey

Eric Arthur Blair was an important English writer that you probably already know by the pseudonym of George Orwell. He wrote quite a few books, but many believe that his more influential ones were "Animal farm" (1944) and "1984" (1948).In those two books he conveyed, metaphorically and not always obviously, what Soviet Russia meant to him.

I would like to make some comments about the second book, "1984". That book was written near his death, when he was suffering from tuberculosis, what might have had a lot to do with the gloominess that is one of the essential characteristics of "1984". The story is set in London, in a nightmarish 1984 that for Orwell might well have been a possibility, writting as he was many years before that date. Or maybe, he was just trying to warn his contemporaries of the dangers of not opposing the Soviet threat, a threat that involved a new way of life that was in conflict with all that the English held dear.

Orwell tried to depict a totalitarian state, where the truth didn't exist as such, but was merely what the "Big Brother" said it was. Freedom was only total obedience to the Party, and love an alien concept, unless it was love for the Party. The story is told from the point of view of Winston Smith, a functionary of the Ministry of Truth whose work involved the "correction" of all records each time the "Big Brother" decided that the truth had changed. The Party slogan said that "Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past", and they applied it constantly by "bringing up to date" the past so as to make it coincide with whatever the Party wanted.

From Winston Smith's point of view, many things that scare us are normal. For example, the omnipresence of the "Big Brother", always watching you, and the "Thought Police" that punishes treacherous thoughts against the Party. The reader feels the inevitability of doom that pervades the book many times, in phrases like "Thoughtcrime was not a thing that could be concealed forever. You might dodge successfully for a while, even for years, but sooner or later they were bound to get you".

Little by little, Winston begins to realize that things are not right, and that they should change. We accompany him in his attempt at subversion, and are unwilling witnesses of what that attempt brings about. This book is marked by hopelessness, but at the same time it is the kind of distressing book we all NEED to read...

Why do we need to read "1984"?. In my opinion, basically for two reasons. To start with, Orwell made in this book many observations that are no more merely fiction, but already things that manage to reduce our freedom. Secondly, and closelly linked to my first reason, this is a book that only gets better with the passing of time, as you can read in it more and more implications. One of Orwell's main reasons for writting this "negative utopia" might have been to warn his readers against communism, but many years after his death and the fall of communism, we can also interpret it as a caution against the excessive power of mass media, or the immoderate power of any government (even those who don't defend communism).

Technological innovation should be at the service of men, and allow them to live better lives, but it can be used against them. I guess that is one of Orwell's lessons, probably the most important one. All in all, I think you can benefit from reading this book. Because of that, I highly recommend it to you :)