1984

Rating:
Summary: A Great book
Review: I gave 1984 five stars because I greatly enjoyed this book. The descriptive writing really paints a vivid picture in the mind. Even though I had the choice to read a different book, I am grateful that I chose 1984. I can easily say that this book will satisfy anyone who chooses to read it, even if they are still in high school. It is one of the best I have read. Buy It. Read It. Contemplate It. It's the only way to go.

Rating:
Summary: Chandra's Critical Review on 1984 by George Orwell
Review: In my World Literature class in high school, I chose to read the book 1984 as my lit. circle book. I didn't like this book very much. It was hard for me to understand, but I got through it. I also didn't like this book because it scared me a little about what the government can do right now. The book was interesting, but not the type of book I would normally pick to read. I don't recommend this book unless you like to read about "Big Brother" and the government watching you and knowing what you do.

Rating:
Summary: Orwell....just a little too far out there for me.
Review: I thought George Orwell's 1984 was an "ok" book. I thought the book was just a little too far fetched for me. His prediction of 1984 was just so negative I found it really hard to get into it. It was difficult to read simply from lack of interest. I Think that this book may do wonders for other people though, it's just not really my style. For the most part I've always heard good things about this novel from other people. So just because I didn't think the book was that fantastic, don't let that stop you. I would advise you to read this book to see if Orwell's depiction of this strange negative utopia is for you.

Rating:
Summary: Amazingly accurate
Review: Despite the extremity with which orwell depicts this totalitarian state, this story speaks at a much smaller level as well. in a day and age where brainwashing among civilized countries is ignored despite its presence, this is an important novel. Studies have shown how humans, like chimps, end up gaining a following when in a dominant position in society. only 1984 shows how humans take it to the extreme. Of course this novel does use exaggeration to stress its point. And it does so quite effectively, I might add. The end is fantastic, a climax that is the culmination of Smith's life.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: It still amazes me that some people write this book off. Does anyone ever notice the increasing number of "security" cameras that are springing up? Talk about your "Big Brother." At any rate, there are four books that everyone should read. They are: Lee's TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD, Steinbeck's GRAPES OF WRATH, and Orwell's 1984.

Rating:
Summary: Not a book about a political system - a book about people
Review: I read 1984 in high school, probably around 1987 or so. I had wanted to read 1984 for several years, because in the actual year of 1984 (I was 13 at the time), there was a lot of media coverage about how Orwell's "prediction" had not come true. (This of course is a coy oversimplification of the book.)

It was very strange to me at the time; I found their repeated, incessant insistence that 1984 was pure fiction suspicious. I could not help but think: Why the hell are these people so defensive?

When I read 1984 it did not strike me as particularly "true," metaphorically or otherwise. I was young and had less than five years of political study. While I could see parallels between our society and Orwell's, those parallels seemed few.

However, over the last 20 years, 1984 has seemed more and more truthful. A lot of my perception of this book's truthfulness stems not simply from politics, but from watching how people behave. From high school "cliques" to office politics to the motions of the biggest political players today, Orwell depicted how people act. He depicted the way people twist the truth and abuse power, the way they manipulate words and ideas in order to portray guilt, or innocence. And he depicted just how horribly people in large groups are capable of being. Just because he used exaggerated, fantastic metaphors does not change the simple essence of human behaviors in his stories.

1984 is not a book about Communists, Capitalists or any other political system. It was not even written, at the time, to be a book about "the future." 1984 is a book about people. Not "Capitalist People" or "Socialist People." All people, and human nature, and the corruption and darkness and manipulation all people are capable of. It is specifically about how people behave in industrial / post industrial / media saturated / disinformation age culture. It is about how people - of any political party, whether democrat, republican, socialist or libertarian - manipulate facts, words, ideas, and ultimately, each other. It is, in this sense, the best kind of book. Because what 1984 is about was true when it was written, has been true since, and apparently will be true for decades to come. It is not just true in the United States, or China, or Russia. It's true everywhere. In this sense the story remains a relevant and important read.

If you reduce the book to nothing more than a fable about YOUR political enemies and how bad THEIR system is, you are precisely the sort of manipulator - or dupe - that Orwell wrote about. And if you deny that your culture, your political party, or your agenda is part of this process, you blind yourself precisely as Orwell's characters did.

And in doing so, you emphasize Orwell's points very well.

Rating:
Summary: Required Reading For Today's Students
Review: The epitome of fiction about totalitarian states. Orwell was a socialist, however 1984 is a warning about what happens when the government, not the people, have absolute control over everything. The year is 1984 and Winston Smith is a citizen of a country called "Oceania" which occupies a third of the Earth's landmasses. He lives in what is called Airstrip One in a place that used to be called Great Britain. The government ominously titled "Big Brother" attempts (and quite successfully too) to control everything in the population right down to their very thoughts. Winston hans't fallen into this trap yet and is an outsider but only in his mind. He knows what Big Brother enforces and while he plays along with it he condemns it in his thoughts. Thus, he has committed what is called "Thought Crime" something punishable by death. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. Big Brother forges the population into a 'machine', one that will elevate the party (the controlling members of the government) into almost all-powerful status. The government can control the very thoughts of it's citizens it blatantly changes past events to it's own will, which is what Winston's job is. He re-writes history for the government. History has become so muddled that it is impossible for Winston to know the real truth beyond what Big Brother says is true. He knows of at least one instance which although he can never prove, where the government was wrong, he is exposed to every single instance when Big Brother changes the past. Big Brother knows that a population must have an outlet for it's negetive emotions, for that Big Brother points to an enigmatic man named Emmanuel Goldstein, a person who supposedly was once on par with Big Brother himself then betrayed the party and is leading an active rebellion. Whether Goldstein even exists is questioned. Winston decides to join Goldstein's rebellion. 1984 is in someways prophetic even. At one point Winston meets someone in jail who was turned in for thoughtcrime by his own daughter. The ability of children to get their parents in trouble for abuse occurs today. 1984 is a must read for anyone concerned about current politics. It is also highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A Powerful Experience
Review: "War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength"

George Orwell dives into the Depths of communist society, and sees through the eyes of Winston Smith, an aging man and a member of "The Party" of the country of Oceania. A series of events leads Winston to the love of his life, Julia, and they both plan to join a resistance against the Party. But Winston finds out that you can't trust anyone in a communist society.

Orwell did an excellent job of placing the reader in the center of the lies that is the communist government. His writing style is captivating and everything about the book is realistic and believable, everything from the brainwashing of children to the technology that was available. The book is filled with interesting twists and turns in the plot that keep the reader engrossed in an excellently told story. I found it very difficult to put this book down once I picked it up. I almost found myself awaiting the moment that I could read it again, which was a surprise. I had heard that this book was a boring political commentary, but it was far from that.

Orwell slips in views on the human spirit, testing it's limits, and eventually stating that everyone has a breaking point. The dark ending to this haunting image of the future cast from his imagination back in 1949, still holds true to what people can observe in mankind today.

One can can be thoroughly entertained while being enlightened at the same time. All in all 1984 is a book worth reading. Also, a short novel for younger readers I suggest is THE LOSERS CLUB by Richard Perez

Rating:
Summary: Powerful story.
Review: Imagine if the only thing you had control over, or owned was your mind? But, even that has limitations. You are not given the freedom to love, learn, or think of yourself. You lived your life in constant fear, knowing that Big Brother was always watching you. This is Winston's prison. But Winston was a "freethinker" - he wants to find out what life was like before the Revolution. He is willing to risk being "vaporized" to find the truth. This book is a classic, but the story is amazing - the strength to risk everything to find the truth and learn to love.

Rating:
Summary: Ugh. Gives me the shivvers.
Review: This book is unrelentingly, amazingly depressing. It's absolutely graphically realistic in it's descriptions, and the story - I'm gonna give it away here - does not end happily. I read this in high school and have never forgotten it; it frightened me then and it still frightens me. The word is bleak.

You should still read it. You should not only read books that give you happiness, or catharsis, or what you want; those are candy for your mind and will not tell you harsh truths. You should also read books that give you gifts you don't want, gifts that make you uncomfortable or upset or frightened. Books that point out things you'd much rather you could ignore and hope they'd go away. That's why this is a classic; not because of stupendous writing or anything else (I've seen better writing).

I still hate this book. And I still gave it 4 stars.