Background:

1984 by George Orwell is a Science/Political Fiction book. This book was published on June 8, 1949. Orwell was born in British India, to a middle-class family. He grew up to be a soldier in the Spanish civil war in 1936, even publishing a book about his experiences first hand. He was also a teacher and obviously a writer and author. George Orwell’s real name is actually Eric Arthur Blair, Orwell is his pen name. He was extremely passionate about politics. He was very much against the communist party and any form of government that wasn’t democratic socialism. He wrote 1984 as a way to show people the dangers of a totalitarian government.

Plot:

In 1984 the world has fallen under a completely totalitarian government rule. It’s been damaged by constant war, conflict, and revolutions. Every action, word, and thought is monitored by the government through cameras, screens, and microphones. The thought police monitor every single thing you think, so it would be better to not think. Practically every aspect of your life is controlled, including the food you eat, the person you love, the place you work, where you live, and everything else. The government is ruled by the party Ingsoc, short for English Socialism, by a mysterious and condescending ruler “Big Brother.”

We follow a character named Winston Smith. He lives in Oceania, which used to be London. Where Big Brother constantly watches you. What’s so interesting about him is that he still thinks. He remembers life before war and pain. He still feels emotions, which lands him in a forbidden relationship with a woman. Which is putting him in danger. He joins The Brotherhood in order to try and combat the government and take down the totalitarian rule.

My Opinion ( Possible Spoilers): 

1984 was different than any book I’ve ever read. It left me bewildered, disgusted and awed. If I had to rate it out of 5 I would give it a 4.5/5. I enjoyed it but there were some explicit parts that left made me feeling uneasy. The characters didn’t really have much life to them, which makes sense considering the state they lived in. Which in a way is pretty genius, you really have no other choice than to latch onto Winston and his lover, Julia, because they are really the only ones with visible emotion. You are lured to hate the ones that enforce the government and Big Brother, who is really just a symbol. Orwell makes you question the political environment of the book. You really don’t need much political experience reading this book, everything is laid out in front of you. I have to say Orwell’s language is very detailed and descriptive. I could imagine the smell of the dirt roads, the missile smoke, and the sweat dripping out of everyone in the cramped office. I could envision the wind pushing bits of trash and rubble around the city. It was honestly very captivating. Now why in the world would I talk so highly about a book and then proceed to give it a 4.5/5. Well, there were some uncomfortable parts of the books that I shall not list for school-appropriate reasons. They honestly threw me off and sometimes it didn’t feel necessary to add. Like I said his writing is detailed, but I don’t need every single detail. I guess that would be the point, you need to feel slightly uncomfortable. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who endorses heavily in history, science fiction, and politics. And remember Big Brother is always watching.