Hi everyone! Did you miss me? Do you even remember who I am? I am so so sorry it has been months since I have written a book review: I am so busy with college applications, school work, etc. On the bright side, I have read several great books that I can review now that I have a little down time. So for today's blog, we have one of, if not the most, famous science fiction novels of all time 1984, written by George Orwell. Away we go and remember BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU.
Characters: Winston Smith: protagonist of the novel/ is a member of the Outer Party/ begins to question the regime of the Party and Big Brother
Julia: Winston's lover/ a member of the Outer Party/ described by Winston as "only a rebel from the waist down"
O'Brien: prominent member of the Inner Party/ Winston's "contact" with the Brotherhood/ is responsible for trapping Julia and Winston
The Plot: Big Brother is watching you. Everyday, every minute, every second. In the police state of Oceania, totalitarian government comes in the form of Big Brother, the Hitler-like embodiment of the Party (the name of the government). Enter Winston Smith, member of the Outer Party who has recently committed an act of rebellion: buying a diary. In this diary he begins to write his hatred for Big Brother, his confusion about the system, and his desire to be free of this terrible world. Winston struggles to uncover the secrets of his past, but finds his search to be futile, as the past is continually erased and altered by Big Brother in order to suit his message. Winston's inner turmoil then turns into outward rebellion, as he begins an illegal affair with Julia, and begins to join the group of secret resistance called the Brotherhood. Winston eventually discovers that he has no where to go, no one to turn to, and the vicious totalitarian government of Oceania is and always will be eternal.
What I liked: This is one of those novels where you come away thinking: "My God, *insert author here* is a brilliant, revolutionary, genius". So, my God, George Orwell is a brilliant, revolutionary, genius. This in my mind, is a pretty much flawless novel. In this novel, Orwell explores many different ideas about freedom, the importance of the past, the importance of language, and totalitarian power, while weaving them seamlessly into this central story of Winston Smith's fight against the Party. One of the most interesting sections for me, is actually one of the most hated. 1984 is actually broken up into three different "books" or sections, and book II involves Winston reading the manual of the Brotherhood. The manual contains the writings of Emmanuel Goldstein, leader of the rebel group the Brotherhood. These chapters are disguised as Winston's writings but are actually the chapters where Orwell can rant outright against totalitarian government. Many literary critics find these chapters disjointed, and non essential to the overall message of the novel. However, I found these chapters to be a fascinating look at the man who actually wrote the novel. Here, the brilliance of Orwell and the ridiculousness of the Party' system become blatantly apparent. These chapters I likened to the moment in Hamlet when Hamlet totally unloads on his mother. Hamlet has been trying to sneakily enact his revenge against his uncle, but then his mother puts him over the edge and he completely losing his mind, ranting at the confused queen. Orwell, kind of felt like Hamlet. He had kind of danced around the problem, but he never actually got to air his feelings outright, and he finally had the chance. As a reader, I think it is more personal opinion than anything, but I personally enjoyed it. 1984 is also one of the most creatively complex novels that I have read. Orwell created this entire world in which the reader is immersed. There is "thought crime", "double think", the "thought police", "Newspeak", and all of these concepts which create this very real and frightening society. One of the great things Orwell did was make Winston a very dynamic, passionate character. He was this complex character who was paranoid, irritated, ashamed, fearful, angry, and happy all at the same time. SPOILERS AHEAD: This made it all the more shocking when Winston is vaporized at the end of the novel, and we have a final chapter inside his vaporized self and we are reading these dead thoughts of this brainwashed man. Later on in the novel, O'Brien, my favorite character, plays a more central role. Book III is devoted entirely to Winston's capture and subsequent "rehabilitation" in the Ministry of Love (yes, this is meant to be ironic) by O'Brien. O'Brien was a great "bad guy"; he was totally brilliant and he represented and explained all of the twisted logic behind the party. I tore threw the last few chapters. Throughout the novel, Winston desperately looks for clues about the past because his job is to destroy the parts of the past that don't fit with Big Brother's vision. Winston discovers, eventually, that he who controls the past, controls the future. I found this to be a fascinating concept. I hadn't really thought about that before, and this idea that people can be almost driven mad by these two different accounts of what the world was like is intense. We as readers come to the realization that the only reason we know what the past is is because some told us what it was. We never saw the past, and it could be totally changed without our knowledge. The concept is frightening and enthralling at the same time. Seriously, this book was utterly brilliant.
What I didn't like: I can't think of anything, probably because Orwell is brilliant.
Overall: 10 out of 10. So many other authors have tried to replicate this fantastic book. There is a reason this one is the most famous: can't beat the original.
