"You are outside history, you are nonexistent."
In George Orwell's famous 1984, conscious thought has become an art in and of itself. Winston Smith has spent years under the watchful eyes of Big Brother, leader of the Party and, hence, all of Oceania. As a worker in the Ministry of Truth, Winston's job consists solely of doctoring records, archived newspaper articles, and other media to give the impression that the Party is always right, and that the standard of living is on the rise. In reality, chocolate rations are shrinking, many proles go barefoot, and the hallways outside Winston's apartment are always filthy. It doesn't do to show his discontent, however, and he has long presented an orthodox personality to the telescreens the Party uses to spy on its members. Still, when a young coworker slips him an illegal note at work, he can't stop himself from meeting her in secret. If they're careful, they'll be safe for a long time yet. But in a world where everyone is a spy, love can't last forever. And Big Brother is always watching.
Oceania is extraordinary. Spanning Australia, the Americas, and the British Isles--known as "Airstrip One"--it is one of the three remaining countries on the planet. For years, it has been locked in a continuous war with its counterparts, Eastasia and Eurasia. The enemy, though, is always in flux. At one point, Eurasia may be the opponent, with Eastasia as an ally. Thus, Eurasia has never been an ally, just as Eastasia, the enemy of two days ago, has never been anything other than a political partner. Part of Winston's job is to ensure that this is, without a doubt, the case. Of course, should alliances change, he must scramble to rectify the records. This tiny piece of Party government is nothing compared to the rest of their operation, which is astounding in size and terrifying in its possibility.
Winston is an intriguing character, as is his lover, Julia. He's incredibly adept at hiding his displeasure with the state of the nation, a task Julia is even better at. They hide in plain sight, doing their jobs with as much enthusiasm as they can muster, and they are not alone. Lurking in the shadows is the Brotherhood, a mysterious rebellion committed to bringing the Party down from the inside. As Winston and Julia continue down their unsteady path, they draw closer and closer to this fabled uprising. This brings out facets of their core personalities nothing else could, shaping them into people who are simultaneously admirable and frightening.
If there is a downside to Orwell's narrative, it is the way he presents the novel's focus. There is quite a bit of explanation at the beginning, which isn't half bad, but much of the second half is spent within the pages of another book, which describes how the Party functions. This amounts to a great deal of infodumping--which, while interesting, detracts from the plot. Julia and Winston's relationship is purely physical, so there isn't much in the way of actual romance to be found; Winston also writes of an encounter with a lady of the night in an illicit diary. Violence is minimal until the story's climax, which involves lots of physical and emotional abuse as a means to an undesirable end. Neither this nor the "romance" is very explicit, though there is no room for doubt as to what is happening.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a full-blown socialist society where no one is trustworthy. While much of the word count is taken up by a character-read treatise on Ingsoc--the Party's "English Socialism" doctrine--and the three-sided war beyond Oceanic borders, the characters and premise are gripping. The whole work is soaked through with a tangible sense of despair that suits the overall plot nicely. The romance is bland, the violence intense but distant, the profanity rare and mild. Really it is the premise that holds the greatest appeal, horrifying as it is, and carries the rest of George Orwell's tale through to the end. Thus, 1984 deserves four stars.
Oceania is extraordinary. Spanning Australia, the Americas, and the British Isles--known as "Airstrip One"--it is one of the three remaining countries on the planet. For years, it has been locked in a continuous war with its counterparts, Eastasia and Eurasia. The enemy, though, is always in flux. At one point, Eurasia may be the opponent, with Eastasia as an ally. Thus, Eurasia has never been an ally, just as Eastasia, the enemy of two days ago, has never been anything other than a political partner. Part of Winston's job is to ensure that this is, without a doubt, the case. Of course, should alliances change, he must scramble to rectify the records. This tiny piece of Party government is nothing compared to the rest of their operation, which is astounding in size and terrifying in its possibility.
Winston is an intriguing character, as is his lover, Julia. He's incredibly adept at hiding his displeasure with the state of the nation, a task Julia is even better at. They hide in plain sight, doing their jobs with as much enthusiasm as they can muster, and they are not alone. Lurking in the shadows is the Brotherhood, a mysterious rebellion committed to bringing the Party down from the inside. As Winston and Julia continue down their unsteady path, they draw closer and closer to this fabled uprising. This brings out facets of their core personalities nothing else could, shaping them into people who are simultaneously admirable and frightening.
If there is a downside to Orwell's narrative, it is the way he presents the novel's focus. There is quite a bit of explanation at the beginning, which isn't half bad, but much of the second half is spent within the pages of another book, which describes how the Party functions. This amounts to a great deal of infodumping--which, while interesting, detracts from the plot. Julia and Winston's relationship is purely physical, so there isn't much in the way of actual romance to be found; Winston also writes of an encounter with a lady of the night in an illicit diary. Violence is minimal until the story's climax, which involves lots of physical and emotional abuse as a means to an undesirable end. Neither this nor the "romance" is very explicit, though there is no room for doubt as to what is happening.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a full-blown socialist society where no one is trustworthy. While much of the word count is taken up by a character-read treatise on Ingsoc--the Party's "English Socialism" doctrine--and the three-sided war beyond Oceanic borders, the characters and premise are gripping. The whole work is soaked through with a tangible sense of despair that suits the overall plot nicely. The romance is bland, the violence intense but distant, the profanity rare and mild. Really it is the premise that holds the greatest appeal, horrifying as it is, and carries the rest of George Orwell's tale through to the end. Thus, 1984 deserves four stars.
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