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George Orwell 1984 Book Review

Among George Orwell’s greatest writing, Nineteen Eighty-Four is an epic tale of a world gone mad. Orwell’s futuristic vision is both prophetic and terrifying, yet a hint of comedic relief is spattered throughout. The dystopia detailed in 1984 creates a background for a story that is difficult to resist until it is read all the way through.

The story follows Winston Smith, an average Party member in one of the world’s three remaining nations named Oceania. Winston suffers from a varicose ulcer and can’t make his way through the day without gulping down large swigs of Victory Gin, which Orwell describes as a foul, low quality drink to which there is little other option. ‘The Party,’ of which Winston is an unwilling member, monitors all citizens of Oceania unrelentingly via ‘telescreens’ installed virtually everywhere – a sort of television which can not be turned off, broadcasting propaganda and relaying video and sound back to the thought police. If anyone is caught acting or speaking in an unorthodox manner, they are likely to be taken by the thought police in the middle of the night, never to be heard of again, and all traces of their very existence are subsequently eradicated.

Part of Winston’s job is the eradication of such traces. He works in the Ministry of Truth – Minitrue, in newspeak (a simplified, reduced version of English intended to limit the possible range of thought and emotion of the speaker) where he rewrites newspapers, books, and other media to reflect favorable opinion of the Party. For example, if a Party member were to announce they expected to produce 100 shoes in the next quarter, and in fact 75 shoes were produced, Winston’s job is to go in and rewrite the original predication to, perhaps, 50 shoes, in order to make it seem not just that the prediction was correct but that production in fact exceeded demand. The Ministry of Truth then goes on to destroy all original copies and replace them with the so called corrected editions.

George Orwell’s 1984 is a warning to all about the dangers of fascist totalitarianism and the environment it could produce. Nineteen Eighty-Four confronts issues that remain vibrant and controversial even today, such as freedom of speech and the right to privacy. At some points the reader may feel that what they are reading is more akin to a Nostradamus prediction than a novel, and the fact that Orwell died only just after completing what many claim is the best work of his life only adds to the mystery of his writing and what really is to come.

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Want to find out more about Orwell and Nineteen Eighty-Four? Check out more of George Orwell 1984 and other George Orwell Books!

Twilight the booook!?

Ask a critic speak critically about the novel twilight. Make a judgment about whether the author has done an effective job telling the story and giving meaning to the characters. What review would you give the book..? Describe the positive and negatives of the novel and give it an overall rating.

As a critic speaking critically, I can categorically say that the “Twilight” series is rubbish. The author tells an adequate story, but the writing is rubbish and the characters are not at all well drawn. It’s unfortunate that the young readers have no perspective with regard to the series. While it is good that young people are reading, it is a shame that they believe the series to be the end all and be all of literature for young people. The book/s are not original, not creative and not well written.

There may be rumor that “Twilight” is based on a dream, but the likelihood is that the author read a good many of Anne Rice’s novels and took inspiration there.

There’s no need to rate “Twilight” or any of the other books in the series. They are not great literature and will soon disappear from the scene, just as soon as some other rubbish moves in to take it’s place.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson