GoodReads Summary:
While 1984 has come and gone, Orwell's narrative is more timely than ever. 1984
presents a "negative utopia", that is at once a startling and haunting
vision of the world — so powerful that it's completely convincing from
start to finish. No one can deny the power of this novel, its hold on
the imaginations of entire generations of readers, or the resiliency of
its admonitions — a legacy that seems to grow, not lessen, with the
passage of time.
Review:
This book is a classic that I decided to pick up and read during the summer. I was intrigued by the "negative-utopia" that the description provided and figured that since I had enjoyed Brave New World, I would like this book as well.
The plot is riveting and although I liked Winston he was not a glamorized character, which I always appreciate. He was not a vainglorious hero or action-taking dissident, honestly he was just another citizen with a more free thinking mind than others. Winston does physically rebel against his government by having an affair and falling in love, however most crimes are committed in his mind.
The premise of the all-controlling government is very believable and, in some ways, I can see how a few aspects of The Party are alive in today's society. It is terrifying yet interesting to see our world in comparison with Winston's because they really aren't too different from one another. I appreciated the author's attention to detail with this novel, especially pertaining to the government because it was built up so intricately.
The only bones I have to pick with this book are few yet important to mention. Firstly, I didn't like the sections of the book which were added into 1984- the excerpts were boring and simply repeated the thoughts that Winston had been thinking the whole book. Additionally, the ending was one of those something-riveting-should-happen-but-really-you-just-end-up-depressed kind of things. I suppose the ending was very realistic and just let you down gently, not finishing too happily or too tragically.
Over all, I enjoyed the read very much and would recommend it highly. This was the first "classic" that I read outside of school and I ended up liking it a lot and found myself constantly wanting to read more.
