Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell

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About George Orwell

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Nineteen Eighty-Four

» George Orwell

Introduction by - Thomas Pynchon

Penguin Classic
Paperback : 29 Jan 2004

£8.99

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1984: 'His final masterpiece ... enthralling and indispensable for understanding modern history'
Timothy Garton Ash, New York Review of Books

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Synopsis

Hidden away in the Record Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith skilfully rewrites the past to suit the needs of the Party. Yet he inwardly rebels against the totalitarian world he lives in, which demands absolute obedience and controls him through the all-seeing telescreens and the watchful eye of Big Brother, symbolic head of the Party. In his longing for truth and liberty, Smith begins a secret love affair with a fellow-worker Julia, but soon discovers the true price of freedom is betrayal.

1984: With an Introduction by Ben Pimlott

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Reviews

Customer Review: 31 October 2007

Reviewer: molekilby

This is a book that I almost didn't read. I tend to steer away from books with hype, that popular, and then in a moment think I should read it just to say I have. I must say having finished it, that I am glad I did. It was almost an extension, grown up version, of Animal Farm which I read earlier this year. The first part was hard, but it set the scene, it gave the background and allowed us to glimpse the life and character of Winston Smith. The next two parts are fast moving, answering questions that have been raised in the readers minds and at times convincingly persuading the reader of the correctness of the method. I found it spellbinding. It is difficult to see this as not being about modern society/Government, maybe the timelessness of the book makes it a Modern Classic. It reminded me at times of John Wyndham (different narration style) in writing in taking a situation and extrapolating to an extreme. This may have made it easier for me to set it in the past in my mind. The measures may not be as extreme, the changing of the past harder/impossible to eradicate, but changes in policy and spin doctors abound at every turn. All in all one of the best reads I've had in a while.

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Critic Review:

‘The book of the twentieth century … haunts us with an ever-darker relevance’
Independent