Cheap 1984 (Book) (George Orwell) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of 1984

Although I would still say it is necessary reading for all people, especially at this juncture I think Americans should pick up this book. When I read the slogans of Big Brother, I felt sick:

War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength

In some ways, I feel like George Orwell from his 1948 perspective 'called it.' So many of the scenarios that he described are right on. He wrote this book after Stalin took power in Russia. Orwell had rejoiced at the Bolshevik Revolutions but when the reports of Stalin's brutality came out, he was upset.

The first half of the book was great, but I have to warn you that the second half was extremely disturbing and depressing. I had a hard time listening (audiobook) to the last two cassettes. I did finish the book, but it was difficult.

Even more than fifty years later, Orwell's words still have the power to affect the reader. '1984' is a valuable work that rings true.

A Warning For Society
George Orwell's classic novel, 1984 is one of the most thought-provoking books I have ever read. It deals with a totalitarian government that has complete control over the populace, right down to their thoughts! The government even has the Thought Police, which make sure everyone is doing everything solely for the benefit of the government. Telescreens constantly monitor them to make sure they are doing everything for the good of the "Party."

Orwell's novel illustrates the basic human need for freedom through the main character, Winston Smith who begins the dangerous practice of questioning the government and trying to find one of the main rebels of the government, Goldstein. The book tells of his struggle to overthrow the government and how he tries to rebel against it.

Orwell dives deep into the logic of how to control a populace under wartime conditions by constantly keeping them active for the cause of having their country win the war and not being able to think of any ulterior motives. He also shows how perpetually being at war helps to waste resources, so people have just enough to survive and won't become too comfortable. If they became too comfortable they might start thinking and thinking is dangerous to a totalitarian government. An example of how resources are wasted is any extra metal is used for ships or any extra rubber for raincoats, therefore making luxury obsolete.

He also writes about different totalitarian governments like Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia and where their mistakes were in attaining absolute power. He points out that both these regimes started off tough, but as time went on got laxer and laxer until the people revolted. Orwell also dives deep into government propaganda and how that shapes the attitude of humans by constantly bombarding them with one thing over and over until it becomes fact or reality. Through exploring the propaganda in 1984, he shows us the need to trust our government, but verify what it says in order that we won't get taken advantage of.

He also explores how, in his book, humans can be taught one thing, but when the government says so, switch to believing something totally opposite. He does this under a principle called doublethink. Two examples of this from the book are that people are taught 2+2=4 but then can switch to knowing 2+2=5, completely denying that it ever equaled 4. He also shows the importance of keeping accurate and undoctored records so that if an event occurred, the facts cannot be changed to hide blame or recognition or tossed down the memory hole, simply to be forgotten. This is done often in 1984 so that the government will always look right and infallible and people will always believe that they are.

In conclusion, this novel will profoundly change how you view government and will also make you realize how important your civil rights are. I would not recommend this book to anyone under 13 or 14 because it has some sexual content.

Hands down, the best book written in the last 100 years.
Anybody who has not read this book is depriving themselves of great literature. Not only does it depict a perfect example of a negative utopia, but it illustrates the way people were thinking at the time it was written. George Orwell is one of the best writers of all time, and this masterpiece is a prime example why. Once you crack open this book, you cannot put it down. Bottom line, you need this book.