1984
WARNING: This post may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.
I recently finished reading 1984 by George Orwell.
This book is a work of speculative fiction written in the 1940's about what the author thought might happen if the popularity and power of totalitarian governments continued to grow after WWII. Winston Smith live in London, Oceania under the Party and its figurehead Big Brother. Winston is what the Party would call a thoughtcriminal, he hates the government. He meets Julia, another rebel, and the two begin an affair and talk of conspiring against the government. O'Brien, a member of the Inner Party, tells Winston that an underground rebel community known as the Brotherhood exists. As it turns out, the Brotherhood was only a trap to ensnare Winston and Julia, and likely many others. While in their secret room, Winston and Julia are arrested for thoughtcrime and brought to prison in the Ministry of Love. He is beaten and broken into conforming to the Party at the hands of O'Brien. Still his heart belongs to Julia so he is brought to Room 101 where he faces his greatest fear. In the end, Winston is a changed man.
I found that this book was intriguing, but I must admit that it read as a rather flat plotline until the end - it is especially dull when Winston is reading passages from the book. However, it was an interesting and well-written story. It is clear to see why a book with such a strong warning message has become a classic. Even today, it is plausible that a government could arise to pull off something like this. It should make some bells go off in your head when you read this and realize the realistic characteristics of the Oceania.
Julia was an odd character in my opinion. It seemed bizarre to me right from the start that she was, as Winston put it, only a rebel from the waist down. She claims that her fervent participation in Party activities are only a cover, yet she does not see the theoretical problems with the way that the government operates, nor does she notice the dangers of letting herself believe even some of what they say. Plus, I feel that she may not have loved Winston since they did not even know each other when she wrote the note to him, nor was he the first man she had been with in this manner. It also bothers me that she seemed so stubborn, yet was so utterly broken to the Party's will by the end of the book.
The last, and likely most obvious, thing that I would like to comment on is the end of the book. After going through the whole journey with Winston and seeing how hard he fought the Party, and how much effort it took him to be able to think the way they wanted him to, it is disappointing to see that he, too, is broken. It is a sad ending, implying that there is no hope left for anyone. After holding to his hope in every circumstance, it is all in vain. I know that George Orwell is proving a point by ending it like this, and yes, it is somewhat unexpected considering that the hero of a story rarely falls to his enemy or loses the fight, but I still would have liked to see him win out.
This book is a work of speculative fiction written in the 1940's about what the author thought might happen if the popularity and power of totalitarian governments continued to grow after WWII. Winston Smith live in London, Oceania under the Party and its figurehead Big Brother. Winston is what the Party would call a thoughtcriminal, he hates the government. He meets Julia, another rebel, and the two begin an affair and talk of conspiring against the government. O'Brien, a member of the Inner Party, tells Winston that an underground rebel community known as the Brotherhood exists. As it turns out, the Brotherhood was only a trap to ensnare Winston and Julia, and likely many others. While in their secret room, Winston and Julia are arrested for thoughtcrime and brought to prison in the Ministry of Love. He is beaten and broken into conforming to the Party at the hands of O'Brien. Still his heart belongs to Julia so he is brought to Room 101 where he faces his greatest fear. In the end, Winston is a changed man.
I found that this book was intriguing, but I must admit that it read as a rather flat plotline until the end - it is especially dull when Winston is reading passages from the book. However, it was an interesting and well-written story. It is clear to see why a book with such a strong warning message has become a classic. Even today, it is plausible that a government could arise to pull off something like this. It should make some bells go off in your head when you read this and realize the realistic characteristics of the Oceania.
Julia was an odd character in my opinion. It seemed bizarre to me right from the start that she was, as Winston put it, only a rebel from the waist down. She claims that her fervent participation in Party activities are only a cover, yet she does not see the theoretical problems with the way that the government operates, nor does she notice the dangers of letting herself believe even some of what they say. Plus, I feel that she may not have loved Winston since they did not even know each other when she wrote the note to him, nor was he the first man she had been with in this manner. It also bothers me that she seemed so stubborn, yet was so utterly broken to the Party's will by the end of the book.
The last, and likely most obvious, thing that I would like to comment on is the end of the book. After going through the whole journey with Winston and seeing how hard he fought the Party, and how much effort it took him to be able to think the way they wanted him to, it is disappointing to see that he, too, is broken. It is a sad ending, implying that there is no hope left for anyone. After holding to his hope in every circumstance, it is all in vain. I know that George Orwell is proving a point by ending it like this, and yes, it is somewhat unexpected considering that the hero of a story rarely falls to his enemy or loses the fight, but I still would have liked to see him win out.
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