Book review: 1984 by George Orwell | Fourth Dimension Club

Siddu Nirvana
Nov 13, 2018
2 min read

Updated: Aug 27, 2021

One of the most disturbing and most spellbinding vision of a totalitarian and bureaucratic world.

Author:

Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic whose work is marked by lucid prose, awareness of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism and outspoken support of democratic socialism.

Orwell wrote literary criticism, poetry, fiction and polemical journalism. In 2008, The Times ranked him second on a list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".

Review:

George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984 offers a nightmarish vision of a totalitarian system controlling people in every aspect imagined. Whatever people do, the state knows it. Working, eating, drinking, sleeping, talking, thinking, procreating...in short living, all are controlled by the state. Any hint of obedience or dislike can be detected by various state apparatus such as the Thought Police, Telescreen, or even your children, who will not hesitate to betray you to the authorities.

“If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.”

Language is changed according to the state convenience and will. Completely eradicating individuality and free will by limiting the use of language. And, past is manipulated constantly by erasing and rewritten into something else in order to strengthen the incumbent ruler. There is no real truth. The "truth" is what the state says it is.

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”

1984 world is divided into three states, originated from the ashes from World War II:

Oceania (British Isles, the Americas, Pacific, Australia), Eurasia (Europe & Russia), and Eastasia (the rest of it). Continuous warfare between these three states with similar ideologies is required to keep the society's order and peace. Freedom is slavery, means the only way to be free is by letting you lose yourself and to be integrated within the Party. That way, you'll be indestructible and immortal. Ignorance is strength, means the division on high, middle, low classes in society will never be changed. The middle wants to be the high and they'll act "on behalf of the low" to dethrone the high. Afterwards, a new middle class arises, all will change except the low. The high and middle make and uphold the law, the low (proletarian) is just too stupid to revolt. The state maintains its structure by torture, intimidation, violence, and brainwashing.

“War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”

Orwell's vision of a dystopian world with brutal totalitarian rule is absolutely a nightmare inducing and a depressing reading experience. Writings and visions of Orwell are really a gift for our mankind. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and highly recommend everyone to grab this one and Animal Farm novel by George Orwell as well.

My rating 4/5.