Title: 1984
Author: George Orwell
Pages: 279
Finished: December 31, 2017
First Sentence: It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
Summary: Is a summary really needed for this book? Perhaps so, considering I'd never read it and didn't really know much about it other than dystopia, Big Brother, and constant surveillance. Winston Smith, a member of the Outer Party of Ingsoc, finds himself dissatisfied with the current world order. He spends his days rewriting history, thinking dangerous thoughts, and constantly trying to hide whatever he is thinking. And then he has a forbidden love affair with another member of the Party.
Thoughts: It was disconcerting to see Oranges and Lemons pop up in this book. I learned it in Musikgarten classes where the last two lines don't exist. I don't think I'll be able to ever listen to the song again without feeling a supreme depression.
I don't see how Oceania could exist. Or perhaps more specifically, how Airstrip One (the former Great Britain) could exist as part of Oceania rather than part of Eurasia. I had a hard time believing that the Americas had a similar set up simply because we were reading about something on what felt like the outer rim of the territory.
This books was not what I thought it was. I knew it was a dystopia, but it seems that modern dystopias end with hope. A revolt by the downtrodden and an epilogue talking about rebuilding. There was no hope here. I spent the entire book waiting for there to be something, and instead I got a 50 page torture sequence and a speech about power is power and the terrifying idea that your thoughts aren't your own. I honestly felt sick to my stomach as I read this.
It's also really hard to read this as 2017 comes to a close and not make parallels with the current political climate in the United States at the moment.
Read as my classic club spin. I think I'm glad I read it, but this is not an experience I need to repeat ever again. Time for me to go read another Oz book so I end the year on something a little less upsetting.
I don't see how Oceania could exist. Or perhaps more specifically, how Airstrip One (the former Great Britain) could exist as part of Oceania rather than part of Eurasia. I had a hard time believing that the Americas had a similar set up simply because we were reading about something on what felt like the outer rim of the territory.
This books was not what I thought it was. I knew it was a dystopia, but it seems that modern dystopias end with hope. A revolt by the downtrodden and an epilogue talking about rebuilding. There was no hope here. I spent the entire book waiting for there to be something, and instead I got a 50 page torture sequence and a speech about power is power and the terrifying idea that your thoughts aren't your own. I honestly felt sick to my stomach as I read this.
It's also really hard to read this as 2017 comes to a close and not make parallels with the current political climate in the United States at the moment.
Read as my classic club spin. I think I'm glad I read it, but this is not an experience I need to repeat ever again. Time for me to go read another Oz book so I end the year on something a little less upsetting.
I read this as a teenager and remember it's bleakness to this day. I'm not desperate to read it and get depressed all over again, but would contemplate it, if only to see if the narrative and language were as good as it's reputation/notoriety. I agree, a hard book to consider in the present political climate.
ReplyDeleteI read this years ago and saw the stage play last year. It was depressing to see how relevant it still feels.
ReplyDelete