REVIEW: 1984 (George Orwell)

Book: 1984

Author: George Orwell

Premise: In the Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith 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. 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.

I'd been meaning to read this book for a long time and I'm glad I have finally done so. There were bits that I knew about in advance - who hasn't heard about Big Brother and Room 101. The story follows one man as he becomes disillusioned with the society he lives in and is lured into rebellion following a secret love affair.

I didn't realise how shocking the book was at points. George Orwell didn't shy away from the ugly parts of humanity - people being whipped up into angry frenzies and cheering at images of dead children. Truly horrific. What makes this book even scarier are the parallels to real life. While we may not have an exact copy of this totalitarian state, there are examples of different bits of it around the world and throughout (recent) history.

Really powerful book.