Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell's chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, Orwell's narrative is timelier than...
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Dec 17, 2009
Dave
rated it: 
In George Orwell's 1984, Winston Smith is an open source developer who writes his code offline because his ISP has installed packet sniffers that are regulated by the government under the Patriot Act. It's really for his own protection, though. From, like, terrorists and DVD pirates and stuff. Like every good American, he drinks Coca-Cola and his processed food has desensitized his palate to all but four flavors: (sweet, salty-so-that-you-will-drink-more-coca-cola, sweet, and Cooler Ranch!(tm
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39 comments
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(245 people liked it)
Apr 08, 2010
Silvana
rated it:
WAR IS PEACE.
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY.
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
Those words keep sounding in my head since I read this book. Gosh, probably the most haunting not to mention frightening book I've ever read. 1984 should also be included in the horror genre.
1984 describes a Utopia. Not Thomas More's version of Utopia, but this is one is the antithesis, i.e. Dystopia. Imagine living in a country, whose leaders apply a totalitarian system in regulating their citi More...
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY.
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
Those words keep sounding in my head since I read this book. Gosh, probably the most haunting not to mention frightening book I've ever read. 1984 should also be included in the horror genre.
1984 describes a Utopia. Not Thomas More's version of Utopia, but this is one is the antithesis, i.e. Dystopia. Imagine living in a country, whose leaders apply a totalitarian system in regulating their citi More...
15 comments
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(110 people liked it)
Oct 04, 2010
John
rated it: 
1984 is not a particularly good novel, but it is a very good essay. On the novel front, the characters are bland and you only care about them because of the awful things they live through. As a novel all the political exposition is heavyhanded, and the message completely overrides any sense of storytelling. As an essay, the points it makes can be earthshaking. It seems everyone who has so much as gotten a parking ticket thinks he lives in a 1984-dystopia. Every administration that reaches for po
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29 comments
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(86 people liked it)
Feb 23, 2011
Bird Brian
rated it:
Heads up!
Let me be up-front admitting that this is one of those self-absorbed reviews that doesn't tell you much about the book itself, but rather my experience reading it. So much has been written about the contents and significance of 1984, I don't think I can add much there. I write about how it affected me because it did. A lot. And I remain grateful to George Orwell for writing it.
-Thanks also to Ceridwen, for the Listopia link that got me thinking about rewriting this rev More...
Let me be up-front admitting that this is one of those self-absorbed reviews that doesn't tell you much about the book itself, but rather my experience reading it. So much has been written about the contents and significance of 1984, I don't think I can add much there. I write about how it affected me because it did. A lot. And I remain grateful to George Orwell for writing it.
-Thanks also to Ceridwen, for the Listopia link that got me thinking about rewriting this rev More...
19 comments
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(62 people liked it)
Jan 19, 2012
Bird Brian
rated it:
CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH REVIEW*
(* entertainment purposes only)
For my real 1984 review: (click here)
1984 v. The Divine Comedy
(with apologies to Dante Alighieri)
Setting: an exotic bazaar somewhere. Joseph Stalin is perusing the stalls. He happens past George Orwell’s stall.
Orwell: You! You there! You seem to be looking for something! What’s your pleasure? Essays? Satire?
Stalin: (avoiding eye contact) [in a thick Russian accent] No. More...
(* entertainment purposes only)
For my real 1984 review: (click here)
1984 v. The Divine Comedy
(with apologies to Dante Alighieri)
Setting: an exotic bazaar somewhere. Joseph Stalin is perusing the stalls. He happens past George Orwell’s stall.
Orwell: You! You there! You seem to be looking for something! What’s your pleasure? Essays? Satire?
Stalin: (avoiding eye contact) [in a thick Russian accent] No. More...
37 comments
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(27 people liked it)
Sep 26, 2011
Bird Brian
rated it:
CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH REVIEW*
(* entertainment purposes only)
For my real 1984 review: (click here)
1984 v. Lolita
Setting: a dingy bar, empty, except for a bored-looking prole bartender, and a dejected Humbert Humbert (HH), who sits alone, shotglass in his hand, with a half-consumed bottle of INGSOC Vodka on the cheep wooden table in front of him. Humbert is staring into space, as the telescreen blares in the background, recounting the latest casualties from the More...
(* entertainment purposes only)
For my real 1984 review: (click here)
1984 v. Lolita
Setting: a dingy bar, empty, except for a bored-looking prole bartender, and a dejected Humbert Humbert (HH), who sits alone, shotglass in his hand, with a half-consumed bottle of INGSOC Vodka on the cheep wooden table in front of him. Humbert is staring into space, as the telescreen blares in the background, recounting the latest casualties from the More...
3 comments
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(24 people liked it)
Feb 02, 2012
Carlo
rated it:
Celebrity Deathmatch Review: 1984 vs. The Annotated Alice
Alice was sitting next to her sister, who was absent-mindedly gazing to the ground. They were sitting on a huge rock, in a drab and gloomy place once known as Hyde Park.
“What are you staring at?” asked Alice abruptly.
“Staring? What is ‘staring’?” asked her sister without moving her gaze.
“Staring means looking continuously at something without moving your eyes away, just like what you are doing now,” More...
Alice was sitting next to her sister, who was absent-mindedly gazing to the ground. They were sitting on a huge rock, in a drab and gloomy place once known as Hyde Park.
“What are you staring at?” asked Alice abruptly.
“Staring? What is ‘staring’?” asked her sister without moving her gaze.
“Staring means looking continuously at something without moving your eyes away, just like what you are doing now,” More...
8 comments
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(16 people liked it)
May 14, 2011
Lyndsey
rated it:
YOU. ARE. THE. DEAD. Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Or in Newspeak "Double Plus Good."
Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried.
This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and More...
Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried.
This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and More...
16 comments
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(34 people liked it)
Apr 24, 2011
Derrick
rated it: 
What a scary book. This is another one that seemingly everyone else read in highschool but somehow I managed not to. My favorite quote: "Orthodoxy means not thinking-not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness."
For me this book put a whole new spin on relativism, both moral and philosophical. The past doesn't actually exist in any concrete way, all that exists is evidence (i.e. the effects the present time has on the physical world that lasts into the future) and memory; More...
For me this book put a whole new spin on relativism, both moral and philosophical. The past doesn't actually exist in any concrete way, all that exists is evidence (i.e. the effects the present time has on the physical world that lasts into the future) and memory; More...
3 comments
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(19 people liked it)
Jan 22, 2012
الغِـيْـد
rated it:
صدمة. تحتاج وقتًا لاستعادة القدرة على كتابة ريفيو.
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عودة للريفيو، هذه الرواية تمثّل بكل صدق بيضة الديك :). هذه الرواية - كما نصّت صفحة الغلاف لهذه النسخة المترجمة للعربية - تُقرَأ ثُمَّ تُقرَأ من جديد.
تتناول الرواية الديكتاتورية في أبشع صورها، و تتناول الاستعمار "الفِكري" في أفضل صوره، بل و تصف سياسة التجسس في أروع صورها!
هي رواية تحلل الفِكْر السياسي و أداوت السيطرة و الحُكم و الحرب النفسية. لا توجد أي جزئية تستطيع أن تقول عنها أنها مملة في هذه الرواية. More...
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عودة للريفيو، هذه الرواية تمثّل بكل صدق بيضة الديك :). هذه الرواية - كما نصّت صفحة الغلاف لهذه النسخة المترجمة للعربية - تُقرَأ ثُمَّ تُقرَأ من جديد.
تتناول الرواية الديكتاتورية في أبشع صورها، و تتناول الاستعمار "الفِكري" في أفضل صوره، بل و تصف سياسة التجسس في أروع صورها!
هي رواية تحلل الفِكْر السياسي و أداوت السيطرة و الحُكم و الحرب النفسية. لا توجد أي جزئية تستطيع أن تقول عنها أنها مملة في هذه الرواية. More...
25 comments
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(12 people liked it)
Jan 30, 2012
K.D.
rated it:
Verdict After Re-reading:
After 2-1/2 years, I re-read this. Reason: First book that our Filipinos book club here in Goodreads had discussed face-to-face. This was last Saturday. It was a very interesting and stimulating discussion. We were 12: 7 boys and 5 girls. Ages ranged from 17 to 52. Corporate rats, an entrepreneur, a college student, etc and from different industries: IT, manufacturing, publishing, marine, service, oil, etc. Mostly single except for three. More...
Same Rating: 4 STARS
After 2-1/2 years, I re-read this. Reason: First book that our Filipinos book club here in Goodreads had discussed face-to-face. This was last Saturday. It was a very interesting and stimulating discussion. We were 12: 7 boys and 5 girls. Ages ranged from 17 to 52. Corporate rats, an entrepreneur, a college student, etc and from different industries: IT, manufacturing, publishing, marine, service, oil, etc. Mostly single except for three. More...
9 comments
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(22 people liked it)
May 10, 2011
Stephen
rated it:
I am a big fan of speculative fiction and in my literary travels I have encountered a myriad of dystopias, anti-utopias and places and societies that make one want to scream and.....
...(with or without contemporaneous loss of bladder and other bodily functions)....
Simply put, George Orwell's 1984 is unquestionably the most memorable and MOST DISTURBING vision of a world gone
24 comments
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(72 people liked it)
Jan 30, 2012
Amanda
rated it:
I've put off writing a review for 1984 because it's simply too daunting to do so. I liked 1984 even better after a second reading (bumping it up from a 4 star to a 5 star) because I think that, given the complexity of the future created by Orwell, multiple readings may be needed to take it all in. I thought it was genius the first time and appreciated that genius even more the second time.
Orwell had a daunting task: creating a future nearly half a century away from the time peri More...
Orwell had a daunting task: creating a future nearly half a century away from the time peri More...
2 comments
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(18 people liked it)
Oct 12, 2011
Mariel
rated it:
Celebrity Death Match Review takes tea with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
"It will be good for you. No one wants to be around you anymore, honestly. You will learn how to behave like a proper young lady should, to be a true sister in the sisterhood of our new country. In the meantime it will be unseen and unheard from you." Alice allowed herself to be led into the last door after a series of similar looking doors, all the same size with proper sized keyholes. She vaguely w More...
"It will be good for you. No one wants to be around you anymore, honestly. You will learn how to behave like a proper young lady should, to be a true sister in the sisterhood of our new country. In the meantime it will be unseen and unheard from you." Alice allowed herself to be led into the last door after a series of similar looking doors, all the same size with proper sized keyholes. She vaguely w More...
24 comments
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(17 people liked it)
Feb 06, 2008
Marty
rated it: 
This is one of those books that I had always meant to read, but never got around to. Finally, one of my college classes required it, so I was happy to pick it up, though not without some reserved skepticism beforehand. I knew it was one of those books that is constantly referred to by people who are paranoid about government and distrust everything the government does, which wouldn't really describe me, in general. But, I have to admit that Orwell's writing is masterful. Right from the start, th
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8 comments
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(28 people liked it)
Dec 17, 2009
Richard
rated it:
About two days ago, I wrote an entry about Schrödinger's Cat (among other things) in which I argued that the people who do end up making especially prescient observations distinguish themselves in a way that we should allow people to be distinguished. No where is that statement more relevant than in discussing George Orwell's (the nom de plume of Eric Blair) prophetic dystopian vision of totalitarianism: 1984.
Though the year 1984 has come and gone (hell, I was still wipping around wi More...
Though the year 1984 has come and gone (hell, I was still wipping around wi More...
Nov 08, 2009
theduckthief
rated it:
"The thought police would get him just the same. He had committed--would have committed, even if he had never set pen to paper--the essential crime that contained all others in itself. Thoughtcrime, they called it. Thoughtcrime was not a thing that could be concealed forever. You might dodge successfully for a while, even for years, but sooner or later they were bound to get you."
Written in 1949, this book is George Orwell's imagining of a dystopian future where Big Brother More...
Written in 1949, this book is George Orwell's imagining of a dystopian future where Big Brother More...
3 comments
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(17 people liked it)
Dec 17, 2009
Jason
rated it:
Any book or movie that has created a cultural point of reference is worth a look, by my estimation anyway.
For those of you who've heard the phrase "Orwellian" and never knew what it means, this book is a good place to start.
Before there was "The Matrix", "V for Vendetta", or virtually any other dreary view of a totalitarian future, there was 1984, George Orwell's bleak vision of a world under the thumb of a brutal, oppressive regime.
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For those of you who've heard the phrase "Orwellian" and never knew what it means, this book is a good place to start.
Before there was "The Matrix", "V for Vendetta", or virtually any other dreary view of a totalitarian future, there was 1984, George Orwell's bleak vision of a world under the thumb of a brutal, oppressive regime.
More...
Sep 16, 2011
Carlo
rated it:
Simple: Nineteen Eighty Four is a book that everyone should read. Not because it should be classified under non-fiction, nor because it explores entirely new aspects of human nature, and nor even because of the breathtaking imagination of George Orwell, but because of the simple fact that if we want to “survive,” it can be crucial for our survival and of our world as we know it.
One of my favorite books is The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky. I believe that human beings are capable More...
One of my favorite books is The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky. I believe that human beings are capable More...
11 comments
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(9 people liked it)
Nov 30, 2011
Shovelmonkey1
rated it:
Oooh Big Brother is everywhere. Actually, for a while in the UK that was true, but then they banned the stupid show and the air waves were temporarily safe from the tedious monotone gurnings of fame-hungy wannabes who paraded around in skimpy Primarni clothing attempting to "win the heart of the nation". I say temporarily safe because obviously the fame hungry overspill could not be contained (not a big enough lead lined bunker into which to chuck said fame-hungry f*ck wits) and so The
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4 comments
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(16 people liked it)
Feb 29, 2008
Anna
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
2 comments
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(12 people liked it)
Oct 04, 2011
CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH REVIEW*
(* entertainment purposes only)
1984 v. The Annotated Alice
The Mad Hatter shuffled furtively down the alleyway, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. He could feel sweat forming along the brim of his hat. If he stayed in the Proletariat Zone, he might be able to avoid suspicion. Approaching the intersection, he began to hear the stream of propaganda from a speaker mounted on the streetlight.
“We are at war with Wonderlan More...
(* entertainment purposes only)
1984 v. The Annotated Alice
The Mad Hatter shuffled furtively down the alleyway, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. He could feel sweat forming along the brim of his hat. If he stayed in the Proletariat Zone, he might be able to avoid suspicion. Approaching the intersection, he began to hear the stream of propaganda from a speaker mounted on the streetlight.
“We are at war with Wonderlan More...
17 comments
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(10 people liked it)
Sep 02, 2011
Stephen M
rated it: 
Sorry guys, I just couldn't finish this one. I made it about a 3/4 of the way through before throwing it at the ground in disgust.
The writing is just terrible. Simply terrible. A creative writing class would have done wonders for Mr. Orwell.
Because don't get me wrong, his ideas aren't bad. At this point in time, his ideas are a bit overdone and outdated, but at the time this was written they were fairly new. I say fairly new (see We by Yevgeny Zamyatin)
But I read novel More...
The writing is just terrible. Simply terrible. A creative writing class would have done wonders for Mr. Orwell.
Because don't get me wrong, his ideas aren't bad. At this point in time, his ideas are a bit overdone and outdated, but at the time this was written they were fairly new. I say fairly new (see We by Yevgeny Zamyatin)
But I read novel More...
17 comments
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(19 people liked it)
Nov 28, 2011
أحمد أبازيد
rated it:
" انتبه : الأخ الكبير يراقبك ! "
رواية صادمة تمثّل زلزالا للوعي و اللاوعي لدى كلّ من يقرؤها , هذه الرواية التي شكّلت ذروة عبقريّة جورج أورويل و تأثّره و تأثيره في الوعي العالمي و التاريخ الحديث .
الأخ الكبير عند أورويل له مرادفات في ثقافتنا العربية الراهنة ( مثلا : الأخ العقيد , القائد الخالد , القائد الضرورة ... أو الرئيس الشاب ! ) هذا الاختلاف في التسمية هو توافق عبقريّ في مأساويّته لدولة " أوقيانيا " مع دول مثل : سورية و العراق و ليبيا و تونس و مصر ... و باقي أن More...
رواية صادمة تمثّل زلزالا للوعي و اللاوعي لدى كلّ من يقرؤها , هذه الرواية التي شكّلت ذروة عبقريّة جورج أورويل و تأثّره و تأثيره في الوعي العالمي و التاريخ الحديث .
الأخ الكبير عند أورويل له مرادفات في ثقافتنا العربية الراهنة ( مثلا : الأخ العقيد , القائد الخالد , القائد الضرورة ... أو الرئيس الشاب ! ) هذا الاختلاف في التسمية هو توافق عبقريّ في مأساويّته لدولة " أوقيانيا " مع دول مثل : سورية و العراق و ليبيا و تونس و مصر ... و باقي أن More...
3 comments
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(8 people liked it)
Dec 07, 2010
Mashael
rated it:
قراءة 1984 تجربة جديدة بالنسبة لي(تجربة ثرية جداً)من عدة نواحي ,السياسه بكل مافيها كانت ولازالت سر غامض ولغز محير بالنسبة لي .
كلنا نثور بطريقة أو بأخرى على أساليب القمع التي تمارس علينا من أيٍ يكن كلنا لانملك أمام إنسانيتنا إلا أن نعيشها حتى إن كلفنا ذلك ان ندخل معركة خصمنا فيها الموت القوي الذي لايقهر وأنا أقرأ الرواية تذكرت مثل عربي (الحيطان لها ودان) وهذه "الودان" احيانا "تودي بدهيه" بالرغم من أننا نعرف بأن الحيطان بريئه وثمة تلفيق لتلك التهم التي تحاك للحيطا More...
كلنا نثور بطريقة أو بأخرى على أساليب القمع التي تمارس علينا من أيٍ يكن كلنا لانملك أمام إنسانيتنا إلا أن نعيشها حتى إن كلفنا ذلك ان ندخل معركة خصمنا فيها الموت القوي الذي لايقهر وأنا أقرأ الرواية تذكرت مثل عربي (الحيطان لها ودان) وهذه "الودان" احيانا "تودي بدهيه" بالرغم من أننا نعرف بأن الحيطان بريئه وثمة تلفيق لتلك التهم التي تحاك للحيطا More...
5 comments
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(9 people liked it)
Jun 08, 2010
Annalisa
rated it:
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
This book read more like a discourse on Orwell's dystopia than a picture of one. I know that's indicative of the time, but this one was excessively so. Orwell's style of writing was very dry and very much tell without a lot of show. He missed a lot of good opportunities to make this book real for me. Every time I became invested in the story and sure the next turn of events would make the story worth it, it was just more More...
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
This book read more like a discourse on Orwell's dystopia than a picture of one. I know that's indicative of the time, but this one was excessively so. Orwell's style of writing was very dry and very much tell without a lot of show. He missed a lot of good opportunities to make this book real for me. Every time I became invested in the story and sure the next turn of events would make the story worth it, it was just more More...
4 comments
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(10 people liked it)
Nov 15, 2008
Melody
rated it:
1984, George Orwell
Ok – so I’m probably the only one in the universe who didn’t read this in high school. This is a book that must be read, right? I knew the general premise of the book, big brother is watching you. But oh, how frightening it was! Big Brother was not only watching but he knew what you were thinking and when you were having sex and if you were having sex you better not be enjoying it; you better be just doing it to have a child. A child that would be trained to t More...
Ok – so I’m probably the only one in the universe who didn’t read this in high school. This is a book that must be read, right? I knew the general premise of the book, big brother is watching you. But oh, how frightening it was! Big Brother was not only watching but he knew what you were thinking and when you were having sex and if you were having sex you better not be enjoying it; you better be just doing it to have a child. A child that would be trained to t More...
4 comments
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(12 people liked it)
Jan 19, 2010
Nora
rated it:
I cannot count the number of times I was asked, "What's so special about the book 1984?" That question scared me, because this novel is so important. Beyond that, I was floored that some people had not at least heard of "1984" (which was first published in 1949). That is not a criticism of those who are guilty of this, but rather an indication of my incredulity, because the impact had on our culture by Orwell's genius, manifested in "1984", cannot be overstated.
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3 comments
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(13 people liked it)
Jun 12, 2007
Sammy
rated it:
I really don't feel I have the right to judge or criticize such a lasting, timeless book with such a strong message. But then again, I don't care so I'll do it. This book I feel is more relevant now than it ever has been before, though Orwell was writing it at a time to bring to light the dangers of "communism" and more specifically totalitarianism and facism. But right now, with the state of chaos and fear the world is in right now (especially America) I feel this book has an even str
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2 comments
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(11 people liked it)
Mar 14, 2009
Choupette
rated it:
I recently had a discussion with Manny about why I don't like this book very much, so this would be the fruits:
For the record, I don't dislike either Animal Farm or 1984, I just don't like them nearly as much as everyone else seems to, and so I was deeply disappointed. But my liking or disliking of them makes no difference to how important they are to literature and to many people, and I like to think I appreciate that importance.
I suspect it could have a lot to do with More...
For the record, I don't dislike either Animal Farm or 1984, I just don't like them nearly as much as everyone else seems to, and so I was deeply disappointed. But my liking or disliking of them makes no difference to how important they are to literature and to many people, and I like to think I appreciate that importance.
I suspect it could have a lot to do with More...
15 comments
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(6 people liked it)
