1984 by George Orwell — Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

Jan 27, 2014 Dave rated it 5 of 5 stars

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). H...more

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Dec 03, 2013 John Wiswell rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommends it for: Classics readers, political readers concerned with overreaches

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...more

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Dec 04, 2013 Silvana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: classics, own, top-20, dark-haunting

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 citizen, in the most extreme ways, which make Hitler...more 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 citizen, in the most extreme ways, which make Hitler, Mao, Stalin and that old bloke in V for Vendetta look like sissies.

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. Even language is modified in such ways that you cannot express yourself, since individualism is a crime.

The past is controlled, rewritten into something that will strengthen the incumbent ruler. Who controls the past, controls the future. Who controls the present, controls the past. There is no real truth. The "truth" is what the state says it is. Black is white, 2+2=5, if the state says so.

The world in 1984 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 those three (who hold similar ideologies) is required to keep the society's order and peace. Si vis pacem para bellum. That's describes the first slogan.

The second slogan, 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.

Blimey, Orwell's Animal Farm is already depressing, but 1984 gives "depression" a new meaning, at least for me.(less)

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May 10, 2011 Stephen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorites, 6-star-books, easton-press, audiobook, 1930-1953, world-in-the-shitter, science-fiction, favorite-ideas, literature, classics, classics-european

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 ~~mad~~ utterly bat-shit psycho that I have ever experienced. Ever!!! Despite being published back in 1948, I have yet to f...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Obaydah Amer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

هذه الرواية لا يجب أن تصنف أدبا ورواية وفنا وحسب ..
كلا .. هي أكبر من ذلك,
يجب أن تدرس كحالة مستعصية في علم الاجتماع وعلم السياسة .. !

عندما كتب جورج أورويل في الـ1949 كان متشائما لدرجة بعيدة لما سيؤول له العالم بعد 1984
نعم، ربما لم يتحقق ما قاله أورويل تماما، لكنه قد حصل بصورة موازية وشبيهة في كثير من المجتمعات الشمولية
لنتحدث عن سوريا مثلا :

الأخ الكبير : القائد الملهم والرئيس الشاب الدكتور بشار الأسد ..
أعضاء الحزب الداخلي: بعض المكونات الرئيسية للنظام
أعضاء الحزب الخارجي: حزب البعث
العامة: 19 مليون...more

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Dec 04, 2013 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kick-ass, book-club-made-me-do-it, blog

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 period in which he w...more 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 period in which he was writing. This future had to be its own complex, independent society, but it also had to be the natural end result of the totalitarianism Orwell witnessed in the communist and socialist regimes of World War II. That's part of the horror of 1984: this future is a recognizable one, even in the 21st century. It's easy to see how those in control can, through manipulation and propaganda, maintain that control simply for the sake of sating their own power hunger. It's easy to say "no one could ever tell me what to think or what to do," but the Party's use of Big Brother, the Thought Police, the Two-Minute Hate, and Doublethink make it easy to see how a person's ability to think independently and discern fiction from reality can be eroded when there is no touchstone to fact. Revising and rewriting the past to make certain that Big Brother and the Party are always correct has effectively eliminated historical accuracy. How can one think and reason in a society where everything is a fabrication?

Another facet of 1984 that I find fascinating is the relationship between Winston and Julia. Winston claims Julia is a "rebel from the waist down," engaging in promiscuity and hedonistic indulgences forbidden by the Party. She doesn't care about social injustice or defining "reality"; she only longs for what will make her feel good in the moment and only rebels far enough to get what she wants. By comparison, Winston is an intellectual rebel, constantly worrying over the issues of truth and freedom and the real, unvarnished past, but limited in how far he's willing to push the boundaries (until he meets Julia). Together, they make a complete rebellion--physical and mental, but apart they find themselves impotent to stand up to the Party.

A cautionary tale, social commentary, and exemplary example of dystopian fiction, 1984 is one of those perfect novels that not only entertains, but forces one to think about the danger associated with giving any one person or entity too much power or control over our lives--issues well worth consideration in post-9/11 America.

Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder (less)

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Jan 06, 2011 Lyndsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: about-dystopia-or-utopia, i-recommend, reviewed-2010, reviewed-2011, reviewed-5-stars, favorites, pov-primarily-male, 3rd-person-limited, experience, my-top-dystopian-or-utopian

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 economics, not to mention a fully...more

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Apr 15, 2012 أحمد أبازيد Ahmad Abazed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

" 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 أنظمتنا الثوريّة التي تأكلنا و تفتّ...more " 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 أنظمتنا الثوريّة التي تأكلنا و تفتّتنا و تسحقنا منذ عقود , هذا التوافق في سايكولوجية الاستبداد و خلق القطيع و و تنصيب الصنم للجماهير , و توجيه غضبها نحو الوجهة التي ترضي " الأخ الكبير " , هذا التوافق في مفهوم "الحقيقة" الذي تلعب على أوتاره كلّ الأنظمة الشموليّة لتختصر البلد و تاريخه و ثقافته و حضارته و حروبه و سلامه في العقليّة الجمعيّة بأفق الحزب الحاكم و الوثن الأعلى فيه . ( أتذكّر هنا شعارات مثل : عراق صدّام أو سورية الأسد !! ) ـ
كيف نصنع الخوف .. كيف نقتل التفكير .. كيف تمحو اللغة .. كيف نجمّد الزمن .. كيف نصنع حدود النظرة
:
" الله هو السلطة "
هذاكان شعار الحزب , و هو الشعار المطبّق في كلّ الأنظمة الشمولية , لا إله سوى السلطة .. تخلق ما تشاء و تقرّر ما تشاء و تفعل ما تشاء , ولا يعلم حدود الرئيس و قدرته إلّا هو , هو الواحد الأحد و الفرد الصمد المحيي المميت الرزاق القهّار وحده !
هذه الأنظمة لا تريد أن تحكمك و تنهبك فقط , إنّها تريد أن تمسخ إنسانيّتك لتكون مجرّد روبوت مسيّر بيدها و لذلك كتب ونستون في مذكّراته :
" هم يريدون أن يلغوا إنسانيّتك .. ولذلك فأن تحافظ على إنسانيّتك حتى موتك هو ما يعني انتصارك عليهم , حتى لو لم يؤدّ ذلك إلى أيّ نتائج ! "
لماذا نعذّب لماذا نسرق لماذا نستبدّ لماذا نقتل لماذا نحكم طيلة حياتنا ثمّ نورّث الجمهوريّة لأبنائنا ؟!:
" إننا ندرك أنه ما من احد يمسك بزمام السلطة و هو ينتوي التخلّي عنها , إن السلطة ليست وسيلة بل غاية , فالمرء لا يقيم حكما استبداديا لحماية الثورة , و إنما يشعل الثورة لإقامة حكم استبدادي , إن الهدف من الاضطهاد هو الاضطهاد , و الهدف من التعذيب هو التعذيب , و غاية السلطة هي السلطة ... هل بدأت تفهم ما أقول الآن ؟!! "
هذا جواب أوبراين !
1984 رواية يجب على كلّ عربيّ أن يقرأها ليرى رموزه و أصنامه مرسومة , و ليجد نفسه أيضا مرسوما داخلها كما شاءت أنظمة الثورة و حكم الحزب الواحد و الفرد الواحد .
1984 بكلّ ما تنبّا و كتب و تعمّق و حلّل أورويل فيها عمل عبقريّ يقرأ و يقرأ و يقرأ .
الشيء الوحيد الذي لم يتوقّعه أورويل : هو أن التونسيّين و المصريين و اليمنيين و الجزائريين ( و آمل أن أكتب فيما بعد و السوريين و اللليبيّين... و .. و.. الخ ) سوف يثبتون بدمهم و حرّيتهم خطأ " النهاية " !!!ـ(less)

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Aug 02, 2014 Mohammed Arabey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Note I've found and I honestly and totally agree with :)
description

وبصراحة , لم اتوقع أبدا وقت ان وضعت تلك الصورة "ان هذه الرواية تحذير وليست بدليل" انها ستقلب بجد وتبقي دليل للحكومات العربية لمراقبة مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي
_________________________________________
**تحذير هام جدا**
هذا الريفيو القادم متأثرا بـ"ازدواجيه التفكير" بشده و يعاني منها بشكل خطير
فأذا لم تقرأ الروايه فستستشعر ان صاحب الريفيو "مجنونا" اما اذا قد قرأتها فستتيقن انه حتما يعاني من الجنون
=======*****=======
عشقت هذه الروايه لدرجه الكر...more

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Dec 04, 2013 Fahad rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, favorites

1984

نشر أورويل هذه الرواية بعد أربع سنوات من نشر روايته (مزرعة الحيوان)، كانت مزرعة الحيوان عن انهيار الحلم الشيوعي، وتبعثره على يد الستالينيين، وكيف أن المجتمع الشيوعي أصبح أسوأ بكثير من المجتمع الرأسمالي، وأنه ليست أرزاق العمال والفلاحين المهددة الآن تحت ظل الشيوعية، وإنما حرياتهم بل وحياتهم ذاتها.

احتاج النظام السوفييتي إلى عشرين عام فقط بعد الثورة (1917 – 1937 م)، ليظهر أقبح وجوهه في مهزلة محاكمات موسكو، وحملات التطهير التي قتل فيها ما يقترب من المليوني شخص في الاتحاد السوفييتي، فلذا عندما...more 1984

نشر أورويل هذه الرواية بعد أربع سنوات من نشر روايته (مزرعة الحيوان)، كانت مزرعة الحيوان عن انهيار الحلم الشيوعي، وتبعثره على يد الستالينيين، وكيف أن المجتمع الشيوعي أصبح أسوأ بكثير من المجتمع الرأسمالي، وأنه ليست أرزاق العمال والفلاحين المهددة الآن تحت ظل الشيوعية، وإنما حرياتهم بل وحياتهم ذاتها.

احتاج النظام السوفييتي إلى عشرين عام فقط بعد الثورة (1917 – 1937 م)، ليظهر أقبح وجوهه في مهزلة محاكمات موسكو، وحملات التطهير التي قتل فيها ما يقترب من المليوني شخص في الاتحاد السوفييتي، فلذا عندما نشر أورويل كتابه هذا في سنة 1949 م، كان يتوقع بأن 35 سنة كافية ليتحول العالم كله إلى الصورة المرعبة التي رسمها في روايته هذه، حيث تنقسم الكرة الأرضية إلى ثلاث دول فقط، إيستاسيا وهي الدولة التي تضم بلاد شرق آسيا وجنوبها من الصين واليابان والهند وغيرها من الدول المحيطة، وأوراسيا وهي الدولة التي تسيطر على روسيا وأوروبا، وأوقيانيا التي تسيطر على الأمريكتين والجزيرة البريطانية.

بطل الرواية وينستون سميث خمسيني يعيش في لندن ضمن حدود دولة أوقيانيا، والتي يسيطر عليها حزب وحيد يقوده الأخ الأكبر، والذي يحمل ملامح ستالينية لا يمكن أن يخطئها القارئ، الأخ الأكبر تتمحور حوله عبادة الشخصية كما ظهرت في الفترة الستالينية، وصوره في كل مكان من الدولة، وتحتها العبارة الشهيرة (الأخ الأكبر يراقبك)، وطيلة الرواية لا ندري هل الأخ الأكبر موجود أم لا؟ ربما يكون ميتاً منذ زمن بعيد، ولكن عبادة الشخصية تحوله إلى كائن أسطوري خالد، وتمحور كل شيء حول شخصه، وهي حالة مخزية جداً، لازالت موجودة في واقعنا المعاصر وإن بدرجات متفاوتة، ومثالها البارز كوريا الشمالية.

نتعرف مع وينستون على الحالة الغريبة التي وصل إليها ذلكم المجتمع الشمولي، حيث أربع وزارات تدير البلد، وزارة السلم وهي المسئولة عن الحرب، وزارة الوفرة وهي المسئولة عن الاقتصاد، الذي نعرف من خلال الرواية أنه بعيد تماماً عن الوفرة، وزارة الحقيقة وهي مشابهة لوزارة الإعلام ولكنها متخصصة في نشر الأكاذيب والشائعات، وأخيراً وزارة الحب وهي الوزارة المرعبة التي تشرف على شرطة الفكر، وعلى عمليات التعذيب المنهجية للمعارضين، والتي تتابع الناس من خلال شاشات الرصد الموجودة في كل مكان حتى في منازل أتباع الحزب.

قد تبدو لنا تسمية الوزارات ساخرة، حيث تقوم كل وزارة بمهام معاكسة لاسمها، ولكننا نكتشف أن وراء التسمية فلسفة رهيبة، هي فلسفة التفكير المزدوج، التي يحاول الحزب من خلالها قتل كل فكر مناهض، هذه الفلسفة نفهمها ونفهم المراد منها في الفصول الأخيرة من الرواية.

في هذا المجتمع المخيف، يحاول وينستون المشوش، والذي يعمل في وزارة الحقيقة، حيث يقوم بمهام تعديل الأخبار القديمة لتتوافق مع معطيات الحاضر، وهي مهمة يحرص عليها الحزب ليتلاعب بالتاريخ ويجعله يأتي وفقاً لفلسفته وخططه، يحاول وينستون البحث عن الحقيقة، التساؤل، هل كان الأمر هكذا دائماً؟ لا يوجد ذاكرة للمجتمع، لقد تلاعب بها الحزب، أعاد كتابة التاريخ ليجعله يبدأ من الثورة التي أتت بالحزب، وسلطته على رقاب الناس، فلذا صار وينستون لا يعرف إلا أطياف من المعلومات عن أوضاع ما قبل الثورة، ما قبل الحزب، وفي رحلته في البحث عن الحقيقة، تنشأ قصة حب خفية بينه وبين جوليا، وهي فتاة من الحزب، تتظاهر بأنها مؤمنة بالمبادئ قلباً وقالباً، ولكنها هي من يقود وينستون في قصة الحب هذه التي يخفيانها عن شاشات الرصد، وعن شرطة الفكر.

في أثناء هذا يلتقي وينستون بأوبراين، أحد قادة الدائرة الداخلية للحزب، والذي يكشف له أنه مؤمن بأفكار عدو الحزب الأساس (عمانوئيل جولدشتين)، والوصف الذي يعطينا إياه المؤلف لجولدشتين هذا يذكرنا بتروتسكي، يمني أوبراين وينستون بثورة قادمة، ويعطيه كتاباً لجولدشتين يقرؤه وينستون أثناء لقاءاته بجوليا.

يتم القبض على وينستون وجوليا أثناء أحد لقاءاتهما، حيث يكتشفان أنهما كانا مراقبين منذ البداية، وأن كل ما فعلاه رصدته شرطة الفكر، بل والأسوأ هو أن أوبراين ذاته من شرطة الفكر، وهو من سيتولى تعذيب وتحطيم شخصية وينستون.

يصف لنا المؤلف وبدقة التعذيب الذي يتعرض له وينستون، وهو ليس تعذيب جسدي فقط، وإنما هو عملية منهجية يتم فيها غسل دماغ وينستون، وتلقينه التفكير المزدوج الذي يجعله يصدق أن 2 زائد 2 يساوي خمسة عندما يقول له الحزب ذلك، لا يكفي أن يقولها خوفاً، لا... وإنما يجب أن يؤمن بها في قلبه، وهذا هو الطريق الذي سيحمله إلى محبة الأخ الأكبر.

هذه العملية المرعبة نتابع نتائجها المؤلمة على وينستون حتى النهاية، المرعب هو أننا نعرف من خلال التاريخ أن أورويل لم يبتكر كل هذا، فبرامج التعذيب هذه مطبقة خلال الفترة السوفياتية، حتى أن المعذبين كانوا عندما يعدمون، يبكون، لا على أنفسهم، وإنما لأنهم يشعرون بأنهم خذلوا الأخ الأكبر، خذلوا الزعيم الأبدي.
(less)

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Aug 28, 2013 Carlo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, english-literature, to-be-read-again, language

Simple: Nineteen Eighty Four is a book 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 of doing what Dos...more Simple: Nineteen Eighty Four is a book 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 of doing what Dostoyevsky outlined and the world would be a far better place if they do. I can surmise that it is my favorite book because it talks about the world as I want it and think that it should be. But the perfect world can be entirely different for each and every one of us, and that's why I don't see as a necessity for everyone to read that book. But 1984 talks exactly about the opposite and in this lies the reason why I think everyone should read it: it talks about a world surely enough nobody wants to live in. Dostoyevsky’s world can be realized with enormous effort, whereas Orwell’s can be realized when no effort is done to change it from what it has become.

Readers of the book can argue that a world like that of the book would never be realized, given the “civilized” state we live in. I disagree and my counter argument is that the world the book discusses is imminent if not already here. Every tool of surveillance Orwell is talking about has an equivalent in our world today; The characteristics of Newspeak can be found in at least all the languages I speak; Every act of deception he talked about has been performed in some countries around the world if not in all of them. In short: everything he talked about is relevant to the our world more than anything.

One of the most interesting parts of the book is that of language. It shows how alteration of language can consequently alter thought and how for example the use of adjectives is crucial for being creative and able to use one’s imagination. Orwell also points out that the “simplification” of language affects the mind and its ability to think objectively.

Another interesting topic here is emotion. The book is filled about how emotions evolve and how someone can control them within oneself and others. In astonishing and smart prose, Orwell elucidates the means by which it is possible to erase love, plant hatred, induce respect, and even kindle belief of an idea. The book also recognizes the importance of sex along with other human instincts, such as the longing to be free, in shaping societies.

I think the book deserves more than the buzz it gets, along with its author. He was one of the smartest people I met in literature and reading this book was definitely one of the best reading experiences I’ve had.(less)

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Oct 15, 2013 Stephen M rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: overrated, time-100, you-can-do-better-than-me

I once had a really inane and unintelligent review here that drew some trolls and unwanted attention, so I took down that review because I generally hate any kind of negativity and it makes me extraordinarily anxious to have any kind of criticism (constructive or destructive) pop up on my ticker feed on a semi-regular basis (I don't really need that); and it's especially disheartening when that criticism deals with a book that so many intelligent people love. I hope that one day I will return to...more I once had a really inane and unintelligent review here that drew some trolls and unwanted attention, so I took down that review because I generally hate any kind of negativity and it makes me extraordinarily anxious to have any kind of criticism (constructive or destructive) pop up on my ticker feed on a semi-regular basis (I don't really need that); and it's especially disheartening when that criticism deals with a book that so many intelligent people love. I hope that one day I will return to this book and really grasp what it is that so many people love about it, but until that day, I suppose I can continue bashing it to the discomfort of all of us. My main issue at the time was that the book wanted to argue about these political ideas through a story, and it left me wondering why a story was even necessary in the first place. I think I was pretty reductive in my approach to works that combine artistic expression and politics. However I thought that if the author really wanted to convey a point about a political or social issue, why not resort to the good old, syllogism and debate format? I think the answer to this should be obvious; it should make me look blatantly particularly provocative for having made that point. The reason why it’s a book is because it has reached such a wider audience as a work of fiction, than if it were to be a political essay (which probably would reach only a handful of those in academia and those working in that field of study). It’s hard to deny the impact that this book has had, and how many people it's reached. Who doesn’t use the terms “double-think” or “big brother” when discussing any issues involving oppressive bureaucratic systems, or other similarly related issues? (This doesn’t change that the fact that the book has really boring characters and the writing is bland as hell (and it especially doesn’t change the fact that I love literature that is focused on character and language which is well out of Orwell’s wheelhouse, but I can’t hate on Mr. Orwell too much because the late, great Bonnie, had such affection for him and let’s face it: she was a far more intelligent and thoughtful reader than I was or will be!))

It was aspects of its simplicity that I resisted. And not just the simplicity of prose and character, but the simplicity of us versus them, the people vs. Big Brother.

I’d like to hear 1984 written from the perspective of Big Brother. The dynamics of government, government control, and the temptation of power is what most interests me the most. I think it’s easy for us, mere individuals and lowly citizens on the bottom of the food chain, to abstract a single oppressive entity, the single “big brother” which has its own motivations and intentions acting as its own agent which oppresses us. But this misses out on a large portion of the truth. Any oppressive system (barring outright Monarchs) came about from a large complicated set of cause and effect which makes it difficult to point to any one person or party who is culpable. I’m sure all the reasons behind any given dictum or law, are extremely complex and this complexity has to render incomprehensible any abstracted notion of a singular entity with nefarious intentions behind it. (Hey Otis, am I still on topic, by the way?!?!)

I’d like to hear that story because I think that no matter which perspective you take on any difficult, community-wide (society-wide) issue, it will be seen as “us versus them”; you’ll never get to the real source of what causes all these problems and issues no matter the perspective because you'll see it through the eyes of one person caught up in a society-wide issue (I think this was what Kafka was expressing through a lot of his work).

I’d like to put this idea out there because certain fanaticism, while understandable, can get a little out of hand. This says nothing about the rights and wants of any one person or individual within the system, by the way. It says nothing about submitting to authority merely because the dynamics operating within that authority is complicated. I just feel that this is a piece of the puzzle that’s often left out of the conversation (and left out of this book!) What are big brother’s intentions? And how did these rules come about? What conditions brought about these decisions and dictums? What is it about a society that resulted in such oppressive and strict rules?

I’d like to read that part of 1984. Maybe Orwell will write a sequel. (less)

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Jun 30, 2012 Jonathan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books-to-read-before-you-die, classic-literature, personal-favourites, science-fiction, popularity-contest, dystopian, books-with-films

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."

It is with these words that the reader is introduced to the ludicrousness of this astounding novel. A highly visionary novel in which Eric Blaire, otherwise known by the pseudonym George Orwell, creates a disturbing picture of the future. Although one cannot approach this novel by perceiving that this is the world Orwell believed would pass. Rather his dystopian masterpiece serves to provide a warning to the generation of...more

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Sep 20, 2014 Kat Stark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: unconventional-fun

Hands-down, one of the best dystopian novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

You won't understand this really unless you've read the book. There are tons of reviews already, so...high school reminiscence time!:

To Myself,

I just finished the last work of the day. It seems that there is always more and more coming now that Hate Week is on its way. The fiction department is a nice place to work at, but so hard to keep track of sometimes. I have to be the perfectionist and this is the only w...more

Hands-down, one of the best dystopian novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

You won't understand this really unless you've read the book. There are tons of reviews already, so...high school reminiscence time!:

To Myself,

I just finished the last work of the day. It seems that there is always more and more coming now that Hate Week is on its way. The fiction department is a nice place to work at, but so hard to keep track of sometimes. I have to be the perfectionist and this is the only way to outsmart them. I have to continue being one of their little "pure" women. It feels like everything is spinning out of control and I have to maintain my balance with a letter or journal of some sort. I've managed to steal some paper and ink from my department, so I hope that maybe one day, someone will know my story.

I have not been able to contact "W" in a while; it's been a week and I really need him. I need a release, because all of these activities are overwhelming. He's such a dear and I feel comfortable in our hiding spot. I still feel the need to change it seeing as how we go there so often, but he seems to adore the place. We treat it as a home rather than a hiding spot. I've been with other men before, but never one to be so against the party. I actually think that he believes in the Brotherhood, as if something like that could ever exist in this world. The only think they spread is lies. I bet there isn't even a war going on, just rocket bombs for the sake of frightening others.

Sometimes he gets boring--"W" I mean. He was chattering no and on about his mother one time and I tried not to fall asleep. I like him when he's not talking; less talk, more action. He may be a little on the older side and he may not be physically attractive, but he's good enough to make me feel good. I've exceeded pleasure before, but it's so hard lately to find a man that doesn't abide by the rules. They are such cowards and yet I know that they can't help their human nature. Some men can't go on living with the thought of just human sexual contact. I say that as long as you're safe and have many hiding places, then it's okay. The thing is not getting caught in the situation.

I've always been good with planning and making sure that everything is done the right way. "W" leaves me to do all the work because of my dedication. He keeps talking about the future and such, but I don't really care much for it. Though, I'm starting to believe in what he says. I'm starting to believe that time is running out and it's quite frightening. I'm not sure if anyone will ever read this, but I felt that I should express my feelings slightly. Anyway, I won't mention much except for how I feel. I'll probably end up destroying this anyway.

Sincerely,

J(less)

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Mar 06, 2008 Derrick rated it 4 of 5 stars

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; both of which ca...more

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Sep 21, 2013 Rowena rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: banned-book-challenges, dystopia, favourite-authors, orwell

“Everything faded into mist. The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth.” - George Orwell, 1984

It’s been over 5 years since I last read 1984 and I still find the storyline as horrific as ever. It's terrifying to think of a world in which your own children are spies for the government and can turn you in, where cameras are watching you 24/7, where one could be accused of committing a "facecrime" or having an "ownlife", a world in which we live nervously worrying about...more “Everything faded into mist. The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth.” - George Orwell, 1984

It’s been over 5 years since I last read 1984 and I still find the storyline as horrific as ever. It's terrifying to think of a world in which your own children are spies for the government and can turn you in, where cameras are watching you 24/7, where one could be accused of committing a "facecrime" or having an "ownlife", a world in which we live nervously worrying about whether the sensitive machinery that is watching you will pick up an increase in heartbeat that may incriminate us.

When I first read this book I imagined a similar dystopic world taking place in a Communist country or perhaps in a dictatorship like the one so many of my relatives were raised in. Now I realize it could just as well take place in a so-called democracy under several guises, and that’s the scary part. My mind did wander quite a bit while I was reading this book, thinking of the eerie possibilities, trying to find parallels between what I was reading and what I was observing in society. We are witnessing so much propaganda which may not be as obvious as some of the hilarious pro-Stalin and pro-Mao posters that I’ve seen online and in history books, but it’s there in an often subtler form.

I think one of the scariest parts for me was seeing how language can be used to manipulate and control:

“All that was needed was an unending series of victories over your own memory.’ Reality control’, they called it: in Newspeak, ‘doublethink.’

Language is definitely becoming more simplified and some of the words that are making it into the dictionary are just laughable.

I kept thinking about the following Virginia Woolf quote while reading this book:

“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.” - Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own

Freedom of mind is something I take for granted. We all want to believe we’re untouched by all this propaganda but are we really? Yes, this is definitely a cautionary tale. I wonder how many are listening.(less)

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May 26, 2014 Saud Omar rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

تنبيه :في مراجعة الرواية هذه لا يوجد حرق للرواية. في هذه المراجعة يتم استعراض عقدة الرواية الأساسية. كل ما كٌتب هنا بدا لي أنه سوف يجعلك تقرأ الرواية بشكل أفضل. هذه المراجعة كٌتبت خصيصاً لأولئك الذين لم يقرءوا الرواية بعد

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من مدونتي: ثمانون كتابا بحثا عن مخرج

www.80k.me

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صدرت رواية “1984″ في عام 1949, وهي رواية سياسية دسيوتوبية, ومصطلح “يوتوبيا” يعني “العالم المثالي”, أو بالأخص “الحضارة المثالية” وخصوصاً في الجانب السياسي والاجتماعي منها, ومصطلح “دسيوتوبيا” يشير للفكرة المعاكسة من ذلك؛ والتي تع...more

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Sep 20, 2010 فـــــــدوى rated it 5 of 5 stars

أي كاتب يستطيع الكتابة عن الحاضر ..
والكاتب المثقف يستطيع الكتابه عن التاريخ ...عن الماضي
لكنهم قله هم الكتاب الذين يستشرفوا المستقبل ...
حيث يدخل الكاتب في رهان مع الزمن لأثبات نظريته ...
جورج أرويل أمتلك رؤيه كامله وضحها في هذه الروايه ...
الكثير مما توقع نستطيع أن نلمسه اليوم في حياتنا ...

قد يرعبنا أنعكاس صورنا في المرآه ...

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Mar 18, 2013 mark monday rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: after-the-fall, these-fragile-lives

'tis the season...

13 T A L E S O F T E R R O R: BOOK 9

yikes, the gloomiest of dystopias, the driest of writing, plus the inevitable sardonic twist ending to make your heart shrivel. an unhappy classic. read this while listening to the totally inappropriate eurythmics soundtrack and your mind will break too! mine sure did. ah, college.

☭ ☭ ☭ ☭ ☭ ☭ ☭

since the idea of rereading 1984 sounds about as exciting to me as living in the novel 1984, i have decided to instead review the wondrous semi-aborted soundtrac...more

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Feb 06, 2008 Marty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: school-bookshelf

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...more 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, the world he presents is mesmerizing. I think I am safe in saying that in the first third of the book, almost nothing happens. Yet, I can also say that the first third of the book was just as interesting as any of the action that comes later. Every detail, every description, every movement is analyzed in the most fascinating way. Orwell is no idiot. He has that very rare ability of few great authors to show the workings of the inner mind of man in such a true and believable way that you very well believe that he could look at you and know what you are thinking. After the first third of the book, when the story actually progresses, it gets exciting almost in the way that a thriller does. You keep on wondering what move will be next and how the character is going to strategize the demise of the enemy. Then the last third of the book is a devastating, but still masterful analysis of the human mind, free will, and reality. At almost every stage, Orwell presents his ideas with a written clarity that is a language all in its own. In spite of this whole experience and my recognition at how skillful the writing and analysis was, I cannot say that I liked the book, or even if I would recommend it. The main reason for this is that I believe Orwell cheated at the end. The protagonist was putting up a fight against the machine, and in spite of its all-powerful, seemingly omnipotent status, he held off. Now, Orwell had two options. The protagonist either would capitulate under the increasingly intelligent pressure put on by the oppressor, or he would outlast and maintain his own free will to the end. I think that the ending Orwell chose was contrived, and what he did to get the protagonist there was unbelievable. Maybe it's my own principles or feelings, but I suspect that if Orwell had done it well enough, I would have at least respected his approach. But as it is now, I had to shake my head and say to myself: No. That's not true to human nature. I don't buy that. And what's worse, I felt that Orwell must have known that himself. His writing was too brilliant before, too logical, too well-reasoned. The person who wrote all of that can't possibly believe in this moment either. So, I suspect, that in order to get the ending that he wanted, he contrived the tipping point and then returned to his brilliant form to bring the story to its conclusion. One misstep is a harsh way to judge a truly exemplar book, but I believe that it was a key moment and it unravels all the true elements Orwell had so carefully set up before. Overall, however, it would be difficult to say to not read the book, because this type of writing and insight is difficult to come by. So if you are looking for a meaty intellectual treat, read it. But don't let him cheat you in the end. (less)

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Apr 30, 2010 Annalisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia, classics, speculative, sci-fi

For concept, Orwell gets 5 stars for being the father of dystopias. No dystopia since has reached the level of creepiness that he has. Unfortunately, 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 su...more For concept, Orwell gets 5 stars for being the father of dystopias. No dystopia since has reached the level of creepiness that he has. Unfortunately, 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 of the same dry, intellectual writing.

Having said that, his dystopia is pretty creepy and the opening line one of my favorites ever: "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." I liked the concept of doublethink and how easy it is for the mind to alter its reality and belief. History exists only in memory and is therefore not a solid reality. The idea of bleakness and control and the fascist creed of the State were very thought-provoking if not well executed. I would have liked more exploration into the effects of these concepts instead of lectures on them.

Interestingly enough, the moment I lost faith in this society ever overthrowing its totalitarian government was when I discovered that it encompassed the entire world. That there was no diversity of government showed that ultimate power had already been gained, both in a macro and a micro sense. While disturbing in theory, I wish I had been shown more of Winston's transition in the end. If I had taken the journey with him, it would have been powerful. As it was, I felt rather empty myself of the loss since I never made much of a connection to Winston.

Definitely worth the read if for anything for the warnings inherent in Orwell's society. This hit especially close to home, the way in which people (politicians more than anyone) turn words around so everything is the opposite of what it seems:

War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength(less)

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Jan 30, 2012 K.D. Absolutely rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1001-core, dystopian, 501

Verdict After Re-reading:

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. Mostly Catho...more

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Nov 03, 2013 Sarah (Warning: Potentially Off-Topic) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopias, orwell, in-italian

(This review refers to the Italian translation)

Operating on the principle that l'ignoranza non è forza, I wanted to read some books in Italian before taking a trip to Italy in a few months. My Italian is rusty, to put it mildly. 1984 may seem like a strange choice of Italian reading material (view spoiler), but I found an ebook version of it and figured since I’ve read it a gazillion times, it wouldn’t matter too much if I occasional...more

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Mar 22, 2013 MJ Nicholls rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, sassysassenachs, penguin-classics, nonreviews

So much to be ANGRY about! If you ever conquer your nagging self-hatred, there is a whole world of untamed FURY waiting to be discovered. People—rich ones, conceited ones, selfish ones, hateful ones, abusive ones, thick ones—everyone is a potential GEYSER of rage!

Fortunately, your self-hatred is strong for now, otherwise you would have to confront the wankers in suits who snubbed the homeless outside the bank, leaving downtrodden debtors to fit the bill; or the woman who strutted with self-regar...more So much to be ANGRY about! If you ever conquer your nagging self-hatred, there is a whole world of untamed FURY waiting to be discovered. People—rich ones, conceited ones, selfish ones, hateful ones, abusive ones, thick ones—everyone is a potential GEYSER of rage!

Fortunately, your self-hatred is strong for now, otherwise you would have to confront the wankers in suits who snubbed the homeless outside the bank, leaving downtrodden debtors to fit the bill; or the woman who strutted with self-regarding arrogance along the pavement; or the smirking busker who strummed crap indie covers outside the library who was probably a middle-class cock named Tim up from his country estate to slum it in a well-appointed Blackford flat while at uni before taking a managerial role in his father’s corporation; or the single mother whose only purpose in life was to push her spawn around by saying their names over and over in a shrill English accent until they erupted in bus-consuming screams; or the old men who stumbled out pubs and staggered to the betting shop, forever trapped in cycles of mindless gambling and alcohol consumption as though art, music, books didn’t exist and the world was one bronchitic catarrhy wheeze-cough; or the billboards for unfunny comedies with wax-faced gurning hasbeen multi-zillionaires; or the people who walked through life blissfully unaware of the contempt and indifference with which they were treated by the corporations that took their money to butcher penguins and pauperise small businesses and abuse starving children in third-world sweatshops so everything looked nice in the display window; or the perpetually corrupt chav-baiting governments that took backhanders from devil-fucking corporations that ruled the world by exploiting and bending the law to make their wallets fatter, dishing out lies whenever convenient to flatter the stakeholders’ greed; or the impudent people from all walks of life so bound up in their own petty needs and wants they would never think to lift a finger to help anyone, or who begrudged giving the tiniest morsel to charity because the self-pleasure impulse was so strong it inconvenienced them to have to dig into their pockets; or the people who filled themselves up with soulless entertainment like commercial pop music and defended their right to pollute the world with their tastes at the expense of suppressing all art with proper value with the capacity to move people in deep heart-shattering ways through hard-wrought artistry, not cheap sentiment; or an interminably dreary future of call centre dystopias where everyone is programmed to deliver peerless customer service and hawk tat for bonuses; or a world akin to ancient Egypt where the cat is venerated over all humans and more deserving of our attention than genocide, famine, war, drought, ecological disasters, and so on; or a world where INDIFFERENCE and GREED were so rampant there wasn’t even a good reason to drag one’s weary carcass out of bed in the morning to face it all again.

So many things to get ANGRY about! How do you even begin to cope with all that?! (less)

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Sep 23, 2014 Manny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts, celebrity-death-match, pooh-dante

For the Celebrity Death Match Review Tournament, Lolita (11) versus 1984 (22)

- You sent for me, sir?

- Yes. Smith, Winston?

- That's right sir.

- Alright, Smith, sit down. I have an assignment for you. It's a little unusual.

- Yes sir.

- How do you feel about pedophiles, Smith?

The rest of this review is available elsewhere (the location cannot be given for Goodreads policy reasons)

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Aug 03, 2014 Yousra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: اكتشافي-مكتبة-روايات-الشباب, dystopia, favorites

أردت بشدة مفاجأة الأصدقاء هنا على الجودريدز بقولٍ مثل: هل تعتقدون أنني سأكتب مراجعة لهذا الكتاب المخيف ومن ثم لا أعلم ماذا يحدث لي بعدها في عالم منفتح ومع ما يزيد على ١٠٠٠ شخص لا أعرف منهم سوى عدد محدود من الأصدقاء الذين قابلتهم في الحياة الحقيقية وإن كان كل شخص تقريبا في دائرة تعاملاتي يعرف كل شيء عني؟؟ لا لن أكتب مراجعة فالتحدث عن مثل هذا الكتاب حدث مرعب في حد ذاته

إلا أنني لم استطع أن أحتفظ بهذه الفكرة وأتمسك بها ... لِمَ لا أكتب؟؟!! سأكتب !!! ماذا عساه قد يخيفني؟؟! في الحقيقة هناك ما يخيف بال...more أردت بشدة مفاجأة الأصدقاء هنا على الجودريدز بقولٍ مثل: هل تعتقدون أنني سأكتب مراجعة لهذا الكتاب المخيف ومن ثم لا أعلم ماذا يحدث لي بعدها في عالم منفتح ومع ما يزيد على ١٠٠٠ شخص لا أعرف منهم سوى عدد محدود من الأصدقاء الذين قابلتهم في الحياة الحقيقية وإن كان كل شخص تقريبا في دائرة تعاملاتي يعرف كل شيء عني؟؟ لا لن أكتب مراجعة فالتحدث عن مثل هذا الكتاب حدث مرعب في حد ذاته

إلا أنني لم استطع أن أحتفظ بهذه الفكرة وأتمسك بها ... لِمَ لا أكتب؟؟!! سأكتب !!! ماذا عساه قد يخيفني؟؟! في الحقيقة هناك ما يخيف بالفعل فالتشابه بين كثير من أحداث الرواية مع حياتنا التي نحياها مخيف بالفعل

قرأت لصديقة أجنبية هنا عالجودريدز مراجعتين للرواية - نسخ مختلفة- إحداهما مقتضبة للغاية تقول فيها أنها رواية تنبؤية للغاية وهذا ما يخيفني بالفعل

أنهيت قراءة آخر فصل ونصف على الشاطئ ... لدقائق أشعر بانعزال تام عن المصطافين وصخبهم ومرحهم مسلمين ومسيحيين محجبات ومنتقبات وغير محجبات، عجائز وفي منتصف العمر وشباب وأطفال .... الكل سعيد والكل يبهج نفسه ومن معه على طريقته ... لدقائق اتوحد مع بطل القصة في عذاباته وأحاول تخمين ما سيحدث لاحقا .... أنتظر معجزة تتماشى مع مزاجي الجيد لقضائي إجازة ممتعة ولله الحمد ... انتظر المعجزة بعد أن يأست من كون الفصول الأخيرة هي كوابيس تمر بالبطل ... وعلى الرغم من وقوعي مصادفة على مراجعة حرقت جزءا من حبكة الرواية إلا أن تسارع الأحداث وتغيرها جاء مفاجئا جدا بالنسبة لي

قرأت الصفحات الأخيرة من الرواية ونظرت نظرة طويلة على البحر وكأنني اسأله بنبرة عتاب فأقول له "ينفع كدة؟؟!!" وأنظر للناس مشفقة عليهم وعلى نفسي وأسرتي من هول ما قرأت ... ولأننا كنا نجمع متعلقاتنا من الشاطئ فقد انتهيت مما وجب علي فعله بسرعة وبوجوم اعتقده زوجي بسبب اكتئاب العودة للقاهرة الذي يصيبني عندما أدرك أن سفرنا ورجوعنا بات وشيكا وذلك لا يحدث لي إلا في الأماكن التي أحبها والإجازات التي أستمتع بها وللعجب فأنا مستمتعة بإجازتي في مارينا، تلك الإجازة التي جاءت بشكل عفوي وغير مخطط لها وبعد انقطاع عن المكان دام سنتين كاملتين بعدد كبير من الفرص الضائعة التي قد يحرص عليها غيري ... وهنا حقا اتساءل ... لماذا تقع روايات الديستوبيا في يدي واقرأ أغلبها في مارينا سواء أثناء الرحلة إليها أو منها أو فيها؟؟!! لماذا ترتبط معي بالروايات الكابوسية أصلا ؟؟!!

نعم، انهيتها اليوم على الشاطيء وأعدت قراءة آخر فصل في السيارة في طريق العودة للشاليه واكتئبت إلى حد ما رغم توقعي النهاية !!

قد يظن من تابع تحديثات القراءة أنها رواية جافة والعكس صحيح، هي رواية حيوية جدا وفيها قصة وحبكة وأحداث مثيرة ... إلا أنها مرعبة !!

الأخ الأكبر !! البطل المخلص !! الفكرة التي يذعن الكل لها بواسطة الإعلام الموجه وليس ذلك فحسب بل والأدب الموجه والتعليم الموجه ... غسيل الأدمغة ... صناعة العدو وتوجيه الطاقات كلها نحو كراهية العدو المصطنع !! الثورات والثورات المضادة !! الوشاية ومن يشي بآخرين مختلفين فكريا "جواسيس" - كما أسموهم- فهو بطل حتى وإن كان طفلا يشي بأهله ... مراقبة الأفكار وتحجيم الفكر وتزييف الحقائق ... انقطاع الكهرباء بغرض تخفيف الأحمال - هذا الكلام يعود لرواية كتبت في الأربعينات من القرن الماضي ... هل يدق ذلك أي ناقوس في أي عقل أم أنني أتوهم أشياء ؟؟ هل أحتاج لتوضيح أسباب رعبي؟؟

لمن يريد تفسيرا أقول لقد تخيل أورويل العالم بعد نجاح الشيوعية في السيطرة على العالم ... ولكن في الحقيقة كان أورويل ضد كل الأنظمة الشمولية
Totalitarian regimes
والتي تتمحور حول شخص الرئيس وحزبه ويكون فيها البطل الأسطوري والمخلص والصخرة التي تتكسر عليها الأخطار ولا يلعب فيها الشعب أي دور في تقريرالمصير

الرواية غريبة!! ولا أعلم لماذا تتناول معظم روايات الديستوبيا الكتب والقراءة من ضمن ما تستهدفه الأنظمة الديكتاتورية !! فكرة القضاء على القراءة والكتب كفيلة بأن تجعلني أسهر بجانب مكتبتي أو أن تقطع نومي لحظات فزع بسبب كوابيس عن ضياع كتبي أو حرقها أو قطعها ... ففي هذه الرواية هناك اعادة كتابة الأدب القديم بما يناسب العصر الأسود المذكور بالرواية، والكتاب المعاصرين الذين يناقضون أنفسهم، وفي فهرنهايت ٤٥١ الكتب تدمر وتحرق ويعاقب مقتنيها وفي يوتوبيا أحمد خالد توفيق القراءة تندثر ومن يقرأ يقرأ فقط للتسلية ولأنها نوع رخيص من المخدرات! ... كابوس وعذاب مقيم إن تحقق

ربما هناك المزيد من الأفكارالتي لا تسعني الكلمات للتعبير عنها وربما لا أملك البال الرائق الآن للكتابة عنها

وفي كل الأحوال ألف شكر للصديقات والأصدقاء الذين رشحوا لي الرواية بعد السؤال عن ماذا اقرأ واختاروها لي من بين عناوين اقترحتها وألف شكر لمن قرأوا الرواية قبلي وشجعوني اثناء القراءة ... دمتم سالمين ودمتم قراء رائعين (less)

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Mar 06, 2013 midnightfaerie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

This book floored me. My first review I threw up on goodreads a few years ago was from my high school experience of reading it. What a difference reading it as an adult makes! Not only does Orwell touch on so many ideas and topics that could leave book clubs discussing for ages, but he has a unique and fresh perspective on human kind's version of utopia and the direction our world is really headed. Some are under the mistaken impression that this book is about totalitarian regime's and Stalinist...more This book floored me. My first review I threw up on goodreads a few years ago was from my high school experience of reading it. What a difference reading it as an adult makes! Not only does Orwell touch on so many ideas and topics that could leave book clubs discussing for ages, but he has a unique and fresh perspective on human kind's version of utopia and the direction our world is really headed. Some are under the mistaken impression that this book is about totalitarian regime's and Stalinistic and Nazi type rulers. I don't think it is. I think he cautions us against "doublethink" which is prevelent even in today's society, so much so, that we don't even realize its existence. Doublethink is a term he coins in the book meaning holding two opposing beliefs at the same time, knowing they are both true. It requires us to consciously subdue the the fact, while convincing ourselves that the opposite is true. In the story it sounds ridiculous and unobtainable. You think, any sane or rational person would realize they're just deluding themselves. But really, don't we do it all the time?

Example: "I'm just going to have a little piece of this apple cake. It's made out of apples, so it's fruit. So really, it's healthy for me." To a friend you say: "I just don't know why I can't lose that weight, I eat healthy, really I do."

What about on a bigger scale? Don't Christians speak of loving your neighbor and thou shall not kill? Why then is war okay when it's justified by bringing peace? (This is not a political statement, I'm just using it as an example of what I think Orwell is getting at) Or if we call ourselves a free and liberal society, yet, isn't the heart of our system still based in a material world? I think Orwell is pointing out that this isn't a futuristic society he's imagining, it's here and now. It's all around us, and if that's true, where will we be as "freethinkers" in twenty years? Fifty years? One hundred years?

If we take a government, or even an ideology, and say we belong to that idea, we support it, and we come to believe those ideas as truth, then we feel free. Those ideas become who we are, and we feel free because there is no longer any distinction between fact and fiction. We have surrendered ourselves to that ideology as being the truth, and in turn it grants us freedom. Whether this is true or not, it's an interesting idea. No one likes to think that in believing in something, we have given up our individualism for the greater cause of that belief.

I have two main thoughts here:
1. George Orwell is brilliant.
and
2. Seriously, how can high school students know enough about life to understand and appreciate the nuances of this novel?

Perhaps it's just me, maybe I was more concerned with boys than with literature at that point in my life, even though I love to read. I saw 1984 as a dis against the privacy act, and I could almost swear that I remember the teacher even teaching that. As our world gets more technological, our privacy goes out the window. I have no problems with that. I thought the idea that "Big Brother is always watching" meant the idea of our government taking away our privacy as a whole and was limiting our freedom. I didn't buy it. A conservative Republican even from a young age, I thought, all these people that were so concerned with being watched were hiding something. (But maybe my membership in the Republican Party was just an ideology that allowed me to feel free since it unburdened me with the work of having to explain my political beliefs?)

Now, reading this book again, I can see there is so much more to this story. A powerful, compelling, and slightly disturbing story about a world where we give up our freedom to feel "free", Orwell's novel is a masterpiece ahead of its time, or maybe even after its time. A definite classic, it shows the many sides of human nature and how we rationalize our beliefs to ourselves. It has longevity, I have no doubt it will impact the reader many years from now. To me, it's an original concept and nothing like I've ever read. It has a huge following, is controversial, and will have a substantial and lasting impact on our literary world. Could this really happen? When I first read it, I thought that idea was absurd. Now? I'm not so sure. In the end, I loved this book and highly recommend it.

ClassicsDefined.com (less)

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Aug 16, 2007 Richard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-reading

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 with my little...more 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 with my little tail somewhere inside my pops in '84), Orwell's demonic vision of a world without history, without truth, without any notion of physical reality remains as poignant and haunting now as it must have been when it was first published in 1949. In fact, in many ways, reading this book for the first time cover-to-cover (I had previously read excerpts), I am truly shocked that it was published so early on. Though many aspects of the novel are either ostensibly or clearly based on Stalinist Russia (particularly notable are the similarities between Big Brother and Stalin, and Goldstein and Trotsky), the work remains general enough that readers of any era—any political persuasion—might notice parallels to their own respective societies.

Certainly, our own does not escape indictment. I think one of the most poignant and thought-provoking aspects of this novel was the discussion in third chapter of the book (War is Peace) of perpetual war as a mechanism for retaining power and perpetuating domestic oppression; without doubt, no study of the Cold War would be complete without this consideration, nor, cynics would argue, would any study of the early 21st century.

All in all, 1984 easily remains one of the most important and influential novels of the past century, and I think in many ways, one of the few truly timeless works of literature. The issues Orwell wrote about in 1949 are only likely to grow more relevant as technology continues to advance at its breakneck pace. The greatest folly for us, as modern readers, would be to relegate this phenomenally prescient work as yet another Cold War classic, another case study in Stalinist barbarity; one need only pick up a newspaper today to realize the slippery slope to totalitarianism is one human society will likely navigate for as long as it is in existence.

Overall, 5 stars of 5. If you have never read this book, or perhaps, read it when you were younger, I encourage you to pick it up again. Without doubt, I was able to gain more perspective having read it as an adult than when I first read excerpts as a high school student.(less)

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Apr 12, 2014 ياسمين ثابت rated it 5 of 5 stars

بداية معرفتي بجورج اورويل كانت في رواية مزرعة الحيوانات
ماعجبتنيش بسبب توقيت قرايتها ولما حصل 30 \6 واللي حصل بعدها عجبتني اوي وحسيتها بتوصف بالضبط اللي احنا بنمر بيه

بس كانت مجرد رواية حلوة

لكن لما قريتله 1984 ولما خلصت اخر كلمة فيها

سالت نفسي مين هو جورج اورويل

مين يكون تعليمه ايه ايا كان تعليمه ولا حياته ولا مدة معرفته السياسية...ازاي قدر يكتب رواية بالعبقرية الغير طبيعية دي؟

على فكرة انا المرة دي حاكتب الريفيو مش بس كوني قارئة بل كمان كوني كاتبة عشان انا عاوزة يوصل للناس كلها مدى صعوبة كتابة رواية...more

بداية معرفتي بجورج اورويل كانت في رواية مزرعة الحيوانات
ماعجبتنيش بسبب توقيت قرايتها ولما حصل 30 \6 واللي حصل بعدها عجبتني اوي وحسيتها بتوصف بالضبط اللي احنا بنمر بيه

بس كانت مجرد رواية حلوة

لكن لما قريتله 1984 ولما خلصت اخر كلمة فيها

سالت نفسي مين هو جورج اورويل

مين يكون تعليمه ايه ايا كان تعليمه ولا حياته ولا مدة معرفته السياسية...ازاي قدر يكتب رواية بالعبقرية الغير طبيعية دي؟

على فكرة انا المرة دي حاكتب الريفيو مش بس كوني قارئة بل كمان كوني كاتبة عشان انا عاوزة يوصل للناس كلها مدى صعوبة كتابة رواية زي دي

عشان تكتب رواية زي 1984 مش لازم بس تكون مبدع سياسيا وخارق وعارف بكل خبايا السياسة...لا ده انت لازم تكون كمان عالم تاريخيا وعالم بادق تفاصيل وخبايا النفس البشرية...اللي يكتب رواية زي دي لازم يكون عالم في مجالات كتير اوي وبعد ما تكون بارع في كل ده ازاي توظف افكارك بقى في سياق روائي ما يخرش المية عشان يطلعها بالاتقان الفذ ده.

كمان جورج اورويل كتبها في زمن قديم وماكنش عنده كل الادوات وقتها انه يكون ملم بهذه الصورة...وانه يخلق فكرة زي فكرة الرواية دي...

جورج اورويل درس كل الانظمة الفاسدة على مر العصور واسباب سقوطها....وخلق لنا في رواية نظام فاسد لا خلل فيه...يعني من الاخر مش حتلاقي فيه نقطة ضعف واحدة تسقطه!!

وعيشك المأساة من خلال المواطن ونستون سميث اللي عاش 10 سنوات من عمره قبل قيام الثورة او اللي كانت ثورة وادت الى حزب الاخ االكبير ده انه يوصل بالبلد لهذه الدرجة من الفساد والتغلل....ونستون مواطن خمسيني يعني 10 سنين عاشها بعيدا عن نظام الاخ الكبير والحزب و40 سنة عاشها في نظامهم
نظام دولة الاخ الكبير اللي بتخلق عالم مختلف تماما...بتهدم فكرك اصلا وتفتته وتحطه في قالب جديد من اختراعها....دولة بتراقب افكارك وممكن تلقي ابشع انواع العقاب عشان حاجة سماها الكاتب جريمة فكر!...وهي جريمة عند الدولة ابشع من جريمة القتل!...مش بيفكركو بحاجة يا جدعان .... احنا بالضبط والله ووضعنا دلوقتي...بس بطريقة بقى سوداوية لابعد مدى

غيروا اصلا مفهوم الطاعة والولاء عند االناس ومفهوم الحرية ومفهوم السعادة ومفهوم كل حاجة في الحياة وعزلوهم عن اي دولة خارجية وعيشوهم في وهم كراهية لبلد عدوة وشيك انها تهاجمهم في حين ان الدولة المزعومة دي ولا ليها دعوة بيهم اساسا وممكن مايكونش اصلا ليها وجود...

غيروا حتى مفهوم الاسرة وعلاقة الاب بابنه والزوجة بزوجها ولغوا عند الناس مفهوم متعة الجنس اساسا....في مشهد وصل مرحلة ما آلت اليه احوال الشعب ان واحد عقله الباطن خلاه يقول وهو نايم ومش حاسس انه بيكره الاخ الكبير فبنته بلغت عنه.....وهو بيحكي اصلا الحكاية دي تصوروا انه فخور بيها وانه راح للقاضي وقاله انا مبسوط انك سجنتني عشان انقذتني من نفسي اللي معرفتش اسيطر عليها كان ممكن اعمل اسوء!

ونستون مشكلته انه عاش واتربى على المفهوم الجديد للمواطن الكويس والمجرد من اي صفات انسانية...لكن العشر سنين اللي عاشهم قبل الحزب ده بقوا في عقله الباطن وخلوا فيه خلل فيه....والخلل ده اللي خلاه يكتب ويدون افكاره...لانه شايف مدى التزييف اللي بتعمله الدولة في التاريخ لدرجة انها تغير في كتب كاملة وافلام وتاريخ وجرايد واحداث سنين ومخصصة وزارة كاملة لكدة عشان لو صحوا الصبح مثلا قرروا تبقى البلد الفلانية هي العدوة مش العلانية يبقو يغيروا كل حاجة عكس كدة

فحتى لو انت نفسك ذاكرتك قالتلك لا البلد الفلانية دي اللي كانت عدوتنا....ماتلاقيش دليل فتشك في نفسك
فعلا الكاتب وصلني في االكتاب ده اني حقيقي شكيت في نفسي وفي ان ممكن كل حاجة انا عايشاها ومؤمنة بيها اصلا وهم....

ابسط الكلام اللي كاتبه الكاتب في الرواية دي ممكن يتاخد كوتس وبالرغم من بساطته الشديدة انت تحس قد ايه صعب يصاغ بالشكل ده
زي عبارة عند الالم مفيش ابطال...

ممكن تقرا جملة زي دي تقول دي جملة بسيطة اوي بس هي عميقة اوي
حتى تسميته لاسماء الوزارات في الاول كنت حاسة انها تسمية هبلة بعد شوية حسيت انها تسمية ساخرة بعد فترة في الرواية حسيت لا دي تسمية فلسفية اصلا الكاتب ما اخترهاش اعتباطا

عبقرية انهم عشان يغيروا مفاهيم الناس يخترعوا لغة جديدة بمفردات جديدة ويقللوا اصلا عدد الكلام اللي فيها

عبقرية الكاتب في تصوير الفرق مابين شخصية ونستون وشخصية جوليا اللي حبها وهي بنت اصغر منه واتربت كل حياتها في عصر الحزب ماشافتش الحياة قبله...وانها بالرغم من انها قدرت تحافظ على كرهها للحزب بس هما زرعوا فيها ان مفيش فايدة اصلا من الثورة على الحزب وانه حيفضل مدى الحياة موجوود

الموقف المذهل اللي صوره الكاتب لما قرر ونستون وجوليا ينضموا للاخوة اللي هي المعارضة الصورية وقابلو احد زعماءها اللي قالهم انهم مش حيشوفوا نتيجة تمردهم على الحزب اصلا في الوقت الحالي ومش حيحصل ثورة ولا بعد مليون سنة ومش حيبقى في اي تغيير وحيموتو معذبين ومع كل اليأس ده برضه قرروا انهم يكونو ضد الحزب ويستمروا في الاخوة...اعتقد هنا في االمشهد ده تحديدا الحل الوحيد اللي خلقه الكاتب...اننا ازاي نتفادى نكون زي النموذج الاجتماعي اللي صوره الكاتب...باننا فعلا نخلق تغيير حتى لو على حساب حياتنا ومن غير ما ننتظر حل في حياتنا

ابداع تصوير اخر 150 صفحة في التعذيب في سجون وزارة الحب لما القي القبض على ونستون....هنا بقى كانت ذروة ابداع الكاتب خصوصا في حواره مع اوبارين نفسه...لسبب لانه فهمه انهم اصلا اعضاء الحزب مش بيعملو كدة عشان يوصلوا لحياة افضل ولا يبقو اغنى ولا ماسكين البلد.....وانه فهمه ان السلطة الحقيقية في السيطرة على البني ادم نفسه وفكره...وهدمه واعاده رسمه من جديد...وده اصلا هو سر قوة الحزب....وصل بيك الكاتب في اخر 150 صفحة مع وصف ابشع انواع التعذيب انك فعلا ممكن تؤمن بان كلام اللي ببيعذبك صح!...

ولما جاءت النهاية العبقرية الواقعية المناسبة لوضع الرواية وقال البطل انا فعلا حاقدر احب الاخ الكبير!
نهاية كانت بتقضي على اي امل في اي تغيير ولا اي فجوة لسقوط العالم المظلم ده....صحيح هي مش واقعية في الواقع بس في واقع الرواية لو في فعلا نموذج اجتماعي زي الدولة دي حتكون هي دي النهاية المنطقية لاي حد عقله حيشتغل
نهاية خليتني اقفل اخر صفحة من الكتاب وابكي بجد عيطت جامد ومش عشان يأست من حال السياسة بس عشان يأست من عيشتي كلها....صحيح انها رواية كئيبة ووصلتني للحالة دي بس بجد مفيش كاتب حيقدر يوصلك لمدى الانهاك النفسي وانت بتقرا للدرجة اللي انا وصلتلها...

حالة خاصة متفردة مش حتلاقيها في اي كتاب تاني

ومش عارفة بجد اعبر عن اللي انا حساه ومش حينفع اني اكتب وانا بالانفعال ده انا لازم اقراها كتير اوي عشان كل مرة حاقراها فيها حافهم فهم جديد

بجد الرواية دي لازم لازم لااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااازم الكل يقراها

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Jul 15, 2012 Hend rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: george-orwell, 1001-books-you-must-read-before-you, science-fiction, novels, british-literature, unique-novels

A pessimistic ,dark and depressing story You are Haunted through out the novel by feelings of
Anger, upset and pity The shocking cruelties and oppressions,Of a totalitarian government.
And its terrifying possibilities The emptiness of the evil party ,That rules with an iron hand
and their lust for power....
the mind control and brain washing , cruelty and brutality could sentence people to disgrace, torture or death ....
a climate of fear ,violence and control is was everywhere.

Very scary thoughts...more

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