A terrifyingly delightful read! 1984 follows its main character, Winston Smith, as he trudges through the monotony of his life. 1984, published in 1948, is a foreshadowing of a future dystopian English society.

Divided into three major powers—Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia—the earth is dominated by tyrannical dictatorships eternally at war with one another. Winston is a member of the political party of Oceania, living in England. A quick peek into his world paints a horrifying image of life under a totalitarian regime: Every move he makes is monitored by a large television screen in his flat, he works for the government as a rewriter of historical documents to suit the needs of the Party, and happiness is all but absent.

The novel takes a turn when Winston meets Julia, a young woman whom he sexually desires. The two begin a relationship in secret that, if discovered, could mean certain death for the two lovers. Winston’s slow ascent to revolutionary continues as he keeps a journal, also in secret, to document all his feelings and desires. The tension rises later in the novel as Winston and Julia’s affair is eventually brought to light. It is there we see the true evil of the Party, as the lovers are tortured by their greatest fears. The sight of true horror is finally revealed at the novel’s conclusion: Even in the most passionate of souls, the mind can still be changed so thoroughly as to believe two plus two equals five.