Novembers Reading group: Nineteen Eighty-four by George Orwell

Orwells modern classic about totalitarianism is a perfect choice to mark the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and to kick off the discussion weve got 10 copies to give away

George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-four has been pulled out of the hat for this months Reading group. For our month commemorating the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, it may seem like a choice that is slightly from left-field. But as a book about totalitarianism that was published three years after Churchill made his famous iron curtain speech, its clearly relevant.

Harder to dispute is its status as a classic. It is tempting to label dissent in that regard a thoughtcrime not least because of how this book has influenced the way we talk and think. Meanwhile, Nineteen Eighty-four is also a neat choice for this months Reading group because it follows so smoothly from our discussion of Kafka. Nineteen Eighty-four was clearly influenced by the Czech writer and if any word is abused more often than Kafkaesque, its Orwellian.

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