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1984

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They're today's most popular study guides-with everything you need to succeed in school. Written by Harvard students for students, since its inception SparkNotes ™ has developed a loyal community of dedicated users and become a major education brand. Consumer demand has been so strong that the guides have expanded to over 150 titles. SparkNotes '™ motto is Smarter, Better, Faster And with everything covered--context; plot overview; character lists; themes, motifs, and symbols; summary and analysis, key facts; study questions and essay topics; and reviews and resources--you don't have to go anywhere else!

72 pages, Paperback

Published January 10, 2002

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
Profile Image for Prashant Gupta.
Author 1 book14 followers
October 9, 2015
A very difficult book to rate. Orwell's imaginative thinking about the society of future is shockingly accurate and deserves an applause.
In a way, Orwell follows what he has quoted in the book "The best books are those that tell you what you already know". There is nothing in the plot which the reader does not know already or can not guess. In spite of that I had an urge to keep reading the next page till the very end.(Yes, even the section on Newspeak which is absolute waste)
In most of the countries, there are elements of madness which Orwell has described in Oceania (The hypothetical country ruled by Big Brother ). Moral Policing, thought policing, craze for absolute power, tweaking of historical facts and blind bigotry are the evils that can sap the happiness out of society and create the nightmarish situation described in the book.
A must read for political enthusiasts.
Profile Image for MÉYO.
464 reviews22 followers
October 21, 2016
In preparation for a book club meet-up, I read the SparkNotes for the literary masterpiece "1984" and I got chills as I refreshed my memory on the awesomeness of this book! Apart from quick chapter summations and great plot/character analysis, the book also has a section on how to write a literary essay. The book teaches how to deconstruct a book, drill down to the salient themes, pattern recognition, thesis development and how to present your analysis with the proper justifications, grammar and syntax.
2 reviews
April 5, 2015
Fantastic book, couldn't put it down!
Profile Image for Fabiola Parmesan.
217 reviews
September 4, 2021
Reading 1984 is a unique experience that changes the reader as few other books can do. In this nightmarish warning against the horrors of totalitarian regimes, Orwell imagines a grotesque mixture of Hitler and Stalin with a touch of capitalist greed, teaching us how to recognise the same approach in contemporary politics and ideology, from propaganda to the manipulation of language. A powerful demonstration of the connection been words and ideas, showing how important education is to obtain freedom.

Big Brother's victory at the end of the novel is complete: Orwell deliberately leaves no hope at all so that his message will be even clearer. Whoever accepts a totalitarian regime underestimating the risks will have no way out of it.
'He gazed up at the enormous face. Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark moustache. O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast! But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.

The edition is specially tailored to the needs of English learners and contains the original text with numerous explanatory notes, an introduction, the keywords to understand the main ideas, several activities, and an essay by Orwell on politics and the English Language.
Profile Image for James Piss.
393 reviews1 follower
June 22, 2022
i could not get through the book without it.
Profile Image for Rule.
17 reviews1 follower
October 6, 2022
Absolutely in front of its time, fascinating prediction of the time we live in today.
Profile Image for Nanya Srivastava.
214 reviews9 followers
March 9, 2016
I almost didn't read it. The description read too much like that of Animal Farm, which I found average (probably because what was new then, seems common now). But when I found people comparing it to the situation in India today, I decided to give it a shot. And I'm glad I did. The book is amazing. I've heard of Orwellian society before, but it was this book that helped me understand its true meaning.

W Smith, the protagonist, lives in a dystopian society where all citizens are under constant surveillance. The Big Brother is always watching them. The world is war-torn, and is likely to remain so all eternity. Smith decides to think and question the world, and that is a thought crime, the worst of crimes you can commit. He has memories, and believes that Past exists. He works at the Ministry of Truth, where he alters newspaper reports etc to suite the current propaganda of the Party.

The story moves slowly, but that's because a lot of text goes into explaining the society which forms the basis of this book. It's a great read.
2 reviews
August 7, 2022
Una distopía que refleja el mundo actual en el que vivimos, donde no existe ni la intimidad ni privacidad y el estado lo vigila y controla todo. Una sociedad dominada por la represión política y el abuso de poder. Una novela cruel y a ratos dolorosa, donde el amor se plasma en frío e indiferencia.
Profile Image for Carlos Bello.
3 reviews2 followers
December 21, 2017
That weird feeling of frustration, incredulity, acceptance, and deja vu that one gets after going over "1984" Novel/prophecy and comparing it to the current political atmosphere
Profile Image for J Crossley.
1,719 reviews16 followers
November 27, 2018
This was a good summary of 1984. While it is not a substitute for reading the novel, it is a good study companion.
10 reviews
July 23, 2022
muy buen libro, está excelentemente escrito y la trama te atrapa un montón
Profile Image for Dina Ahmed.
43 reviews10 followers
August 10, 2018
ريفيو_بيت_الكتب
#كل_يوم_كتاب
#اليوم_الثالث
1984/جورج أورويل

"الولاء يعني عدم التفكير؛بل هو عدم الحاجة للتفكير؛الولاء يعني عدم الوعي"
"لكي يثوروا يجي أن يعوا؛و لكي يعوا يجب أن يثوروا"

من أكثر الروايات إرهاقا، فهي تعطي صورة رمزية واقعية لنظم الحكومات الشمولية فمهما طال الزمن أو قصر أو تغيرت السياسات فلا بد إن وجدت نظم شمولية أن تكون بتلك الصورة المرعبة...
أخذنا أورويل-بغض النظر عن سيرته الذاتية-في رحلة إلى عالم الديستوبيا-المدينة الفاسدة-و قد قسم العالم إلى قسمين:أعضاء الحزب و هم صفوة المجتمع و ما دونهم حيوانات و القسم الآخر:مطلقوا السراح-أي العامة-
خلال صفحات الرواية سيتكرر على مسمعك كلمات ك( شرطة الفكر /جريمة الفكر/رابطة الأخوة/وزارة الحقيقة/شرطة الرصد/رابطة الشباب/ "أنت خائن،أنت مجرم فكر")
و في كل مكان لوحة كبيرة بصورة الأخ الكبير مكتوب فوقها "الأخ الكبير يراقبكم"
الأخ الكبير هو بمثابة المسيح المخلص لتلك المجتمعات الشمولية،فكل شيء في تلك المجتمعات ينصب لمصلحة السلطة فنجد الإعلام الموجه و الأدب الموجه و اللغة الموجهة حتى المشاعر و الغرائز البشرية تصبح موجهة من أجل المصلحة العليا للحزب

تقع الرواية في ولاية تابعة لإقليم اوقيانوسيا؛ كان بطلنا ونستون يعمل في وزارة الحقيقة يقوم بتعديل خطابات الأخ الأكبر التي يتنبأ بها بمستقبل البلاد بما يتوافق مع الوقائع الموجودة..
يوجد الشخصية المضادة للأخ الأكبر ألا و هو غولدشتاين عدو الحزب الذي كان يهتف ضده أعضاء الحزب في دقيقتي الكراهية لانه كان يقول بأن الثورة تمت سرقتها و أن شعارات الثورة الأساسية تم تغييرها و لم تحقق أهدافها فكان يصرخ أين الحرية التي قامت من أجلها الثورة فيردد أعضاء الحزب الشعار الحرية هي العبودية و عندما يخاطبهم أين السلام الذي كنا نريده أن يعم البلاد فيرددوا بكراهية تجاهه السلام هو الحرب و عندما يصرخ بهم أنهم غارقون في الجهل الذي سيدمرهم يردون عليه بأن الجهل هو القوة و بذلك يكون اكتمل شعار الحزب
الحرب هي السلام
الحرية هي العبودية
الجهل هو القوة
و كان يهدف الحزب لإلغاء اللغة القديمة و استبدالها بلغة جديدة قليلة الكلمات و العبارات و بقدوم عام 2050 ستكون قد انتهت اللغة القديمة و انتهى معها كل الأدب العالمي و المحلي فسيذهب شيكسبير و غيره من الكتاب بلا رجعة

يقوم وينستون بالاختلاط مع أحد مطلقوا السراح و يحاول أن يسمع منهم ما كان موجودا قبل الحرب و هل الحياة قبل وجود الأخ الأكبر أفضل أم بعده؟؟ يذهب إلى تاجر تحف فنية و يحاول العثور على أي شيء قيم لكنه لا يجد شيئا لأن الحزب شوه كل شيء و قضى على الفن و الأدب و التاريخ و الرموز الدينية فهدم جميع الكنائس أو حولها إلى مؤسسات تابعة للحزب

تأخذ الحبكة ذروتها عندما تعترف جوليا- العاملة في وزارة الإباحيات -لونستون بحبها-الحب بين أعضاء الحزب جريمة محرمة تستوجب الإعدام-و يقررا العيش معا في أرض مطلقوا السراح من العامة و وقتها يبحث ونستون عن أي شخص يقوده لأخوية غولدشتاين و يجزم بأنها موجودة..و من هنا يشك أن أوبراين تابع لغولدشتاين و بالفعل يصارحه بما يضمر و لكن بعد أسبوع الكراهية شرطة الفكر تلقي القبض عليهما..و من المثير للبكاء أنه عندما ��ابل ونستون صديقه بارسنز في السجن و سأله ما سبب جريمته أخبره أن شرطة الفكر قد سمعته يقول أثناء نومه يسقط الأخ الأكبر-الأخ الأكبر الذي بدأ ونستون يشك في وجوده و ان احتمالية عدم وجود تفوق احتمالية وجوده و أنه مجرد شعار اتخذه الحزب في حربه الوهمية ضد أوراسيا-
بدأ اوبراين رحلة علاج ونستون بنفسه فهو لا يعاقبه بل يعالجه فهو لا يحارب الجرائم و لا تهمه بل يحارب الأفكار لأنها الأخطر..بعد أسابيع من التعذيب المستمر بكافة الأشكال و الصور كي ينتزعوا منه الشيء الأخير ألا و هو حب جوليا،لجأ أوبراين أن يدخل ونستون للغرفة 101 التي كان ونستون دائم التساؤل عم يوجد بها فعلم أنها يوجد بها مخاوف الفرد لقد وجد فيها ونستون الفئران التي كانت دائما سببا في كوابيسه
بعد فترة و في المقهى قابل جوليا بعدما تم الإفراج عنهما لقد أصبحا أقرب للجثث منهما للبشر و قد اعترفا أمام بعضهما البعض أنهما قد خانا بعضهما و لقد تمنى كل منهما ان يتم تعذيب الآخر بدلا منه و افترقا...
بعدها هتف ونستون عن اقتناع تام يغمره الحب و الرضا بحبه للأخ الأكبر..

The Manchurian Candidate اقتبس الفيلم حبكته من جزئية غسيل الأدمغة و الدعوة للحرب و أن البلاد في حالة حرب و كيف تتم عملية صناعة الأبطال
رواية يوتوبيا ل د.أحمد خالد توفيق حاولت صنع عالم من الديستوبيا و لكن بشكل منعكس أي أن البطل محب القراءة كان من العامة على عكس بطلنا ونستون كان من اعضاء الحزب
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Vivek Budakoti.
5 reviews
August 24, 2025
Title: 1984
Author: George Orwell
Genre: Dystopian / Satire / Science Fiction
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Review:

George Orwell’s 1984, published in 1949, is more than a dystopian novel — it is a chilling prophecy. Orwell not only dissected the dangers of unchecked political power and authoritarian surveillance, but also intuitively predicted aspects of our technological present.

At its heart, the novel explores how revolutions, once triumphant, often betray their founding principles. Through the omnipresent “Big Brother” and the infamous telescreen — a device that watches and listens at all times — Orwell imagined a future where privacy is an illusion. The parallels with today’s smartphones, digital surveillance, and data-driven societies are hauntingly clear.

Other terms feel startlingly modern too: “flicks” reflect our on-demand OTT culture, and “Newspeak” foreshadows the evolving slang, jargon, and abbreviations that shape (and sometimes limit) generational thought.

Strengths:

Sharp political commentary that transcends time

Astonishing foresight into technological and social realities

A narrative that compels readers to question freedom, truth, and power

Considerations:
Some passages lean into dense, descriptive detail, which may feel prosaic to certain readers. Yet, these moments add to the oppressive, immersive atmosphere Orwell builds.

Recommended For:
Readers interested in dystopian fiction, political philosophy, or tech-age relevance. A must-read for anyone reflecting on freedom, surveillance, and the fragility of truth.

Final Thought:
Half a century after its publication, 1984 feels less like fiction and more like a mirror — reminding us that the future Orwell imagined has, in many ways, already arrived.
Profile Image for Peter Meuzelaar.
5 reviews1 follower
October 2, 2021
I'm going to right off that bat say, this book was quite depressing. If you're not into bad endings you wouldn't like this book, but if you are then go on ahead and read it. In this book the main character is an ordinary guy, doesn't have anything special about him, whereas in a lot of other books this would not be the case. The tone of this book is kind of dark and lonely, there are some moments in it though where it differs from those tones. If you are into romance, there is not much romance in this book. And the little romance that there is, is very weird - not your typical love between two characters. There is also a lot of sexual content in this book and I'd only recommend it to about 16+ readers. I will say that this book hits on a lot of social issues and separations in our world today. It does great delivering its message, but the way the author went about it is unique and not my favorite.
7 reviews1 follower
December 2, 2025
1984 takes the dark “what if?” Of totalitarian government control, and makes it feel both horrible and terrifying, whilst being uncomfortabley normal at the same time. The author builds a world where surveillance, propaganda and fear replace individual thinking.
The wild part about all of this is how realistic the manipulation throughout the book feels.

What I liked most about this book is how the author is always creative with how he conveys his messages. Instead of straight up arguing his point against totalitarian government control, the author shows it through the brutal lifestyle and depressing/ heavy feel of the characters.

The book isn’t exactly “fun” to read, but it definitely changes the way you approach things, from day to day social reaction, news, everything feels more fresh after reading this book.
Profile Image for Annarita_booklover.
312 reviews5 followers
January 5, 2024
Per partecipare alla Challenge ho letto il romanzo distopico per eccellenza: 1984.

Sinceramente all'inizio l'ho trovato veramente molto pesante, tanto da rileggere più volte i primi capitoli.
Pian piano però sono entrata nella storia e mi sono resa conto che il romanzo è molto più attuale di quanto si possa immaginare.
Orwell parla di dittatura e di tutto quel che ne consegue, tra questi c'è anche il poco (o nullo) dialogo tra le persone.
È brutto dirlo ma questo aspetto è quello che reputo più attuale, siamo sempre più connessi e sempre più soli.
Triste verità.

Ci tengo a precisare che l'edizione da me letta è piena di refusi che hanno reso ancor più difficoltosa la lettura del romanzo che proprio semplice non è.
52 reviews
May 26, 2025
3,5⭐
Je n'ai pas lu cette édition là ce qui fait que j'ai mis plus longtemps a lire ce livre ( 348pages contres 60 pages pour ce livre )

J'ai beaucoup eu de mal à aimer, a apprécier ma lecture et à me lancer/relancer dedans. Je l'avais mis en pause car on letudiait avec ma prof de français qui est partie ce qui fait que j'ai arrêté de le lire.

Finalement jai plus apprécier ce livre qu'au début j'ai ressenti plusieurs émotions, des frissons et même si des fois je trouvais un passage compliqué j'ai perséverée et finalement j'ai bien aimée. ( PS: Je n'ai pas lu le passage du livre de la Fraternité )

J'avais hâte de lire la suite du livre a des moments et je ne m'y attendais pas trop ou pas du tout de la fin.
3 reviews
Want to read
October 13, 2020
The setting of the book is Oceania and the government runs the whole thing. A guy named winston is the main character and he strives to abolish it but doesn't know how. The conflict is that the government runs it all and everyone in Oceania hates it and wants to get rid of the government but they can't because he has cameras everywhere around Oceania. I think the theme of the book is "you have to deal with things you can't fix. I liked the book because the conflict really got me attached and I was very curious what was gonna happen the next chapter but thought it was repeating because it would keep saying the same thing over and over again.
Profile Image for Agata.
22 reviews
May 30, 2023
yesyesyesyes
przypadla mi do gustu
szybko wciagnelam sie do teho totalitarnego panstwa i wiele przemyslen na temt swiata, spoleczenstwa, czlowieka i przyszlosci zostalo w mojej glowie
nie podobala minsie relacja winstona z julia nie potragie w pelni wyjasnic dlaczego ale moze ze watek ,,milosny" (aczkolwiek nie sadze aby miefzy nimi byla taka milosc) w takiej powiesci dla mnie ciezko sobie tak ulozyc w glowie moze to jesy cos nowego co nie pomyslalabym ze mogloby soe zadziac ale za kazdym razem gdy podwazalam ich jakies emocje wobec siebie chocisz tylko mysli winstona znamy to moge to jakos sobie uzgodnic z tym co sie dzieje w tamtym swievie i usprawiedliwialam to.
Profile Image for Antonija Vitez.
8 reviews
July 22, 2024
George Orwell's "1984" is a classic dystopian novel that remains as relevant today as it was when it was first published in 1949. The book's themes of totalitarianism, oppression and mass surveillance continue to resonate with readers, and the novel's bleak vision of a future society is both unsettling and thought-provoking. While the book may not be for everyone, it is a profound and important work that deserves to be read and discussed by readers of all ages. I recommend it to ones who are interested in dystopian literature.
Profile Image for Robin Redden.
311 reviews2 followers
April 24, 2021
Nice study guide to go along with reading Orwell's classic novel "1984". Helps to identify themes and symbols/motifs, includes chapter analyses and character analyses and also has a section on how to write a good literary essay, something I don't recall seeing in other Cliff or Sparks notes.

Definitely a good supplement / enrichment while reading the book and definitely not a replacement for reading it.
Profile Image for Landon.
134 reviews1 follower
August 7, 2025
This book features a summary and analysis of the plot and characters, some key facts, explains the themes and symbols and has a guide on how to write a literary analysis.

It helped me understand a few things I was confused about when reading the book, and the literary analysis guide is explained in depth, which helped me a great ton as well since I'm not the best at writing or coming up with a thesis and arguments.
Profile Image for Alvi Arifin.
18 reviews1 follower
August 2, 2021
Buku yang agak sulit dimengerti karena latar belakang cerita ini menampilkan dunia yang mungkin asing bagi kita. Selalu membayangkan kalau novel ini ditulis pada saat sekarang mungkin akan menjadi gambaran dari negara Korea Utara. Kontrol total terhadap warga negaranya lalu kebohongan yang diubah menjadi kebenaran absolut, sungguh mencerminkan negara diktator.
Profile Image for Greta Maria Yuki.
1 review
February 9, 2022
i honestly really liked this book !
at first i wasn't sure about finishing it because it was pretty slow, and i don't love books like that. but after the first 60/70 pages the story starts getting really interesting and at the end it's seriously amazing.
the final part is quite heavy, but it keeps you glued (?) to the page and you can't absolutely stop reading it.
recommended !!~
83 reviews
June 28, 2024
Il libro mi è piaciuto molto, la storia mi è piaciuta tantissimo, i personaggi mi sono piaciuti molto all'interno della storia, i capitoli sono corti e lunghi ma scorrevoli e un capitolo tira l'altro, mi ha tenuta incollate nelle pagine, la scrittura mi è piaciuta molto e non vedo l'ora di leggere altri suoi libri.
Profile Image for Lili.
10 reviews7 followers
December 5, 2025
This is not only a cautionary political novel, but also a profound work about human dignity, freedom, and resistance. It prompts readers to reflect on whether individual privacy, thought, and freedom can still be truly protected in modern society. Whether considering its literary value, intellectual depth, or its cautionary message for modern society, it is a work worthy of repeated reading
5 reviews
March 11, 2020
Must read! It fascinating. Is it Orwell‘s prophecy about the Future or are we just imagining that because of use of terms such as "Big Brother", "doublethink" and "newspeak", which makes it sound very contemporary and fresh?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews

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