George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-four

Bloom's Guides

by Harold Bloom

Called the Uncle Tom's Cabin of our time, Nineteen Eighty-Four continues to have moral force as a political early warning. A brief biography of the author is included, as well as structural and thematic analysis of the novel. Of course, numerous critical essays from prominent critics offer various views on the novel.

This series is edited by Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale University; Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Professor of English, New York University Graduate School. These texts are the ideal aid for all students of literature, presenting concise, easy-to-understand biographical, critical, and bibliographical information on a specific literary work. Also provided are multiple sources for book reports and term papers with a wealth of information on literary works, authors, and major characters.

Genres: Classics, Criticism, Fiction, Literary Criticism

79 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1988

About the author

Harold Bloom was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was called "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world." After publishing his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books, including over 40 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and one novel. He edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm. Bloom's books have been translated into more than 40 languages. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1995.
Bloom was a defender of the traditional Western canon at a time when literature departments were focusing on what he derided as the "school of resentment" (multiculturalists, feminists, Marxists, and others). He was educated at Yale University, the University of Cambridge, and Cornell University.

Reviews

[Sajjad thaier · Rating 2 out of 5]

الكتاب عبارة عن عدة مقالات نقدية عن رواية جورج أوريل1984.
الكتاب يحوي مسحة من الملل وكما أن قراءة متأنية للرواية ذاتها ستغنيك عن أغلب هذه المقالات.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worthwhile guide to this great work. The excerpts from various essays whet my appetite to pursue further critical works about "Nineteen Eighty Four" and George Orwell. I also recommend "Finding George Orwell in Burma"; it is more than just a travelogue.

[Malfoys girl]

to-read

[Denise Alcaraz]

I didn't actually read THIS book but I listened to Audible's "George Orwell's 1984" dramatization. It was ok, production was good, but it's not as good as Impact Winter by Audible.

[Reece Frith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong literary analysis from multiple differing perspectives.

Enjoyed to the extent that subjectivity of this nature would allow.

[Bajzát Zsuzsanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about double thinking...A book about oppression and searching an exit from it...A book about criminals and delusion...
The plot takes place in 1984, when the familiar world is destroyed due to the war between Oceania and Eurasia. Everybody is suspicious, everybody is monitored and everybody believes he or she can never escape. However, there's a man, Winston Smith, the protagonist, who is looking for the survival and escape. He writes a diary, makes love with a woman and always thinking about living a life as different human beings without the oppression of the governing party. One leader of the party, called INGSOC, almost directly subordinated to Big Brother, will give him a book, with which he will be trapped. He could not do anything according to his free will, as cameras and telescreens are observing everybody and their every moves. From this point neither Winston nor the woman could run away, they are bounded by the armed forces of MiniLuv, the Minitry of Love and they were forced to go with them.
What will happen to the secret love? Will they be able to escape from the party's will? Is the survival probable for them, in such a world? In my opinion this novel is a bit shocking, but most of the time we will find hints for past events. If we just think about the Cold War between the United States (Oceania) and the Soviet Union (Eurasia), or the social and political background of the member states of the Soviet Union, these also appears in a hidden way in this book as well. It is a perfect example for fighting for one's own human rights and individuality. This fiction can make people think over the worth of their individuality and singularity. It can also make people think over their safety and the different ways to maintain it.

QWKVQZ

[Alexander Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly an interesting concept that had very believable ideas that have flourished in modern society. Who knows, maybe something like this could still happen. I like to believe mankind is smart enough to think more individually but humans can be pretty dumb in groups sometimes.

Overall I thought it was well written, a little unusual being more a third person book but worked well. I did think the end dragged a little too much but it all made sense, sort of, which is better then most complex stories can say.

I think its a book that everybody of all generations should read, not necessarily for enjoyment but for the meaning and context of human life it portrays along with its story.

[Fidel Azazi · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best of the best novels.... no wonder why Time magazine listed Orwell as one of the top contributors of the English Literature in the 20th century

[Vikram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gloomy, painful but lovely.