George Orwell's 1984

by Harold Bloom (Editor), George Orwell (Contributor)

-- Presents the most important 20th-century criticism on major works from The Odyssey through modern literature
-- The critical essays reflect a variety of schools of criticism
-- Contains critical biographies, notes on the contributing critics, a chronology of the author's life, and an index

Genres: Classics, Essays

135 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1987

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

[Joana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read 1984 some time ago, I felt that some of its deepest ideas might have eluded me while I was reading the book. I guess most people become focused on the nightmare environment of the book and the destiny of its characters (I know I did).

So, in general, I found this book to be good complementary reading to 1984, since it provided me new perspective on many aspects of the book. Without wanting to go in too much detail, here are some of those aspects: similarities between the protagonist (Smith) and Orwell himself, relationship between Smith and Julia and its several interpretations, and perhaps more surprisingly the optimism latent in 1984.

These are, obviously, ideas taken from other critics/authors, so their accuracy might be questionable, we will never know Orwell's complete thoughts and intents on his novel. The comparisons made with other dystopias, like We from Yevgeny Zamyatin and Brave New World from Aldous Huxley, are also very interesting and help to understand 1984 more as a satire rather than a prediction of the future, which is claimed to have been Orwell’s intention for the novel.

Most readers become a bit haunted by 1984, its environment is so deprived of hope, decency and humanity that we may be led to think, on a first impression, that it actually provides a possible and plausible near future. Well...this book might help you understand why that's very unlikely to happen and by doing so, also help eliminate that haunted feeling.

[Art]

This slender volume interprets “Nineteen Eighty-Four” from a dozen contributors.

— “Nineteen Eighty-Four” serves as a grand period piece, a parody of Stalin, explains the introduction. The story is a product of Orwell’s time and the defeat of totalitarianism in the late forties.

— The whole point of “Nineteen Eighty-Four” is the inner repudiation of the totalitarian system by Winston and Julia, writes one essayist here.

— Orwell took to their logical conclusions totalitarian ideas that resulted in his creation of the two-way spy television, the memory hole and Newspeak, a language that constricted thought while contradicting itself, according to one interpreter of the story. Orwell’s understanding of propaganda survived through this warning of a totalitarian state. Orwell’s inventions — such as Big Brother is watching you, and ignorance is strength — became clichés.

— Newspeak is part of the satire, writes another scholar here. Orwell’s parody includes the ideas of speech/Newspeak which comes from a speaker devoid of thought or truth. Sadly and suddenly, in our new world reality, fact becomes stranger than fiction as truth and thought become assaulted frequently.

— Part one of the story, almost half of the book, builds the system of organized lying, how it’s done and the nightmare caused by the disappearance of objective truth.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aside from Bloom's petty introductory essay, which lacks any substantial argument on the merits of the novel, this book contains the best literary criticism I have read.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I clicked on the wrong button when ordering from the library. I was trying to get 1984. I thought this was like my copy of Frankenstein, which contains the novel and several literary critiques. Anyhoo, stupidity aside, I did enjoy reading the essays. The latest one was written in 1985. There was a feminist critique, Freudian, game theory, others. I didn't agree with some analyses, obviously. Who agrees with every theory they read about a novel?