Douglas answers “Why do people rate this book so high? ...”

Wilma asked this question about 1984:

Why do people rate this book so high? Surely I am missing something.

Douglas Beagley This book is rated high because of its cultural impact and the power of its ideas, not because it is a well-written novel. It's not. Orwell thinks lon…moreThis book is rated high because of its cultural impact and the power of its ideas, not because it is a well-written novel. It's not. Orwell thinks long lectures stuck inside prose can still be a good novel. He's wrong. Everyone has to read 1984, and fortunately there are some beautiful scenes and poetry wedged in among the philosophy.(less)

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