Summary:
It is a dystopian novel, which follows the life of Winston, as he navigates and comes to terms with life under a totalitarian government.
Review:
This was definitely a very-thought provoking book. I remember reading it and thinking, 'Wow'. I enjoyed how in a world that demanded total obedience to the people in authority, Orwell focused on a character that was trying to break away from normality and find himself. In his quest to find his own unique ways to rebel, he found love, even if it was a forbidden one.
What stood out to me when reading the book, was the amount of power that government had. I'm talking about total power, control and authority. The people's every move watched, their facial expressions being used against them to expose their secret thoughts, the language being dumbed down, and history being re-written so frequently, that truth no longer existed.
Imagine if we lived under a government like that?!
It's kind of scary, if you think about it. It somewhat links to how society operates today, especially through the use of technology, such as smart phones, CCTV cameras and more (Not to be a 'conspiracy theorist', but I think we already know that the government watches us anyways). Not to mention the fact that fake news has been on the rise, and freedom of speech is being supressed in certain countries.
This book comes with a plethora of various interpretations. You can easily interpret the book in a simplistic manner, but I believe there are deeper messages that Orwell was trying to portray and bring to light, and my previous point is one of them.
I found the ending unexpected, I wanted to opposite to occur haha. I wanted to finish on a lighter note, knowing that Winston did not fight in vain. I'm glad that Orwell included at least one positive element within the book (Winston's short-lived romance with his lover). You can see the lengths that government went to remind those under them, of who is in control. Their tactics of frequently changing history, the Thought Police and the addition of being vaporised if you were found to be disloyal to The Party, helped to make their agenda more achievable. More generally, it also highlights that those in positions of power have a choice- they can choose to exert their authority in a positive or negative way.
Lessons:
If there's one thing the main character taught me, it's to be true to yourself. Society and social media like to try and dictate this for us, but we need to have the conviction to stand firm in who we are and what we believe in. Even if the world is standing against us. This all goes down to each of us being different and unique. Not everyone will enjoy what you enjoy, or agree with what you agree with. But I think that there is a beauty in that, imagine if everyone, everywhere, were the same?!
Instead of trying to mould ourselves into the expectations of others, it's better to stay true to yourself. You will live a more fulfilling and happier life that way.
Final thoughts:
What is interesting, is that some say it captures a foreshadowing of what has come and what is to come. Just imagine the world pledging allegiance to one man and/or way of governance in the future, a world where freedom of speech no longer exists...what a system that would be!
All in all, I loved the way that Orwell wrote. The concepts and names he came up with, you could tell that a lot of thought, time and consideration went into the making of this book.
What's interesting is that I recently watched the ending of an episode for more clarity (the episode is called 'Nosedive' from the TV series Black Mirror). The Youtuber make some comments, linking it to China's Social Credit System. It's an interesting watch, and it reminded me of 1984. I will post the link to the YouTube video at the end of this blog post (I suggest you watch the episode first, then watch the YouTube video after).
With all that being said, if you like thought-provoking and deep books, give this a read. It definitely opened my eyes and I think you'll come out with some interesting questions once you've finished. It may even cause you to change your world-view on certain things.
I hope you have found this review insightful!
If you have read the book, I'm interested to know what you think! Either message me on any of my social media platforms, or email me: thelegalchristian@hotmail.com
5/5.
Until next time, stay reading!
Useful links:
'The Ending of Nosedive Explained, Black Mirror Season 3 Explained'- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmizLrP64NQ
'A Look Inside China's Social Credit System'- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cGB8dCDf3c