1984

I have posted a review on “The Handmaid’s Tale”; a dystopian novel a long time ago which tempted me to write about another dystopian novel. It is Nineteen-Eighty Four by George Owell. This book actually has a bit of history with me, so I will start with it.

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I remember that I had this book in my hand contemplating whether to buy it or not three years back when I went book hunting. I was with a university friend then and he advised me that I would not enjoy reading that book because it’s too depressing. I took his advice because I knew clearly that I don’t like depressing stuff. But I had to read that book three years after since it was a prescribed book for my coursework, and to my own surprise I actually liked it. I don’t say it is maturity, but my perspective has shifted or I had become more realistic than romantic in that span of three years.

The novel takes us on a journey to a very unsettling world where the government known as “The Party” is observing its citizens 24*7 and governing every aspect of their lives, not only what they do but what they think too. Privacy is a luxury in this society and a deviation from party’s rules can be deadly. Our protagonist is someone who tried to follow his desires for freedom, but still, he couldn’t free himself from the constant surveillance no matter how discreet he was.

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I will not spoil the ending for you. However, Orwell’s writing leaves a sense of discomfort showing how the state power manipulates truth and rewrite the history where no one will know about the “real” truth but what the Party wants them to digest as “The truth”. It is depressing reading where we also feel the helplessness of the characters, at the same time it can be very interesting because it is eerily relevant, though presented in an exaggerated way.

Thanks for reading!

Have a nice day!