Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Food for thought
I finally got round to reading this 'classic', and I must say I wasn't too disappointed, as up until now I've disliked nearly all the so called classics I've read. The first two parts of the book are largely mediocre- Orwells writing style has never really been particularly special and the world and characters he depicts are somewhat clumsy. It is only upon reading the final part of the novel that this book rises above the crowd, as Orwell firmly clarifies the message of the book, not only depicting the true horror of an omnipotent dictatorship, but also the systematic manipulation of information and fact to it's ultimate extreme. This latter point has tremendous relevance as it does occur in western societies, hence in America words such as 'liberal' have had their meaning altered by the media to the point at which they become non descriptive, merely remaining as a form of abuse. This use of language manipulation is revealed in the book to be the final step in ultimate control- to manipulate peoples actual ability to think. The book does leave the reader with much to ponder, and indeed many will take different messages away from it, though I must admit how anyone who has read the whole book can go away thinking that it was merely a straight forward attack on communism, is beyond me. Left, right and centre poltics are all capable of using the methods warned against in this book, and have all done so to a certain degree. Overall, well worth reading.
Rating:  - A timeless example of current events
I have read 1984 many times. Each time that I have read it I come away with new insights to its pure genius. The very concept of 'DoubleThink' and 'NewSpeak' are not just literary devices in a great book, they are current trends that exist in todays world. In Americe, the land of the free, the insidious grip of Political Corectness has worked it's way through society. We have manged to criminalize words, because their meanings have been perverted by special intrest groups who have their own agendas. New words or terms have been formed to gradually herd people into new ways of thinking. We have a leader who by all indications has broken the laws of the country, the bonds of his marriage, and the basic morals that all people are expected to live be. Most anybody can recognize this yet at the same time cannot see where any wrong doing has taken place. A court appointed counsel has taken the form of Goldstein, where virtually every crisis and point of evil in the nation and possibly world has been blamed on him somehow. The internet has come into most peoples homes and office. A person cannot go anywher now without being watched by security cameras or electronically tracked at airports and by credit card transactions. It is 1998 now, but in many ways we are living in 1984. We just haven't looked up and noticed it yet.
Rating: - 1984 has come and gone
Orwell, for a skinny accountant-looking Englishman who's real name is Eric Blair, you rock for this single shining moment in literature history. Yeah, kudos to you.The nightmarish world of 1984 has yet to hit us yet, though we are getting there sometime. His world of Oceania is completely thourough and believable, with many similarities in today's society. It's an Animal Farm for the real world, no metaphors, no representations, just humans so idiots who didn't understand the latter can feel smart, too. Winston, our hero, is almost a perfect mirror image of Orwell himself, wandering around the plot and pointing out the ways people will try to control you without even really trying to point it out. It is written so well it just speaks for itself. It doesn't need to be explained, it is understood at first glance. The world is alive with sugar rations, forced morning exercises, paroles, betrayals, hipocrisy, and chestnut trees (You'll understand all too well when you finish the book). Winston sees cracks, deep and ominous, in his utopia and eventually tries to rebel against it only to be "re-educated". The book explores the meanings of truth, of history, of what really is for our own good. From the first sentence to the last four words, this book is one that will stay with you forever.
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