1984-George Orwell
This week, approximately 10,000 years after everyone else in my age group, I read 1984. I've always known this book was a seminal piece in every student's high school english career, but it's somehow escaped me all these years until now. I entered the reading with some vague knowledge of the content: I'd heard the phrases big brother, memory hole, and orwellian used many times in popular culture. Besides this, I knew the story took place in the alternate reality of hyper-surveillance state in the year 1984 (dare I say, "duh").
Let me start by saying I really enjoyed this book: I read it voraciously (or as voraciously as I could as a student with a busy schedule) and finished in just a few days. I was continually drawn in by the multiple mechanisms of citizen surveillance Orwell presents in Oceania. Every time a new mode of surveillance was presented, I became both more fascinated and appalled. I realized how little room the public had to breathe, and how frightened it made me to be an outsider looking in on it. In the end, it's revealed that the main character, Winston, wasn't even truly alone in the small pockets of freedom he thought he possessed. In a greater sense, it's revealed that no citizen's actions or thoughts are ever completely their own, as the prevailing government is always looking for evidence of possible dissent. There was no possible way to win against the dominant party, and I found the lack of options suffocating and sad. When the characters had no way out, I too felt frozen.
One of the major takeaways I had was an appreciation that I read this book when I did. As a teen, I wasn't as politically active and didn't have a good concept of the reality of oppressive governmental regimes. I think if I had read this in, say, my freshman year of high school, I would think of the events that take place in 1984 as more of fantastical horror story than a relevant warning of what dangers the future could hold. I think having a solid base of knowledge and strong political opinions made me read this book with much more insight and empathy, which only increased my interest as I read on.
Additionally, this book led me to do a little research into the context in which it was written. I learned much more about George Orwell's life and how his personal experiences influenced many elements of the book, especially his fear of the soviets, whose policies inspired many elements of the totalitarian government in this novel (read more here). Putting the material in a historical context also increased my understanding of the many political allegories Orwell includes in the novel, which made me appreciate the work that much more.
So while I may have risked seeming cheesy by reading what is one of the most recognizable works of fiction in the western world, I don't mind. I greatly enjoyed this novel and I'm excited to share whatever I read next! Stay tuned, and remember: Big Brother is Watching.
Let me start by saying I really enjoyed this book: I read it voraciously (or as voraciously as I could as a student with a busy schedule) and finished in just a few days. I was continually drawn in by the multiple mechanisms of citizen surveillance Orwell presents in Oceania. Every time a new mode of surveillance was presented, I became both more fascinated and appalled. I realized how little room the public had to breathe, and how frightened it made me to be an outsider looking in on it. In the end, it's revealed that the main character, Winston, wasn't even truly alone in the small pockets of freedom he thought he possessed. In a greater sense, it's revealed that no citizen's actions or thoughts are ever completely their own, as the prevailing government is always looking for evidence of possible dissent. There was no possible way to win against the dominant party, and I found the lack of options suffocating and sad. When the characters had no way out, I too felt frozen.
One of the major takeaways I had was an appreciation that I read this book when I did. As a teen, I wasn't as politically active and didn't have a good concept of the reality of oppressive governmental regimes. I think if I had read this in, say, my freshman year of high school, I would think of the events that take place in 1984 as more of fantastical horror story than a relevant warning of what dangers the future could hold. I think having a solid base of knowledge and strong political opinions made me read this book with much more insight and empathy, which only increased my interest as I read on.
Additionally, this book led me to do a little research into the context in which it was written. I learned much more about George Orwell's life and how his personal experiences influenced many elements of the book, especially his fear of the soviets, whose policies inspired many elements of the totalitarian government in this novel (read more here). Putting the material in a historical context also increased my understanding of the many political allegories Orwell includes in the novel, which made me appreciate the work that much more.
So while I may have risked seeming cheesy by reading what is one of the most recognizable works of fiction in the western world, I don't mind. I greatly enjoyed this novel and I'm excited to share whatever I read next! Stay tuned, and remember: Big Brother is Watching.
I am really excited about reading your blog every week. I love to read but with my crazy schedule I never have time to search for good books to read. This way I can read a little about what the books are about and decide if I am interested or not. I also read this book in high school and really enjoyed it. George Orwell's life is very interesting and I would definitely recommend some of his other books. Excited for next week!
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