Nineteen Eight-Four: Past, Present, and Future

Twayne's Masterwork Studies #30

by Patrick Reilly

Reilly (English, U. of Glasgow) considers such matters as the parallel between Nineteen-eighty four and Gulliver's travels; similarities and contrasts between Orwell and Milton; Western man's basic myth, Jack the Giant Killer. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Hardcover

First published May 1, 1989

Reviews

[Freddie Bishop · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusing and not very helpful

[David Freudenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author gives excellent insight into the themes, background, and meanings in Orwell's "1984". Recommended for all who teach "1984" to others. There are two major points: (1) "1984" is not simply (nor, perhaps, even, AT ALL) an allegory of the Stalinist regime, or the Russian communist system. (2) Orwell cleverly, wisely, and emphatically declares that YOU, the reader, are no better than Winston, and would also have succumbed to the power of Big Brother.
It also includes extensive discussions of the "Jack, the Giant-Killer" myth and of themes such as love and religion. Reilly skillfully demonstrates the influence of other great works, especially Swift's "Gulliver's Travels", but also Milton's "Paradise Lost", Huxley's "Brave New World", and T. S. Eliot's "The Waste Land". I wish that the author would have compared Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" and C. S. Lewis's "That Hideous Strength", both of which explore themes similar to "1984". This is probably one of the best books of literary criticism I have read.

[Trever · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nineteen Eighty-four Past,Present, and Future was kind of a good book but it was very confusing in some parts, but overall it was an interesting book that was very informational about what happened during 1980's. This book i would prefer to some people that don't get some what confused from reading and jumping to different parts of the story. I wouldn't have been confused if i sat down one day and read the whole book or even have a paper to put down some important part that happened during the story. This book is some what historical in parts of the story, but it shows what exactly happened during the 1980's.