Nineteen Eighty-Four

by Fiona MacKenzie (Adapter), George Orwell

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Winston Smith re-writes history for the Ministry of Truth in Oceania. Big Brother and the Thought Police watch everyone for signs of Thought Crime. But when Winston falls in love with Julia, he begins to have new ideas and hopes. Winston and Julia start to question the world that they live in - but Big Brother does not like independent thought.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Dystopia, Collections, Novels, Politics, Science Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

Published May 14, 2020

About the author

This is the disambiguation profile for otherwise unseparated authors publishing as Fiona MacKenzie

Reviews

[Nadila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doubleplusgood Crimethink

[Juliette · Rating 5 out of 5]

At 50, I have finally read this book.....disturbing, thought provoking and may just lead to me reading more dystopia literature!

[Marii✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

★3.80★
La verdad que en un principio fue un libro que me costó mucho leer, no me entretuvo tanto y más de una vez tuve que releer algunas cosas para captar. Pero a pesar de eso cuando comienza la segunda parte, empieza a atraparte, y también cada vez más se ve el desarrollo del protagonista y como va aceptando sus ideas e intentando luchar por ellas.

Tanto Winston como Julia fueron buenos personajes, valientes y rebeldes a su modo. Claramente, estos dos no se unieron por lo mismos motivos, y mucho menos se amaban, pero igual su relación fue una forma en que los dos manifestaban su rebeldía y encontraban un "alivio" por decirlo de alguna forma, aunque ambos sabían que no iba a durar por siempre.

La verdad que no se esperaba del final, pero no era este. Es muy fuerte ver como pueden corromper tanto a una persona hasta al punto de que este deje de tener las misma creencias, ideales, que inclusive deja de amar o desear.

[Ivonne Muñoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es una crítica directa al sistema de poder y manipulación de los grandes líderes hacia las masas; a pesar del año en que fue escrito, la historia embona perfecto con la situación actual de varios países. Es muy recomendado por el pensamiento crítico que hay y provoca, aunque hubo ocasiones que sentí que era demasiado descriptivo.

[Josep Clotet Ginovart · Rating 5 out of 5]

La versió de 100 pàgines és amena de llegir i interessant! Sort que vaig deixar la original a temps 😴

[Oscar Fernvik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Läs... FILIP

[Liza Pineda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creo que es uno de los mejores finales que he leído. Me impactó mucho, y creo que por eso le doy 5 estrellas.

[dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

is unalive newspeak

[Andrew Statham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dystopian, bleak and utterly depressing... perfect for January. Great read though.

[Paul de Bruijn · Rating 5 out of 5]

1984 is een enorm interessant boek om les over te geven. Zeker gezien de laatste maatschappelijke ontwikkelingen blijft dit een zeer relevant boek.

[Alexander Erdal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Umiddelbare tanker: trist avslutning, lite tro på menneskeheten etter å ha lest denne her. Men desto viktigere å forhindre at sånne diktaturer oppstår på forhånd i guess. Likte karakteren Winston selv om han ble korrumpert tilslutt. Skjønte ikke helt Goldstein-greiene, fantes det ingen motstand likevel siden O'Brien skrev boken til Goldstein?
Mange paralleller til Kina, er blitt mye mer bekymret nå for de kameraene og det sosiale spillet/poengsystemet de har.
Sånn, Jørgen, håper du er litt nøgd 🙏

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my style of book but wanted to step out of my comfort zone

[Gancho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odio cuando los malos ganan, el libro es espectacular.

[Kermitting Myself To This · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who picked up this book in the wake of the UK general election because of my fear of our world hurtling towards a dystopian land where our phones are glued to our faces like the face huggers from Alien it held up.

TRIGGER WARNING, THIS BOOK MENTIONS DESCRIPTION OF R**E, MURDER AND TORTURE.

So saying that. I will continue the review about why this is a 3-star book (in my humble opinion).

The Good-
The Message:
As someone who loves a good story about a corrupt government, there is no doubt that I would like 1984. The message of the story, that with power there is always corruption, rings true to this day especially as we see politicians and prime ministers rotate out of 10 Downing St doors like Buddy the Elf. This is a difficult way of saying that the message in the story rings true.

The Writing:
I won't lie, it kept me hooked and kept me coming back for more. The descriptions are crafted to be concise but fill the readers' senses with sights, tastes, and smells you just knew what the alleyways looked like, you can feel the cold London air hit you as it funnels through the narrow streets. Just ugh, beautiful.

The Protagonist:
Having Winston's eyes to look through is brilliant. You don't start the story with him in the middle of a rebellion or preparing to take the government down, he's just kind of passive at the beginning. Laying out the world through someone who just exists was great and gave the reader a blank slate to allow Winston's character to shine through. I am aware that this is a lot of praise for someone who (and I will touch on it don't worry) has some heinous thoughts, but that is character, it's not right, but that is his character and we can either take it or leave it. You can like a story but not a character at the same time.

The Bad-
Winston and Julia:
The book surprisingly focussed a lot on Julia and Winston's relationship. Not what I was expecting from a book that has been hammered into my head as a grand political statement or a piece of work that held Orwell's fears of the human race's future. Orwell focuses a lot on the age gap and Winston often points out that she only thinks this way because she is young and naïve, but the says that she is intelligent, but this brings out some really interesting conversations between them. But the relationship feels random. That's the only short way I can explain it. I understand that she is meant to be the "crossing the threshold" moment that kick-starts him learning more about Goldstein and developing an opinion on the men in power but this could have been done on his own, he was actually on his way to this anyway BEFORE Julia turned up.

The Goldstein Excerpt:
You can honestly skip it, it's a good read to understand more about WHY there is a war but it could have been summarised.

The Ugly-
Winston's Sore:
I don't care about this.

The (beginning) Of Julia and Winston:
Boi, he starts the book hating her, envisions doing horrible things to her, she tells him that she loves him (they have never spoken), he tells her about his horrible thoughts and she's like "cool". No girl, not cool, not good.

Honestly, it is worth a read though.

[Sierra Golf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook which I had to get used to since it was the first time. I often got caught off guard by things that were happening, but got really hooked in Part II and Part III. Lots of things looped back, creating very deep references.

It is a complex plot in which many loopholes had to be shut, only an incredible mind would have been capable of writing this uncanny masterpiece.

[Jolanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always scary to think how relevant this book will remain.
This book was so gripping and so interesting. I looked forward to every morning just to read one more chapter.

[Claudia Martínez · Rating 5 out of 5]

📖.Titulo: 1984
🖋.Autor(a): George Orwell
📧.Editorial: Debolsillo
📚.Genero: Contemporánea
➰️.Páginas: 300
💫.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

📔.Sinopsis

La historia trata sobre un estado totalitario y la opresión de sus ciudadanos a través de la vigilancia constante, la manipulación de la historia y la represión de los pensamientos.
La novela, una obra distópica, sigue a Winston Smith, un empleado del Ministerio de la Verdad, quien empieza a resentir el control del gobierno y busca rebelarse.
El libro es una advertencia sobre los peligros del poder gubernamental excesivo y la pérdida de la libertad individual.

⚠️. Opinión, ALERTA DE SPOILER. 📢

Es un libro buenísimo que debería de ser obligatorio de leer en las escuelas, te abre el panorama para entender lo facil que es manipularnos como seres humanos, y como siempre estamos vigilados por el sistema. Nuestros pensamientos individuales pierden valor ante un poder que solo quiere tener control sobre nosotros sin importar el qué hacer para llegar a ese fin.

Una historia desgarradora, los lazos humanos, el amor, la empatia, y todo lo que nos identifica como personas se pierde, el pertenecer a una sociedad queda desvanecido debido a un poder te doblega y entra a tu mente para aniquilador cualquier esperanza de sentirte parte de algo.

El final del libro es épico, es un constante nerviosismo en donde nuestro personaje principal cae en una decadencia de pensamiento, le hacen perder su humanidad, es degradado a ser una parte del sistema como un ser inservible en donde su único fin es terminar amando al mismo sistema que lo destruyó.

📜.Frases.

.Nos encontraremos donde no hay oscuridad

.Los mejores libros, son los que te cuentan lo que ya sabias

.Las masas nunca se rebelan por decisión propia ni solo porque estén oprimidas. De hecho, si no se les permite tener nada con lo que compararse, ni siquiera llegan a saber que lo están.

.Quien controla el pasado, controla el futuro y quien controla el presente, controla el pasado, todo para el fin de que el partido siga teniendo poder.

[vi ✮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro me resultó aburrido al principio, me costó muchísimo leer y entender la primera parte porque empezaba a disociar y terminaba por tener que releer una página completa. Sin embargo, entendí los temas que trataba el libro.

La segunda parte y tercera fueron de mis favoritas. Fueron entretenidas y no me trabé leyéndolas.

Winston fue un personaje que apenas pude conocerlo más en la segunda parte de la novela, al principio no estuvo tan desarrollado como tal vez hubiera preferido. De todas formas no estoy disconforme.

El final no fue esperado para mí. Creo que fue un buen final, aunque no fue "feliz" para el personaje principal.

Esta novela refleja muy bien los temas políticos y transmite el mensaje que quiere.

[Jubbjubb · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Do it to Julia". These three words has haunted me since I read this book for the first time 15 years ago. When I now re-read this story it still sends shivers of sorrow down my soul.

Its a well built emersive world and you root for Wilson as you would a friend, you feel the passion of Julia and belive in her spirit. Because of this the grinding down of their bodies, spirits and selves feels so real.

The last part of the book feels like a battle for humanity and the humanity loses.


1984 is a must read. For every one.

[Lauren Doherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I’m either too dumb for the way this is written or I just wasn’t committed enough to reading it. Looking back I fully understand the whole book but at no point was I gripped by it or compelled to keep reading. I will say the direction of the book is nothing like what I expected as I was reading through it, and the last 100 pages or so were probably the most captivating out of the entire book. I’d probably read it again after watching the tv show/movie(?) to see if I vibe with it any more

[Tommy Maker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have wanted to read this for years now. I was hooked from the start. We must never forget that it was written in 1948, post war, and Orwell had a great vision of what life would be like in 1984.

His vision was pretty spot on with few minor differences. I kept wondering how he would have known certain things back then. Time travel sprung to mind.

He described London and England pretty much how it has been for the past 40 plus years. Would definitely recommend everyone to read this before they die.

[Abraham Corona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una narración totalmente atemporal, la vida como herramienta política, la humanidad como delito social y el pensamiento libre como crimen nacional. se puede decir tanto de esta obra tan maravillosa y compleja y simple, nos invita a reflexionar sobre que tanto estamos perdiendo y estaremos dispuestos a ceder de nuestra libertad y decisión de libre albedrío...con estas palabras cierro un momento de mi tiempo con este libro, podría ser una reseña eterna, pero lo más valioso de esta crítica es una condición de mutismo selectivo por todo lo que podemos perder en un futuro no tan lejano.

[Pablo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy clarividente. No me puedo creer que un libro tan antiguo refleje casi a la perfección, si no con más agudeza, los sistemas políticos actuales. Sabía de qué iba el libro, pero eso eran sólo los primeros 2 capítulos. A partir de ahí, cuando creía que todo estaba dicho y que se limitaría a repetir ideas, en cambio monta una trama intensa y realista que le permite profundizar en los aspectos prácticos de las directrices del gran hermano y el partido único. Esclarecedor y abrumador a partes iguales.

[Pajtim Ademi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when Orwell uses long sentences with parallel phrasing, and he describes in detail a society that is frighteningly much like our own-- a crushingly intrusive government that uses constant and inescapable surveillance paired with a steady stream of falsehoods marketed as truth that caters to the 1% (the Inner Party) while the lower castes (the Outer Party and the Proles) suffer in poverty and neglect. If you're like me and love a good bleak novel that explores the basic depravity of man

[Tina Marga · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a terrifying story with a dreadful ending. I heard about it, a very long time ago, long before 1984. In 1984, I graduated from secondary school and the story in this book came to life in a play at our school. It is good that these type of books exist, to make us aware about the values of our society, and our liberties. In sharp contrast to the totalitarian regime as painted in Orwell's 1984.

[John J Mizzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel '1984' sheds light on the extent to which an authoritarian state can manipulate its citizens. The concept of 'Newspeak' in the book fascinated me because it demonstrates the significance of language in formulating our ideas and thoughts. Newspeak, on the other hand, aims to control language and in turn, manipulate the thoughts and ideas of the people.

"War is peace.

Freedom is slavery.

Ignorance is strength."

[Max Z. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a student of literature, I was very appreciative of the way this book portrays language and how essential (the control over) language turns out to be for the totalitarian regime. It was written in an attractive and comprehensive way and makes for a disturbing but interesting read. Orwell manages to show us not only the dangers of totalitarianism, but also how easily civilizations could decay into dictatorships easily and unseen.

[Ignacio Francés · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una expresion ficticia del panoptico de Foucault, ni tus pensamientos, sentimientos o acciones son en ningun sentido libres, sino que profundamente monitorizados y analizados, la vida es un mar de trampas, diseñadas para hacerte sufrir de manera inhumana, y el gobierno, una entidad sedienta de poder y control, cuyo unico objetivo es la miseria humana.

[Michael Arias · Rating 5 out of 5]

increíble como se adapta a muchas cosas en la actualidad y van a seguir pasando, desde la más mínima, hasta la más grande, como el hecho de cambiar un pensamiento desde la creación o modificación a una nueva lengua.
En general es muy bueno y lo recomiendo para comparar la situación en ciertos lugares del mundo e incluso en donde habitamos cotidianamente.

[Cathal Dunleavy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredibly depressing or shocking I say doubleplusgood depressing. This Syme brother needs to get some bitches and touch some grass the way he talking about words. Part 2 tho wow. Him being obsessed after the note is so real. That whole part about his dream with his mother. Page 278 talking about stars and bones would actually drive me insane