Book Review: Nineteen Eighty-Four
Many readers who
completed their high school and college years from the fifties through the
seventies have already read this book. Some students during that time period may not
have read this book because it was considered subversive by many local school
districts. First published in 1949 and written by George Orwell. Nineteen Eighty-Four 
is futuristic utopian
fantasy set in fictional Oceania, one of three super states that have divided
up the world.
Many terms that originally came from this
book such as Big Brother—the constant observance of society by the powers in
control—are still used with that basic meaning. In the last Bond movie Spectre 007 (Blu-ray)
, there is a line that M says, ‘Orwell is turning over in his
grave’ referring to the rise of surveillance in society. So Orwell’s work is
still being referenced to this day. But there are more terms such as, DoubleThink, CrimeThink, that in the
time of Oceania would encompass the meaning of Political correctness today.
, there is a line that M says, ‘Orwell is turning over in his
grave’ referring to the rise of surveillance in society. So Orwell’s work is
still being referenced to this day. But there are more terms such as, DoubleThink, CrimeThink, that in the
time of Oceania would encompass the meaning of Political correctness today.
This book is every bit as much about
language, the use of it, how it is used, and how it is defined as it is a
futuristic critique of extreme controls and planning by those that come to
power. Orwell, saw deceit, treachery,
corruption, and dissolution of freedoms long before most of were born and he
projected his insight towards a future that becomes defined by IngSoc, the Newspeak word for English
Socialism. The principle character
Winston Smith, is what we define today as a low level bureaucrat. Winston has
had a past life with a wife and memories, memories that are so troubling—because
they take him back to past that officially never existed. And his job is to
erase all versions of incidents that did not officially happen. He does this
with Newspeak the newest form of
English. Newspeak is not a growing language, in fact it is shrinking, and the newer
combined words have less broadly defined meanings. The powers behind big
brother by the control of language. They don’t allow words such as freedom,
liberty and there are no words to replace those words. So those concepts of
liberty and freedom simply disappear.
I
think the most important, thought provoking part of this book is at the end.
George Orwell wrote a fictional Appendix for Newspeak. In the appendix he
explains how language would be used to control society. (Sound familiar?)
Nineteen Eighty-Four 
is five full sails. I read it in paperback for $6.00 US. This book is ranked 75 on Amazons sales list. You can order right now. It is also available
for Kindle all customers and those on Amazon Prime.
Thanks for reading, please share on Google + & Twitter and recommend to your friends.
AJJ
is five full sails. I read it in paperback for $6.00 US. This book is ranked 75 on Amazons sales list. You can order right now. It is also available
for Kindle all customers and those on Amazon Prime. Thanks for reading, please share on Google + & Twitter and recommend to your friends.
AJJ
Blog Search #BigBrother 1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four
