"1984" By George Orwell

Title: 1984
Author: George Orwell
Published Year: 1949
Pages: 268

My Take:

1984 is a definite classic. Written well before the actual year, the book is one that gives a futuristic view of what could have happened by the year 1984, thankfully none of it has happened. However, the book is a wonderful warning of what we could become if we do not learn from our mistakes and history, not only as individuals but as a society as a whole. It brings a view of absolute socialism at its worse, with heavy indications of brain washing.

The novel takes place in a time where there are two different social groups in what would be known as London as the time of the writing, and as London at the current time, here in 2010. There are the members of the "Party" and those that are referred to as the "Sproles". The party members are those that work towards the benefit of Big Brother and are continuously watched throughout all their actions in life to make sure they are not undermining the work of the Party. The Sproles are those that remind myself of present day, they go about their own lives and do what they want in life, with the majority of their days dedicated to having large families and enjoying life. They have been pushed down so far they do not even take a second to thing of rebelling against the party.

The whole premise of the book is that the world has been pushed into 3 major controlling groups and they are continuously fighting among each other to control certain portions of the world. To understand all that is going on, a reading of the entire book is needed.

Personally the first time I tried to read it, I had a hard time getting into it. A few years later (just recently as I finished this book yesterday), I found once I got through the first 40 or so pages, it became more intriguing. The further into the book you get, the more intriguing it becomes as there remain many unanswered questions without completing it. I highly recommend this to anyone and I hope that with more people reading it, there will be a less likely chance of this fiction becoming a reality.