1984 (A Review)
1984 was a challenging read for me.
The motivation behind reading this book was that I wanted to expand my reading into more fiction, so I started with some famous dystopian pieces. I started with "Animal Farm", and continued with "1984". I planned to read "Brave New World" after this, but due to how long it took me to read this book, I have decided to return it.
(Spoilers ahead!)
The book starts off with a very archaic description of the "New World" that the main character Winston lives in. In Part 1, the reader gets an overview of the setting of 1984 and the routines that each character goes through.
In Part 2, the main character engages in a relationship (something not illegal but essentially illegal) with Julia, something that openly challenges the rule of the party. Winston continues with actions that essentially challenge the party, but eventually he is caught by an "old friend" who is a member of the secret police.
Part 3 deals with the philosophical death of Winston's soul and mind, and essentially the state degrades even the most strongly-minded revolutionary into a dispenser of party propaganda. He is eventually killed (as he was a member of opposition towards the party), and the novel ends with his death in which he states that he "loves Big Brother."
Overall, I enjoyed this book. This book was very long (it took me several weeks to read), yet some sections flew by (notably the latter half of Part 2 and the first half of Part 3). Plot-wise, the action builds slowly but noticeably, and it gradually rises until it hits the climax, in which everything becomes clear.
There are a few twists and turns when it comes to this novel, and that's what makes it interesting to read. (As well as the commentary it gives on socialism and utopian society).
1984 is often cited as one of the dangers of a "utopian" society, where the past and present (and thus the future) are controlled by the state and not by the population. In this way, this book warns against the dangers of over-industrialization or capitalism or something, and cautions against what may happen if one party gains too much power.
Anyways, this book is a little on the long side, and although it is a good read, it is also a slow read. With that being said, I would not recommend this book for people in a rush, but it is a very good book to read if you have the time.
Maybe I'll read a book by Kafka sometime later. Currently I am working on Grit (which I have been reading for a few months now) and There, There (for AP Lang) so hopefully I finish the former quickly and move on.