Book review: 1984

"Big Brother is watching you." 

Whether or not you've read that book, it's nearly impossible you have never encountered this quote before. It's originally from the dystopian novel 1984, by George Orwell, yet another classic I really had to read someday.

Big Brother is the leader (either the actual dictator or perhaps just a symbolic figurehead) of Oceania, a totalitarian state where the ruling Party wields total power over the inhabitants.

It is the state the main character, Winston Smith, lives in. He is a lower member of the party and works in the Ministry of Truth, entitled to change historical information to portray the government and Big Brother in a better light. Yet, Winston worries about the state, and keeps a diary of his anti-government thoughts.

He meets Julia, a young woman who confesses her love to him, and happens to share his concerns about their government.

Winston is approached by the Inner Party member O'Brien who pretends to be an agent of the Brotherhood, a secret organization that intends to destroy the Party, but it's actually a trap, and both him and Julia end up being captured and tortured.

Eventually, they're reintegrated into Oceania society, and we realize Winston no longer resists the oppression and feels love while looking up at a Big Brother poster

Through the whole novel, Orwell warns against the danger of authoritarianism. He offers us a devastating view of society where not only freedom of speech does not exist, but the language itself has been degraded to such a state it literally impacts freedom of thought.

While Orwell tackles several themes like nationalism, futurology, censorship or surveillance, he also combines them with brilliant and thrilling narrative that will keep you hooked on the story and its flow of events.

All in all, this novel was extremely enjoyable, albeit horrific at times, and it truly deserves its reputation as a masterpiece.

Whether you are familiar or not with other similar stories like Brave New World or Animal Farm, don't hesitate to read 1984 if you haven't already, you won't be disappointed.

Cool words:

Aquiline: Relating to or having the characteristics of an eagle.

Balminess: Mild and pleasant

Embezzlement: To take (money one has been entrusted with) for personal use.

Flog: Informal To publicize aggressively

Jostle: to force (one's way) by pushing

Niggling: Annoying, troubling, or irritating in a petty way

Shrewish: Ill-tempered; nagging.

Wainscoting: Paneling or woodwork with which rooms, hallways, etc., are wainscoted.

Used in a story:

On his way to the library in order to flog his new book, the tiny niggling dwarf with an aquiline nose jostled the passersby who were enjoying the balminess of the breeze. Huge was his surprise when the shrewish dwarf later realized he would never be able to buy new marble wainscoting for his room, because the contractor had embezzled all the money from the book.