Hardcover
Published Nov. 3, 2019 by Doubleday.
Hardcover
Published Nov. 3, 2019 by Doubleday.
The author has written a study that places George Orwell's 1984 in a variety of contexts: the author's life and times, the book's precursors in the science fiction genre, and its subsequent place in popular culture. Lynskey delves into how Orwell's harrowing Spanish Civil War experiences shaped his concern with political disinformation by exposing him to the deceptiveness of people he'd once regarded as allies against fascism: the Soviets and their Western apologists.
First time I've read this book since high school. I'm surprised at how much I remembered (despite not necessarily remembering that the idea was from 1984).
Brilliant
The writing is vivid and beautiful. It’s a dark subject; something anyone would rather push out of their mind. Instead I can’t help but imagine and feel the words. For once it felt like watching a movie inside the mind - that’s how descriptive the book was. As to the contents of the book - wish more people would read it and guard ourselves against the very fundamental of freedoms - to just be one’s true self. When that’s destroyed there’s really not much left.
As always, interesting and relevant.
"War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength"
Still powerful and terrifying. I feel like this is one we're supposed to outgrow but it still has a psychological impact - maybe just because it's an election year?
1984 is overrated as a classic. There are better, more convincing, more frightening, more useful dystopias around.
Finally finished. Unforgettable.
I can't believe how good this book is, seeing as it was written so long ago.
This certainly makes it into my top 10.
It is not often that you read a book and get so involved in it that you start dreaming you are the main character when you sleep. So if you have read this book you'll understand why I haven't been getting much sleep lately.
Some brilliant lines in this book, my fav has gotta be..." If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever"
Doubleplusgood!
Espeluznante. Una obra que no te puede dejar indiferente, y escrita en plena posguerra, tela. Obviamente es ciencia ficci��n, pero es inevitable encontrar paralelismos en muchos de los conceptos, mecanismos y sensaciones. Como esa cultura de la idiotizaci��n, del miedo, de la alienaci��n en su m��ximo grado del pasado y de cualquier cosa que no sea lo que los medios (el poder) te ponen delante del hocico para que tires del carro es en mayor o menor medida nuestro mundo de hoy. Toda una lecci��n porque solo viendo los extremos podemos medir d��nde estamos hoy.
This is one of my favourite books... it is in my top 10! It describes a bleak future... one we are now (almost) living in!
I also use the Penguin Reader to teach my students about this story. It is the story retold by Mike Dean as a graded reader, level 4 (Intermediate, 1700 headwords, 19465 words).
This book is a good read that still has relevance even in the 'modern' world.
If you've been considering reading it go and do so.
Gros choc, effrayante vision du futur, qui se révèle très proche de notre présent. Extr^me sur certains aspects, et finalement plutôt réaliste, et surtout horriblement (ou délicieusement) pessimiste.
Un chef d'œuvre, je le dis haut et fort ! à lire à tout prix.
I read this for a few years back when I was a public school teacher, and I had to teach it. It is definitely an intense book that gives a lot to think about. Now that I look at it, it does seem relevant to these times. However, I probably won't reread it for a while; I had enough of it for now. However, I do recommend it for people who have not read it.