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George Orwell: Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) (Paperback, 2008, Penguin Books Ltd (UK)) 4 stars

Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth in London, chief city of Airstrip One. …

Did not satisfy my expectations, but it made for quite a pleasant week-end read.

4 stars

For science fiction the book was too dull, there was nothing new or unique. The second part was -- as Asimov put it, -- rather "laughable." The first and last part were enticing, though the style of writing probably made it seem more interesting than it actually was. All over, I don't think it was a bad book, but after all the hype around it I expected much better.

replied to Attaboy's status

@Miya I feel very much the same! Due to the book's prevalence in popular culture and political discourse over the years I think it became almost impossible for it to meet the expectations of first-time readers. The third part was a surprise to me, one that I definitely enjoyed.