1984

Every era has it's literature. In every age since the world began there have been writers who have created works of fiction, fantasy, and history. They set their pens to paper and let their imaginations flow, creating whole new worlds for eager readers to explore. There are many different styles and genres of literature, each with its own individual flavor. Sometimes an author will write in only one style, choosing to express himself in one curtain flavor; it then becomes easy to distinguish that author's writing from all others. Dickenson wrote poetry, Poe wrote gothic horror, Tolkein wrote allegory, and Orwell wrote dystopia. Perhaps George Orwell's most famous dystopian writing is 1984.

Winston knows there is something beyond his current reality; he remembers a time before the current age. He looks for a brighter future but does any of that even matter? The thought police would say there is no past and no future that dose not resemble the present. Under the watchful eye of Big Brother, no one is free to be themselves; they all must conform to The Party or be destroyed. Free thought and self-expression are things of the past, a past Big Brother claims never happened. But Winston still dares to explore his own mind. He reasons that The Party can control his body but never his mind, that the space between his ears will always be his. But can one person, one mind, stand against the might of Big Brother? How long can your thoughts stay inside your mind?

I do not read a lot of dystopias simply because I don't like the style. I find most books in this genre to be depressing and too philosophical, the near endless descriptions of how oppressed the people are make it hard to enjoy the book and end up depressing me. Strangely, though it fits all the criteria of a dystopian book and contains all the elements listed above, I found 1984 to be an interesting read that I even enjoyed at sometimes. Following the life and personal struggle of Winston, a Party worker who dares to disobey The Party, 1984 held my attention and had me reading multiple chapters at once.Winston's journey added a human element to the story making it more relatable than many other books in its genre. 1984 is a warning to future generations about the dangers of government overreach and the population's complacency, because of this I think everyone should read it eventually. That being said this book is definitely not for children; some teens many even finding it difficult to stomach. The book contains descriptions of intimacy, torture, and insanity that may be troubling to some readers. In addition, it's a very philosophical story that gets morose in some places. It is best to take all of this into account when deciding on your next read. 1984 is not a happy book and it is not a light read, but it is important all the same, and I'm glad I took the time to read it.


*****
RJ

Photo Credit:amazon.co,uk