"A compelling, striking nightmarish vision of a dystopian world, this remains one of the most chilling yet favourite books I've ever read"
One of the most renowned classics of all time was brought to us by George Orwell in 1949. A compelling, striking nightmarish vision of a dystopian world, this remains one of the most chilling yet favourite books I've ever read and one of the best openings of a book ever: "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen" So much of it has entered our language, becoming an integrated part of our common cultural inheritance, that I'm sure many people don't even realise their beginnings.
It is the year 1984 and the world is divided into three superstates each at war with eachother. Britain is Airstrip One ruled by the Party and led by Big Brother, the symbolic face of totalitarianism. Even love is considered subversive and we follow the story of Winston Smith who works in the Ministry of Truth where his job is to rewrite the past to fit the present. Depicting everyman, Winston begins to subtlely rebel by writing a secret diary, a deadly thought crime in a society where the actions and thoughts of the people are strictly controlled through propaganda, secrecy, constant surveillance, and harsh punishment. Where will it end? This book will stay with you, and will never be forgotten.
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| Primary Genre | Dystopian and utopian fiction |
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'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.'
The year is 1984 and war and revolution have left the world unrecognisable. Great Britain, now known as Airstrip One, is ruled by the Party, led by Big Brother. Mass surveillance is everything and The Thought Police are employed to ensure that no individual thinking is allowed. Winston Smith works at The Ministry of Truth, carefully rewriting history, but he dreams of freedom and of rebellion. It is here that he meets and falls in love with Julia. They start a secret, forbidden affair - but nothing can be kept secret, and they are forced to face consequences more terrifying than either of them could have ever imagined.
A DYSTOPIAN MASTERPIECE, NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR IS THE POWERFUL AND PROPHETIC NOVEL THAT DEFINED THE 20TH CENTURY.
1984 features in the following genres: Dystopian and utopian fiction, Classic fiction: general and literary, Speculative fiction, Fiction, General Fiction, Audiobooks of the Month, Recommendations
1984 is available in Hardback, Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook
1984 was written by George Orwell and published by Vintage Classics an imprint of Random House
1984 has 384 pages