Book Review: 1984

Yep, it's #reviewsdaytuesday again. This week, the book is 1984 by George Orwell.

1984 

In this dystopian novel set in 1984 (hence the title), Winston Smith is a low-ranking member of the Party in London, Oceania. The Party, led by the mysterious Big Brother, controls everything. They control the language so that words about political rebellion don't exist anymore, and they even change history (or at least, the records of it). The Party is always watching everyone through the telescreens, making sure nobody breaks the law. And what is the worst crime? The Newspeak (the language of the Party) word is "thoughtcrime", and it simply means thinking something that is wrong or illegal. Winston starts keeping a diary (it's illegal to even have a diary), and he writes about how he hates that the Party has banned free thought, sex, and individuality of any sort. He meets Julia, who is in love with him, and they start having an affair, in direct defiance of the Party. Eventually, they are noticed by O'Brien, a powerful Party member who Winston suspects is part of the Brotherhood, the secret organization to overthrow the Party.

OKAY MAJOR SPOILER ALERT NOW. DON'T READ ON UNLESS YOU'VE READ THE BOOK OR DON'T CARE ABOUT SPOILERS

It turns out that O'Brien is actually a member of the Thought Police; i.e., he is a spy for the Party. He takes Winston and Julia to be tortured. They are taken to the dreaded room 101, where they each have to confront their deepest fear. Winston is so afraid of the rats that he asks O'Brien to send the rats to attack Julia, not him. He has finally snapped, which is what O'Brien wanted all along. Winston is broken, and he returns to the world. He has given up rebelling and come to love Big Brother.

SPOILER ALERT OVER. YOU CAN READ ON IF YOU LIKE.

This is a really well-written book, but it's also really disturbing. I really hope our society never becomes like this. I would rather die than live in a place where individuality, creativity, and free thought are illegal. I know security matters, but I don't want to be watched every second. And when I do have sex, I want it to be for pleasure, not as just "my duty to the Party". And I most certainly don't want to have to consciously live in rebellion until I break. While it's not exactly the happiest book, it is thought-provoking, and it's worth reading.