Ready, set, binge read! It would take 4 hours and 57 minutes to read The Selection , 4 hours and 44 minutes to read The Elite , 4 hours and 36 minutes to read The One , 5 hours and 19 minutes to read The Heir , and 4 hours and 29 minutes to read The Crown.
It would take 5 hours and 29 minutes to read A Study in Charlotte , 5 hours and 3 minutes to read The Last of August , 5 hours and 9 minutes to read The Case for Jamie , and 4 hours and 24 minutes to read A Question of Holmes. It would take 5 hours and 31 minutes to read Shatter Me , 6 hours and 48 minutes to read Unravel Me , and 5 hours and 54 minutes to read Ignite Me. It would take 6 hours and 34 minutes to read Divergent , 6 hours and 38 minutes to read Insurgent , and 6 hours and 48 minutes to read Allegiant.
It would take 4 hours and 47 minutes to read Legend , 6 hours and 2 minutes to read Prodigy , and 5 hours and 58 minutes to read Champion. It would take 7 hours and 1 minute to read Graceling , 7 hours and 4 minutes to read Fire , and 8 hours and 27 minutes to read Bitterblue. It would take 5 hours and 58 minutes to read Cinder , 6 hours and 37 minutes to read Scarlet , 8 hours and 8 minutes to read Cress , and 13 hours and 38 minutes to read Winter.
It would take 5 hours and 36 minutes to read Shadow and Bone , 6 hours and 47 minutes to read Siege and Storm , and 6 hours and 27 minutes to read Ruin and Rising.
It would take 7 hours and 7 minutes to read Throne of Glass , 6 hours and 59 minutes to read Crown of Midnight , 11 hours and 23 minutes to read Heir of Fire , 11 hours and 27 minutes to read Queen of Shadows , 14 hours and 40 minutes to read Empire of Storms , 13 hours and 8 minutes to read Tower of Dawn , and 19 hours and 15 minutes to read Kingdom of Ash.
What would we do without a good YA thriller? From the start, the author manages to articulate so many of the things I have thought about but have never been able to find a way to put into words. Even in the first few chapters I found myself having to stop just to quietly consider the words of Mr Orwell.
For instance, he talks about how the act of writing itself is a type of time travel. It is communicating with the future. I write these words now, but others may not discover them for hours, weeks, or even years. For me, it is one time. For you the reader, it is an entirely different one.
Just the thought that reading and writing could one day be outlawed just shivers my timbers. I related to Winston so much in that way. I would have found a way to read or write. The politics and psychology of this novel run deep. The society in the book has no written laws, but many acts are punishable by death. The slogan of the Party War is Peace Individuality is frowned upon and could lead to being labeled a traitor to the Party. I also remember always wondering why the title was I was familiar with the concept of Big Brother and wondered why that wasn't the name of the book.
In the story, they don't actually know what year it is because so much of the past has been erased by the Ministry of Truth. It could very easily have been I think that makes the title more powerful. Something as simple as the year or date is unknown to these people. They have to believe it is whatever day that they are told it is.
They don't have the right to keep track. Knowledge is powerful. Knowledge is necessary. But according to Big Brother. Ignorance is strength. These are usually things that distance me from a book and from the characters, but Orwell managed to keep me fully enthralled. He frequently talks in circles and ideas are often repeated but it is still intriguing, none the less. I must admit that I zoned out a bit while Winston was reading from The Book, but I was very fascinated by the culture.
Sometimes it seems as though the only way to really experience a characters emotions is through first person. This is not the case with this book, as it is written in third person; yet, I never failed to be encompassed in Winston's feelings. George manages to ensure that the reader never feels disconnected from the events that are unfolding around them, with the exception of the beginning when Winston is just starting to become awakened.
I developed a strong attachment to Winston and thrived on living inside his mind. I became a member of the Thought Police, hearing everything, feeling everything and last but not least, what the Thought Police are not allowed to do questioning everything. I wasn't expecting a love story in this book, but the relationship between Julia and Winston was truly profound.
I enjoyed it even more than I would have expected and thought the moments between them were beautiful. I wasn't sure whether he was going to eventually betray Julia to the Party or not, but I certainly teared up often when it came to their relationship. George has an uncanny ability to get to the base of the human psyche, at times suggesting that we need to be at war for many different reasons, whether it's at war with ourselves or with others.
That is one thing I have never understood: why humans feel the need to destroy and control each other. It seems that the main and recurring message in this book is about censorship and brainwashing.
One, censorship, is limited and little exposure to ideas of the world; the other, brainwashing, is forced and too much exposure to a certain ideas.
Both can be extremely dangerous. Inside the ministry of Truth, he demonstrates the dangers of censorship by showing how the Party has completely rewritten the past by forging and abolishing documents and physical evidence. We also spend quite a bit of time with Winston in the Ministry of Love, where the brainwashing takes place.
Those who commit thoughtcrime are tortured until they grow to love and obey Big Brother and serve only the interests of the Party. A common theme occurred to me throughout the book, although it wasn't necessarily referenced consistently.
The good of the many is more important than the good of the one. There are so many variables when it comes to this statement and for the most part it seems natural to say, "Of course, the many is more important than the one", but when inside Winston's head, all that I began to care about was his well-being and not if he was able to help disband or conquer the Party and Big Brother.
I just wanted him to be at peace. Whether or not the good of all is more important than that of the one, I can't answer. I think most people feel their own happiness is more important than the rest of the world's, and maybe that's part of the problem but it's also human nature.
I only wish we could all accept one other regardless of belief and culture and not try to force ways of life onto other people. Maybe I'm naive for thinking that way, but so be it.
I almost don't know what to think about this book. I'm not even sure my brain still works, or if it ever worked right at all. This book has a way of making you think you know exactly what you believe about everything and then turning you completely upside down and making you question whether or not you believe anything at all about anything. It's the strangest thing. Perhaps not. Everything about this book is captivating. It's groundbreaking yet at the same time, purely classic.
Ahead of its time, yet timeless. Basically, I think everyone should read at some point. You really have to be in the mood to work at reading it, though. But it's all worth it in the end. It's absolutely incredible and I loved it.
I don't re-read many books but this will definitely be one of them. It is a hard read, but more importantly, it is a MUST read. View all 40 comments.
The novel is set in Airstrip One, formerly Great Britain, a province of the superstate Oceania, whose residents are victims of perpetual war, omnipresent government surveillance and public manipulation.
Oceania's political ideology, euphemistically named English Socialism is enforced by the privileged, elite Inner Party. Via the "Thought Police", the Inner Party persecutes individualism and independent thinking, which are regarded as "thoughtcrimes".
View all 10 comments. I am a big fan of speculative fiction and in my literary travels I have encountered a myriad of dystopias, anti-utopias and places and societies that make one want to scream and Despite being published back in , I have ye I am a big fan of speculative fiction and in my literary travels I have encountered a myriad of dystopias, anti-utopias and places and societies that make one want to scream and The very mention of either of those terms invokes images of Nazis and Soviet gulags in my mind.
Yet Orwell's creation is in many ways even more insidious than these real-world bogeymen. I first read this book when I was 12 years old in 7th grade as a Anyway, I decided to re-read this book recently as an adult in the hopes that I would be able to gain a great appreciation for this classic. Well, the book did more than that. From the very first sentence, "It was a bright, cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen" to the unforgettable final sentence which I will not give away here , this story sucked me in, beat the living shit out of me and through me out the other side a hollow, wasted wreck.
I know, it doesn't sound very cheery, but it is a life-changing experience. I have always thought that one of the best and most important qualities of science fiction is that it frees the author to take the controversial, politically charged issues and trends of the day and create a possible future based on exaggerations of such trends and in so doing present a compelling and critical argument for change.
Well NO ONE has ever done a better job than better Orwell in showing the possible nightmare and thus potential danger of a society without basic civil liberties and a government with complete and unchallenged control.
View all 46 comments. Cynical, scathing, and not without its flaws, this is still a stark, haunting glimpse at what could be. Freedom is slavery. The closing lines still come to me sometimes and remind me of depths that I can only imagine. Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark moustache.
O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast! Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished.
He had won the victory over himself. The scene that I most often think is when Winston and Julia are captured. Winston Smith cautiously and surreptitiously discovers the Brotherhood led by Goldstein and then learns all too well about O'Brien's duplicitous doublethink. More than just a cautionary political tale, Orwell has described an ideological abyss into which we must not gaze; a glimpse at authoritarianism power plays to which the Nazis and Soviets never descended.
While we can appreciate the reminder to avoid authoritarianism and his prophetic vision, the idea that truth can be arranged through media is perhaps the most relevant for us today. In the past I have somewhat overlooked Julia as a character and thought that Orwell had neglected to form a strong female character, however I now think that she is every bit as strong as Winston and plays a central role in. Whereas Winston hates the party and wants to overturn it, Julia is much more practical and realistic in her rebellion.
Winston thinks about the nature of the totalitarianism in abstract ways, Julia uses the terms of doublethink against the party and makes her frank sexuality a systematic rejection of party principle. Winston embodies the use of media as propaganda and to disseminate inaccurate statements that prop up the party. Every bit as timeless and relevant as it has ever been.
View all 39 comments. Shelves: sci-fi , 4-star-reads. In some twisted form, everything reflects the truth of reality. Of course there are exaggerations, though nothing is far from plausibility. We are controlled by our governments, and often in ways we are not consciously aware of.
Advertisements, marketing campaigns and political events are all designed for us to elicit a certain response and think in a desired way. Cultural brainwashing becomes the chief goal.
Assimilation into a passionless and completely ignorant mind-set becomes the most effective means of keeping the population down. Subjugation becomes normality. The streets are claustrophobic and the people the workers can escape nothing.
Every action, every word spoken, is recorded. The police are ready to grab anyone who steps remotely out of line. If language can be broken down into the absolute basics, the simplest and ordinary units, then people can only express themselves on a very minor level.
They cannot think beyond their daily tasks because there are no words that connote dreams and fantasy. Step out of line and you are killed, though not before being dragged to room for torture and even stronger methods of thought control.
As such through the plot the book depicts a stark transformation, a transformation of man who was once willing to fight and to think but falls into one of the ingenious traps big brother sets for him to expose his criminality. He shows us that we are not so far from big brother as we may think. View all 20 comments. View all 11 comments. Social media is a cage full of starved rats and all of us have our heads stuck in there now, like it or not. View all 8 comments. I've put off writing a review for because it's simply too daunting to do so.
I liked even better after a second reading bumping it up from a 4 star to a 5 star because I think that, given the complexity of the future created by Orwell, multiple readings may be needed to take it all in. I thought it was genius the first time and appreciated that genius even more the second time. Orwell had a daunting task: creating a future nearly half a century away from the time period in which he w I've put off writing a review for because it's simply too daunting to do so.
Orwell had a daunting task: creating a future nearly half a century away from the time period in which he was writing. This future had to be its own complex, independent society, but it also had to be the natural end result of the totalitarianism Orwell witnessed in the communist and socialist regimes of World War II.
That's part of the horror of this future is a recognizable one, even in the 21st century. It's easy to see how those in control can, through manipulation and propaganda, maintain that control simply for the sake of sating their own power hunger.
It's easy to say "no one could ever tell me what to think or what to do," but the Party's use of Big Brother, the Thought Police, the Two-Minute Hate, and Doublethink make it easy to see how a person's ability to think independently and discern fiction from reality can be eroded when there is no touchstone to fact. Revising and rewriting the past to make certain that Big Brother and the Party are always correct has effectively eliminated historical accuracy.
How can one think and reason in a society where everything is a fabrication? Another facet of that I find fascinating is the relationship between Winston and Julia. Winston claims Julia is a "rebel from the waist down," engaging in promiscuity and hedonistic indulgences forbidden by the Party. She doesn't care about social injustice or defining "reality"; she only longs for what will make her feel good in the moment and only rebels far enough to get what she wants.
By comparison, Winston is an intellectual rebel, constantly worrying over the issues of truth and freedom and the real, unvarnished past, but limited in how far he's willing to push the boundaries until he meets Julia.
Together, they make a complete rebellion--physical and mental, but apart they find themselves impotent to stand up to the Party. Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder View all 17 comments. Nov 09, Leo. Is Orwell turning in his grave? Does his epitaph read. Don't say I never told you so!
Which pigeon hole? What label? What career? When a car driver loses control of the vehicle and strays from the path that was ahead, the car careers off the road. One might crash. One is no longer on the journey one originally set out on. One is lost. Off the beaten track. So, when one is a child and asked what career one wants, esoterically it means how can one be swayed or crashed and stopped from what one may want to be when one grows up.
The only answer a child should give to their teacher indoctrinater is These authorities with all the powers? Deciding what we say, or do, or go, from their Ivory Towers A deviant neighbour moves in next door, behaviour abnormal, and hoarding trash Puts his waste in his shed, a festering, mouldy stash Attracting rats, mice, flies and vermin of all kinds Breaking other residents resolve, distorting their minds For when the community complain about it, every day, week in week out, all the time These authorities point the finger at us, accuse us of a Bloody Hate Crime!
Rationale has been replaced, with the word Hate As the lines blur, in this New World Order, is it too late? To change this world? To take a stance? Maybe our last Chance! This world is going to Hell in a Shitstorm! If we don't restore the Earth's Balance. Crawling all over society Police or Po-Lice? These parasites, are only there to Scare To enforce Order, in the chaos they Create On behest of the Magicians behind the curtains, the One's that preach Hate.
In this Cube, this false construct, this Square. So look around, see the whole, and Beware! I am full aware of what is going on in this pursuit for a New World Order, an Old World Order, whereby the void between the few and the majority broadens.
I am so frustrated how the Sheeple just seem to lap it up. A cell phone. A smart cell phone that is all singing and dancing It is called a Cell phone for a reason. Like the Net and the Web. Soon all appliances and mob devices will be Smart.
If one does not own one then when 5G is rolled out and the Smart Grid comes into being, one will be left behind. Soon all money paid in wages or commerce will be digital and people will not survive in the New Virtual World unless one is chipped or connected to the 5G network.
Understand that money is phony. It is paper or a figure on a PC screen. Soon to be a digital concept, like in the film In Time. Money used to be made of copper, silver and gold.
This is when coins actually held value, worth it's weight in gold actually meant something. Then the Templars invented the Banking system, now they are called Freemasons a Fiat pyramid system that is illegal yet, no person seems to care.
That is the way it is. Only because of ignorance. Acquiescence, Taxation is a fraud. It is theft. Time to wake up before it is too late. And the female freemasonic Eastern Star.
Maybe I have said too much but, I don't care anymore. That is today's Rant. Everybody should read and also watch the film. View all 19 comments. The totalitarian regimes of Hitler, Mussolini and Imperial Japan were defeated. Stalin was going strong. Franco was undisturbed. However, the war was not quite over: the victors, Russia on one side, the USA on the other, were now superpowers staring stonily at each other, their hands loaded with a new and deadly Europe was only starting to recover from the slaughter of World War II.
However, the war was not quite over: the victors, Russia on one side, the USA on the other, were now superpowers staring stonily at each other, their hands loaded with a new and deadly arsenal. Both sections are stupefying. Yet, the last third of the book is probably one of the worst nightmares in literature: a prolonged torture and brainwashing session that plunges into utter insanity.
At any rate, this novel has become one of the canonical landmarks of political dystopia. The days of Hitler and Stalin are long gone now. View all 32 comments. I know this is a well loved classic and I definitely enjoyed some parts View all 9 comments. This book! This was a reread - the last time I read this was over 20 years ago and I wanted to see if the 5 star rating and its standing in one of my top 3 favorite books held up - and it most certainly does.
If this book was written today in the midst of the slew of dystopian novels that come out, it may not have stood out. But, this book was way ahead of its time. Written in a post WWII era where the fears of dictatorships and brutal tyranny were fresh in the minds of the people, this book plays off that fear and adds a dark vision of a potential future.
This is where the genius of Orwell comes in. The book is mainly the manifesto of the Party that the main character is seeking to rebell against. But, the ideology and descriptions of this dystopian world are not presented in a boring way - they are fascinating. The fact that Orwell created this world and laid out not only a terrifying political environment, but the rules for the new language they were creating, is beyond amazing.
Finally, some of the things he describes sound all too possible in our current world. The controversial elections this week in the US only added to the intensity of this book.
People living in a country, where the leaders apply an authoritarian framework in controlling their citizens, in the most extreme ways, which makes the regimes of Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and other dictators look quite insignificant. Doing everything, from working to thinking are ALL in the hand of the Government, of the authoritative state. Any trace of insubordination, whether it is verbal, acted out or thought of can be detected by the state by things such as the Thought Police, the television and even the neighbours, friends and families who will NOT hesitate to sell out anybody, even their own to the authorities.
Indeed, even the language is altered in such a way that you can not convey what you believe, or oppositive thoughts, since they have been removed from the vocabulary and individualism is considered to be a crime.
In time, even truth loses its meaning; there is no truth apart from what the state dictates. If they say the Universe is geocentric meaning that the Earth is the centre and everything revolves around it , you will accept it. These three superpowers wage a constant pseudo war at least in my opinion against each other to keep their respective populations in check. It was created by the Party to ensure continuous control and power over people because during a war, nations unite and people tend to focus on the common enemy.
It is also easier to hate something rather than to realise that it is your life that is miserable. The second line of the slogan, Freedom Is Slavery suggests that whomsoever attempts to seek independence and not following and obeying what the Party dictates will be enslaved. Therefore the only way to be free is to join the Party, becoming the slave of it. Hence it is impossible to escape slavery. The last line; Ignorance Is Strength.
Whenever you have faith in something, you trust them without questioning what they are doing or the reason why they are doing it. When talking about the government, it takes a strength of faith not to question its motives. There are compromising situations, there are police states, but I believe we can be thankful we are not living in the Orwellian Nightmare. Adult Written by rreader34 September 5, Excellent Message, Semi-Descriptive scenes. This is one of the most influential and important novels ever written.
However, the sexual and violent content are fairly descriptive, or at least they give you enough information to be able to imagine the rest of the violence and sex. The images that are painted in your mind would constitute an R rated film. You will need to weigh the importance of teaching your children about the evils of socialism, and the scenes in this book that are disturbing. Adult Written by Pizza G. May 19, Intense and disturbing; Orwell's darkly brilliant chef-d'oeuvre is one of my favorite books of all time.
It's an epigrammatically sardonic yet frighteningly accurate metaphor for power, war, and governmental perlustration wrapped up in a dystopian forbidden romance. With excellent characters, an intense story, and a truly terrifying ending, this is a must-read for teens and up--beware, though, of its disturbing themes and depiction of violence, sometimes intertwined with sexuality. Beautiful, upsetting, and utterly astounding, but not for young kids.
Parent Written by Omar Sharif July 12, Good for intelegent kids Alot of the reviews said it was weird and just a vulgar sufi novel. It is not, has a message that is still relevent today. It does have sex and toucher but that only enhances the meaning. This is a weird sci-fi novel. When I read this book in English class, I really didn't understand it. Is it suppose to be a sci-fi novel or a satire? If it is trying to be a satire, then it's not working for me. I don't want to give any spoiler alerts for those who haven't read the book, but the ending is kinda disappointing and weird.
But the reason why I gave this book 3 stars instead of 1 or 2 is because it is amusing how this book was written in , and the author wanted to show what would be like.
Obviously, he wasn't right on it! As most of us are aware, there is no superpower named "Oceania". That is what humors me: How people back in the 40's actually thought what the future 80's would be like. If you're looking for a silly novel like this one to read, then this is your kind of book. But just to warn you, there are some sexual references and violence in this book that might not be the right choice for younger teens.
0コメント