If one word could be used to describe George Orwell’s 1984 “disturbing” is it. After years of saying I need to read this book I finally got to it and finished it in just a couple of days. This isn’t an action-packed story but more a mix of philosophy and manifesto but told with such chilling detail it keeps one glued to the pages. The real action in the three-part story doesn’t take place until late in part 2 and part 3 and I’ll get to some of that later. Don’t get me wrong, the first part of the book has its own style of creating “what the heck” moments as it focuses the philosophy behind Big Brother, the Party, Oceania, and the authoritarian control over people’s every action and word is explored in colorful bleakness.
Orwell hits your senses throughout the entire book but sets the stage with his fabulous world-building skills. Sight, smell, touch, hearing and even taste. It’s all in there. Something as simple as workers having lunch really brings out the conditions in which society is living in. That’s hard to do.
Winston Smith’s love interest and how they interact demonstrates just how dangerous individual feelings, free will, and basic intimacy have become. If you’re not benefiting The Party then your actions are a threat. Simple as that. This isn’t a love story by any means but the use of the relationship between Smith and Julia to highlight the extremes of authoritarian government is excellent.
By the time you reach the third part of the story your brain is already in “holy hell” mode. The last part of the book takes you over the edge. I can only liken it to staring at a horrible accident on the side of the road or watching replays of sports injuries on the TV. You may find yourself nauseated and the visual absolutely disturbing but for some reason you can’t stop looking. It’s just too hard to turn away regardless of feeling anger, repulsed, and disgusted.
This is a powerful and haunting novel about the bleak future of society. Orwell elicits an emotional and intellectual response from the reader in this story that solidifies its standing as a literary classic.