Review: 1984, by George Orwell
by
Stuart Holland
Visceral and vivid, I was surprised at how quickly 1984 dives in. Winston is immediately being monitored and assaulted from all sides, and his internal monologue is heartbreaking and desperately believable.
I can see why this book has resonated for so long. It holds up a mirror to the end state of surveillance and totalitarianism. It shows you what happens when facts and truth are really thrown by the wayside. When the true meaning of what it is to be human is crushed, and how the seemingly unstoppable connection to our history could be broken.
It’s a work of fiction. But it’s clearly a cautionary tale. It describes a past and a future that’s worth fighting against.
Well worth a read, for any audience.
