- This was October’s Read-Along book.
- I’ve heard people talking about it, but had absolutely no idea what the fuss was about.
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
- Paris in the Twentieth Century by Jules Verne
Summary from GoodReads:
Portrays a terrifying vision of life in the future when a totalitarian government, considered a “Negative Utopia,” watches over all citizens and directs all activities, becoming more powerful as time goes by.
My Review:
It’s always a bit daunting to me to write a review of a “classic” book. I mean, a simple google search will provide all sorts of information and scholarly thoughts about the story held in the pages of 1984.
So instead of trying to explore the deeper meaning, let me talk about the things that really hit me hard.
- I had no idea that Big Brother came from this book. I’ve grown up hearing the term bandied about, but never really understood where it came from and what it referred to. I know now, and it frightens me.
- I think the most potent part of the book was, for me, the end of Part One. When Winston opens a note passed to him and reads what is written there, I felt as it my heart skipped a beat because, of all the possibilities, that was one I was not expecting.
- What was most frightening to me was, as I was reading Goldstein’s writings held within the book, I found myself understanding why things were the way they were. Things began to make sense – this in a book that made no sense to me when I first started it.
- All my dystopian reading I think prepared me for this book. If I had read it a few years ago, I might not have appreciated it as much as I appreciate it now. I totally get that there are those out there who didn’t like it, but I really enjoyed the stimulation to think it provided me.
Have you read it? What did you think?
Check out these review(s):
Still good to have you aboard! Let us know what you think of it when you finish!