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1984 (平装)
by George Orwell
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Fiction |
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AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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Mark Wakely (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-08 00:00>
This is a story that, unfortunately, seems to be slowly coming true. Many science fiction titles are escapist literature that either imagine a very different world(s) from our own, or at the very least, hold out some hopeful message - in other words, the good guys usually manage to win. This is neither kind of book. And it is science fiction because the sinister use of technology is what allows Big Brother to invade everyone's privacy and dictate what the characters can do or say, with severe, nightmarish punishment for "disobedience." There have other novels that have seized upon this idea of an anti-utopia, but Orwell was one of the first to place it in a realistic future, and in a chilling this-is-all-too-possible way.
And the parallels with our modern world are especially profound, parallels that are obvious all around us. The growing number of surveillance cameras on street corners, the ironic (but deliberately) named Patriot Act, the rise of political and religious intolerance in the world...all of it does not bode well for the future of our basic liberties. Orwell got in right back in 1948, and although he was primarily referring to the "red menace" of his era, the tactics used by suppressive governments are tempting for any government because of the control such tactics provide, liberties be damned. Your agenda- whatever it is- can more easily be achieved if you can identify your enemies early on and thwart their every move. The problem is, when your enemies are law-abiding citizens whose political (or religious) views don't match your own- and that's the only "crime"- you've stepped over the boundary of national security and entered the realm of repression. And to stop open criticism of these tactics, these governments (including the repressive one in 1984) invariable claim that the critics are "unpatriotic," "traitors," maybe even "terrorists." Sound familiar? Repressive governments have been using these tactics for centuries; only now, modern technology makes it a whole lot easier- and yes, unfortunately, a lot more tempting.
Of course we don't want real terrorists. The problem is, a "quick fix" of sweeping powers put into the hands of a relatively few like-minded individuals- with checks and balances muted if not totally brushed aside- can, will, and has lead to abuse of those powers, primarily for political and personal gains. That was the real message of 1984, and it's one we should never forget. And if the citizens of a repressive government either don't recognize the danger- or worse yet, vigorously defend it under some mistaken notion of being "patriotic" themselves, surrendering their own liberties in the process- that just makes it all the easier for the incumbents to remain in power, with little chance for genuine reform or change.
It's all there in this great book, 1984, which deserves to be widely read forever and amen.
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Norburn (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-08 00:00>
This is one of those rare books that isn't necessarily a pleasure to read but is definitely worth reading. Orwell's novel manages to affect you long after you've read it - possibly even haunt you. It's a bleak novel (some might say downright depressing) - but it's also powerful and uncompromising.
Over 50 years have passed since 1984 was published (the year itself came and went over 20 years ago) yet this novel is still relevant today. 1984 is a remarkably ambitious work; unflinching and perceptive. Orwell isn't just telling a story though; he is using this novel as a soap box to warn us all of the dangers of totalitarian governments.
1984 is a novel about big ideas; about the machinery of totalitarian governments and how people can be manipulated and controlled by those in power. I did find however that the characters weren't as developed as I would have liked, as if Orwell felt they were a secondary consideration. As a result, I found the novel lacked a personal quality that I think would have made it all the more compelling. Winston Smith is not an especially sympathetic character (or for that matter, all that memorable a character). What is memorable about 1984 is the world Orwell creates - a world of contradiction, oppression, and betrayal.
This is not a book that will bring a smile to your face. Its message is delivered with a heavy hand but 1984 will make you think. If it doesn't make you paranoid, it should at least make you cynical.
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Loki Malinger (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-08 00:00>
I found the O'Brien character in 1984 to be unrealistic. The idea of someone intelligent enough to run a sophisticated surveillance state acting against economic progress and enjoying ruling over people in the most brutal and barbaric way is not realistic. Compare this to Koestler's Darkness at Noon, in my opinion a far superior novel, where the state is run by violent but stupid brutes who would not be intelligent enough to run a sort of 1984 dystopia.
However, this is still a great novel in that it accurately predicted the inevitable surveillance of everyone's lives that has been a reality, and is increasingly becoming more and more prevalent, with the surface justification being anti-terrorism. Winston, an isolated individual, can do nothing against the powerful bureaucracy and his attempt to oppose the state just leads to him being crushed. The imagery is the strongest part of the novel, with, for example the "10 minutes of hatred" and the "Ministry of Truth" propagated lies. It has become a part of our language, and both sides on the political spectrum lionize Orwell to demonstrate that the other side is immoral even while engaging in Orwellian language themselves in the same breath.
However, Orwell, a miserable pessimist, like so many science fiction writers could see no solutions, and so 1984 has become a symbol of a future that must be opposed. He did not think of any possible solutions but only illustrated a future in which individuals were crushed by an omnipotent bureaucracy which only enjoyed crushing people.
Orwell makes the bureaucracy one-dimensional, and as Dr. Dolan from the online newspaper the Exile points out, his choice of the name "O'Brien" demonstrates his particular form of British racism. Authors do not pick names randomly and Orwell was implying something without actually wanting to provide any details, because 1984 is on the whole a rant, but a very good rant that conjures up powerful imagery. If Orwell had created a more realistic portrayal of the future, even a more realistic dystopia, it may not have been as powerful in its effect on the reader.
Since someone inevitably will make use of surveillance technology, either through the government, or if the government's powers were severely repressed, as libertarians believe is necessary to ensure progress and freedom, then through powerful corporations who bend the law and use their profits to surveil and manipulate the populace, and evade government attempts to stop them. Inevitably the power of surveillance will lie in someone's hands; it's just a matter of who. Thus the vast majority of individuals who simply view surveillance with superstitious hostility have not really thought about the issue much, and may simply have a desire to believe their lives are being controlled in the same way that many people, from environmentalists to religious zealots, pray for the end of the world.
When this surveillance state uses its powers for its own selfish reasons and for the sheer thrill of power or when its tactics are unnecessarily brutal and disruptive, it must be opposed with every means necessary. However, if it allows legitimate free debate but only acts to disrupt organizations and movements that are nihilistically destructive, and people who seek to impose a 1984 dystopia upon us, then it may be a source of good. However, it is proper that our natural reaction is to be skeptical, and blunders the CIA and FBI continuously make demonstrate that we cannot blindly accept that they are a progressive force.
The fact that they allow their blunders to be revealed illustrates the unnecessary barbarity of some of their methods. The check on their power indeed comes from whistleblowers like Mike Levine, author of the bestselling expose of the CIA's involvement in the drug war (their interests were not in stopping people from using drugs) who point out their failures to discerning and curious individuals. If they go too far their will be a reaction against them and their power will be reduced, and individual agents purged.
Thus it is important that those who wield the powers of surveillance realize that the most important reason why they possess these powers is to prevent less scrupulous individuals from using these powers to malign and destroy decent individuals. In 1984, the reporting of events was changed to represent the interest of Big Brother. Readers naturally and correctly find this concept scary, and the CIA and FBI have, at times, used such tactics themselves to uneccessarily destroy the lives of dissenting individuals when the tactics of debate should have been used rather than brute suppression if the whistleblower really did not have a full understanding of the larger and correct motivations behind their tactics.
If, like Lenin, they see the cautious use of force as a weakness rather than a symbol of superiority, then it does not matter what political party, ideology, or interests they serve; they have gone too far and must be routed out and attacked, not just by intellectuals like Chomsky made inconsequential by his incessant and one-sided rants, but by intelligent and brave individuals, whether liberal, conservative, or apolitical. Certainly there are times when force or using coercive tactics may be necessary, but the less such tactics are used the better. Non-interference, laying back and letting events take their course until just the right moment rather than sticking their finger in every pie, is the best option.
Perhaps the key element is how they deal with exceptional individuals - scientists, literary figures, charismatic but intelligent politicians. If they only attempt to manipulate these individuals for their own end, controlling their every action, they may greatly reduce the good the individual could have produced.
It is right that we, non-members of the Surveillance Party, skeptically try to deduce the influence spooks have on our lives and political events. It is also natural that the spooks try to keep their actions secret; that's who they are. When they use barbaric and destructive tactics it should be pointed out at every opportunity. |
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An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-08 00:00>
While George Orwell's vision of what the year 1984 would be like was greatly wrong, it does not diminish the value of this book. I wanted to read a book that was suspenseful yet meaningful. I was suggested this book by a friend who had read it and enjoyed it. When you first begin to read the book it is easy to be turned off by the tone of the novel which seems almost depressing and cautionary. You are immediately given a description of what the world has become. The main character in this novel is a man by the name of Winston Smith, he is39 years old and lives in Oceania. Oceania is one of the three world powers; the other two are Eastasia and Eurasia. Winston Smith is a member of and works for the "party," which is the governing body of Oceania. He works in the Ministry of Truth, where he alters written records. His world is very depressing. He is constantly aware of the fact that he could be spied on at any minute. All the houses have telescreens which allow the "party" to monitor and communicate to the people of Oceania.
It is very clear form early on in the novel that Winston is not loyal to the party. He seems to remember a time when people where free and the world was a happier place, and has heard of a organization called the "brotherhood" whose purpose is to rebel against the party. Winston illegally buys a diary and begins to write down his thoughts; all of which are against the party. The simple act of buying the book and using it will mean his certain death. Winston also takes notice of a woman in his building by the name of Julia. At one point in the novel she makes contact with Winston by slipping him a paper with the words "I Love you" written on it. The two begin a love affair, they are only able to meet in secret places and Julia has claimed to have had many affairs with party members. Besides the strong sexual drives the two seem very different, she is much younger and not as concerned with the way things are, or joining any rebellion against the party.
The fact that the world is not like this even today 22 years later than what Orwell Predicted is irrelevant to the value of this novel. The importance and value of this novel are the ideas that Orwell brings up. The possibilities of what he thinks mankind is capable of becoming should be a warning. It is a book that should be read by anyone with power, because not only does Orwell create this world he also explains how it became like that. His ideas for how the world became so horrible are not out of this world concepts they are all, in a very strange way, completely rational. This book could be re-titled 2084 and it would hold just as much value. |
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Darek (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-08 00:00>
This book is one of the most unique and thought-provoking books I have ever read. This book is so unique because, at times, it can be interpreted, espeically in today's society, as both a fiction book and a non-fiction book. While the characters and happenings throughout the book are fictitious, the parts of the book Orwell dedicated to his social commentary/critiques are entirely real and relevant to you as a reader.
As stated by many reviewers, the most amazing thing about this book is that it was written almost sixty years ago and has only gotten more appropriate as time has gone on. It took me longer than expected to read the book because there were times when I put the book down and thought about the accuracy and depth with which Orwell disucess society's structure and how clear he presents himself on the page... all done in 1949! A supurb novel, social commentary, and read. Do not pass this up. |
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Iga (MSL quote), Canada
<2007-01-08 00:00>
Nineteen Eighty-four is a classic and timeless book; It has as much effect today that it possessed in 1949. I would strongly argue that this book is a classic novel and deserves every bit of praise that it has and will receive. It doesn't feel like there is any type of language barrier between Orwell, his message, and today's reader. He often uses long sentences with very descriptive words to allow the reader to be able to see/feel/smell every place and problem that the main character, Winston Smith, encounters and deals with.
I expected this novel to be painful to read and understand, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Orwell had done an exceptionally good job of writing the novel, and thus made reading the book utterly painless. One of my favorite descriptive paragraphs in is when Winston enters the canteen where everyone eats lunch. Here is an excerpt form it:
"In the low-ceilinged canteen, deep underground, the lunch queue jerked slowly forward. The room was already very full and deafeningly noisy. From the grille at the counter the steam of stew came pouring forth, with a sour metallic smell which did not quite overcome the fumes of Victory Gin. On the far side of the room there was a small bar, a mere hole in the wall, where gin could be bought at ten cents the large nip."
Slowly I began to see the chapters fly by, amazed by the originality that the setting included. This was meant to be a bit of a pseudo-Sci Fi novel, in that it is set in the future. But unlike many other Sci Fi novels, however 1984 does not focus on how the technology works. Rather Orwell focuses on why it works and why the government made it, or replaced something else with this new approved technology.
I was fascinated by how believable the setting was and how myself, as the reader, didn't come across any of those usual Sci Fi moments where something is just to out there for the reader to grasp, or relate to at all. This is a book about humans and the human condition, not about sparkily flying cars or teleporters. In fact, many things about the futuristic setting of 1984 make you glad that you are in the present time and not in this hellish future of thoughtcrime and Ingsoc(which means English socialism in newspeak, a new form of shorter English). From horrible tasting "victory" coffee, gin, and cigarettes, to the constant fear of being prosecuted with thoughtcrime. The reader is constantly drawn into Smith's nightmare. Even just having unusual facial patterns in public or in front of one of the countless telescreens could lead to not only your own death but you being erased from history. Indeed, the world of 1984 is Orwell's own interpretation of a world with socialism as its only form of government, and how he thought socialism would naturally evolve.
The sense of paranoia and the disturbing way one could look at this new age as a possible future for the human race is immense, where everyone is as politically correct as can be. Children turn in their parents to be killed by the government for thoughtcrime, and people watch extremely gory movies and laugh their heads off when the children and their mother get pumped full of lead from a helicopter. Wars that may or may not really be going on, constant missiles going off around the towns, blowing up hundreds of people everyday, leaving the others left alive without a sense of fear because they know that Big Brother, the father figure of the party, will save them from their enemies, all these features add to the unusual background of the story. Winston himself works at the Ministry of truth, and basically writes some of Big Brothers speeches, creates imaginary hero's of war to raise the morale of the people, rectifying history books and novels to better fit the parties beliefs, and the creation of propaganda. I found it interesting and ironic that Orwell would make the main character, who despises the party inwardly, work for the very ministry that keeps the lie a reality.
I could safely recommend this book to anyone who likes English literature, or likes to think and ponder of an idea or thought. Because I found the whole premise of the book incredibly enjoyable and thought-provoking. It all seems so believable, like Orwell saw all the gaps in the theory of his novel and his invented culture, and made sure to cover them all. It takes you to another world politically, but isn't fanciful about it; in fact, when I think of this new London and Oceania, I think of a very gritty, dirty and rusty nation.
I really loved part I of the book as it is more about introducing you to Oceania and the Party's rules/beliefs rather then the progression of Winston as a character and his situation. "War is peace, Freedom is slavery, Ignorance is strength" is the slogan for the party, and it is repeated many times throughout the novel. I think that it was a great yet practical way for Orwell to sum up the attitude of the party and the setting of the novel in just nine words. 1984 truly is a classic of English literature. It will, and has, stood the test of time. It feels like this book has hardly aged a day, because of the detailed yet simple writing method that Orwell uses. As long as the English language remains the same, one could read this book and understand what Orwell is portraying in 1984. Because it relates to basic human fears of always being watched and the fear of speaking out and being your own person, someone who thinks for himself. The novel has a universal character to it. Anyone could relate to it; not necessarily paranoia, but just that feeling like you cant quite speak your mind fully for one reason or another. |
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Chaffey (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-08 00:00>
Even though it may be two decades past its proposed occurence, 1984 by George Orwell is just as relevant and unsettling as ever. Orwell crafted an original novel of a negative utopia where humans live under the almost complete power of a government which monitors the actions of all. Yet there is more to the story than the fate of what happens to its two main characters, Winston and Julia.
Winston Smith is discontented; he finds himself more and more having radical thoughts that go against the government, and finds himself taking actions that could get him arrested if these actions were known. But Winston doesn't care - he knows that there must be more to his life than the lies the government passes off as truth, the very lies that he helps them to rewrite in his job at the Ministry of Truth. When his path crosses with that of Julia, the two embark on an 'illegal' love affair and further rebellion against Big Brother. Their effort is doomed to fail and the reader watches the deterioration of Winston's resolve, and of his memory.
While the story of 1984 is engaging and well-written, the characters vivid and actualized, there is more to the story than such a simple summary. It is a dark treatise on the effects of power when held in the hands of a few, or even also just the corruption that the drive and desire for power can have. In a world that is constantly changing and making advancements in technology, the world that Orwell envisioned is all too ghostly familiar. It would be rather easy to imagine a world where people accept what they are told through the television and other media, without giving it a second thought (or even a first thought) of their very own. It is all too easy to imagine the world described in "1984" even two decades later, for Orwell's nightmare vision has no expiration date. |
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Amed Ayad (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-08 00:00>
This is the most depressing tale I have ever read. Though I know it to be fiction, I still can't take myself out of its ending. Although you KNOW for certain how the story will end, one could even imagine writing the plot exactly as it is only half way through the book, you could still not imagine the profoundness in which it was written and the mood it puts you in. It is also one of the most mentally exhausting reads. Taking you from logical absurdities to the haziness of dream worlds to metaphysical discussions.
Ok, so why am I giving it 5 stars despite all this?
Because in doing it the way it is, Orwell has succeeded in transferring to you his absolute HATRED of mental bondage, and of absolute unchecked human authority, and anything and everything that can lead to them. The rate at which the story is advanced towards the darkness and viciousness, the way he never for a moment leaves a prickle of hope in you heart or your mind about the final outcome of the protagonists or the world in which he lives, all reflect in no uncertain terms this hatred. Sometimes you think to yourself reading this "ok, I get it, why all this darkness"? Then, you realize what he was doing. He is shouting with the top of his lungs to all of us to NEVER EVER let things even approach the conditions of "Airstrip one".
What I have found most amazing in the novel towards the end is his resolution of a question that kept lingering in the protagonist's mind throughout the story; the "why?", why would the "Party" or the people in it do that? I have seen few reviewers allude to it. His answer was as simple and unexpected to me as it was to Winston - the protagonist, yet was perfectly inline with the extreme world Orwell built. There is no "why", there is no logic to explain it. Power is an end, not a means. In the words of the party members: "GOD is power". There is no reason for such attrocities but a sheer animalistic lust for power. Again, he is in a way saying: "don't ever try to rationalize it to yourself or others".
What sets 1984 apart from its famous sibling Animal Farm, which by the way was also very depressing, is that it is not tailored to the history of the dictators. You could see, in a sense, the development of Orwell's thought while writing these two pieces. He started with the first to document one of the worst forms of collectivism that he witnessed, then - seeing at that time no sign of it being defeated or abated - took it to its extreme form. Such a form was sufficiently general to cover all types of mind slavery, to the extent that it can be applicable everywhere. I belive he might have even hinted at that in the part where he recounts the "history of the world" that he imagined from the his time to 1984. In this history, all of the globe, is ruled the same way albeit with different names and insignificant changes in ideology.
It is impossible to read 1984 without drawing parallels between contemporary events and something that is taking place in the novel. Indeed, one might never find a place where this kind of world exists. Yet, there is always something to draw parallels upon. Here, in the States, when you here the words "spin masters", you can't help but think of the principle of "doublethink"; in which one can not only muster the ability to consciously think of something and its opposite at the same time, yet somehow be able to believe both of them. You hear the word "alternate reality" in which people hear, read, and see the facts yet still are able to fit them into their worldview. A view in which internment is justified, the poor are robbing the rich, dissent is treason, torture is patriotism, failures are successes, and everything you think is true is a lie fabricated by the an enemy called "the main stream media". Then, you can't help but think of the "Ministry of truth" and the "Ministry of love".
Orwell is a champion of freedom at all levels, but most importantly in 1984, he is a champion of common sense. |
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An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-08 00:00>
1984 was one of the hardest, darkest, most upsetting, and yet most important reads of my life because at it captures some of our worst characteristics: our inability to stop extreme, oppressive wealth and/or power gradients from arising to dominate the lives of the majority.
Consider the following simple computer model results: A finite amount of land (wealth) is owned in equal parcels by a finite population. Wealth is passed on to the next generation by inheritance. Only (single) children inherit their parent's whole land, while siblings of families that bear more than one child, must, necessarily, inherent less or no land at all. It may be that the eldest sibling gets all the land, leading to "worthless" siblings, or that the eldest gets a larger share of the wealth, or that all siblings get the same share. Single children will own more wealth than the children of families with more than one child. In one generation wealth gradients arise, and worsen as the generations pass. But this is not the complete picture. Those who own large chunks of land relative to those who own little chunks of land will need help in turning their land wealth into income. They will hire out poorer people.
There are two cases to consider: A)There is a shortage of labor. This will mean that wages will be high, a good thing for the poor. This happened in Europe after the Black Plague wiped out a huge portion of the population. Or, B) if times are good and the population is growing fast, there will be a glut of labor. Then wages will be low, and as the situation worsens while the population rises, during bad years (bad harvests) the poor will be forced to get loans against their land, or sell portions of it to feed their families. Defaults and/or purchaces of sold land will lead to the richer owning yet larger chunks of land. Eventually, one will get landless people who must work for a living among increasing competition for jobs...this will lead to oppression by the rich and ultimately to internal class conflict and collapse.
Now consider that we are entering an age of advanced bio/nano techonology. Take invitro fertilization (IVF) for example. It is very expensive, and few people can easily afford it. Now imagine, say 15 years from now, the exorbitant cost of tweaking IVF embryos with state-of-the-art gene science to produce offspring with significantly improved physical and mental capabilities. Only the richest rich - think of the millionaire space tourists - will be able to afford such cutting-edge science. Then what, except to fall further behind, will happen to our kids when they try to compete against souped-up humans for jobs? Unless we take a stand, the extreme wealth and power gradients that already exist today between us poor slobs and the billionaires will likely grow far worse. This is what I consider in my recently well received strong scifi book Beyond Future Shock. It also what James Hughes considers in his non-fiction book Citizen Cyborg.
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Katie (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-08 00:00>
First of all, a clarification is in order. George Orwell did not write this fortelling evil Republics or corrupt Democrats, as both parties would wish us to believe. It does not "apply" to today in the sense that events translate directly from the story to modern events. People too often make this mistake, and have turned this book from a chilling future into propoganda and lies. The messages, the themes, the lies-all of them can and do apply to our modern world. But Orwell wasn't saying "President Bush" or "John Kerry", or any other leader. He was saying "us"-this is where WE, the race of mankind, is headed. Read with that in mind.
1984 is a misleading title, because it limits the book to that date. Rather, extend it to the future, as 1984 was when this was originally published. 1984 is a vision of a future where the government, Big Brother, rules everything. Literally. Individuals have no life save to aid Big Brother, truth is only what Big Brother says, regardless of history or facts. There is no past that cannot be changed, no event that cannot be made to disappear. This is not an uplifting book. This is not a book which will leave you thinking "We will rise above this", but instead, "We MUST rise above this", and that, I believe, was the author's intention. 1984 does not tell of one man's rise above his surroundings, but his falling into them. Too many people distort this for petty politics, and in doing so, fall into the pattern that 1984 warns us against. We twist words, create meanings, dice the novel into a form to fit our needs, but if you read 1984, that is not what this story is about. 1984 may well prove to be the strongest warning of a future that this world could so easily fall into, and its message must not be forgotten or lost. I beg you to ignore the popular trend of taking this book to support a political cause. It supports none but the cause of freedom and truth through telling of slavery and lies. The future that Orwell saw is nearer than we think, and it is only by understanding this story that it will diminish in threat. Read this book openly, without trying to pin parts of it to the modern world or to support your political party, but trying to apply the broad scope of this novel to our future. A powerful warning for all people to read and understand. |
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