GEORGE ORWELL
26/04/2017So I started a new job last Monday (yay me - finally a working babe lol) and I am so excited to join their book club! Found out on Wednesday that they all just finished reading 1984 by GEORGE ORWELL and the discussion is happening next Thursday. That gives me just over a week to read a 300 page book! Baring in mind I am such a slow reader, I have no idea why I tasked myself with such a task - probably just super excited haha. Either way, I am thrilled to be reading with others... and this will also give my blog some structure and widen my choice of literature. Amazon Prime helped a sister get a head start giving me the option to read some before it arrived but I am about to get stuck in and will let you all know how it goes.
Note: I am writing this post in two parts. I will update this post once I have finished reading it and have met to discuss so I can include some of the discussion within the review.
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11/05/2017
SO... I found it quite hard to get into this book despite all the amazing reviews and it being renowned as a British classic. I honestly think it was the pressure I was under to read it all in such a short period of time. Book club ended up getting rescheduled but in that one week I had only read like 60 pages. I ended up cheating and listening to the audiobook whilst I was at work in order to finish it on time! I sped up the Youtube video to x1.5 and whizzed through the remaining 200+ pages in two days.
Note: Audiobooks are great; they definitely bring the story and characters to life through the use of emotion and tone in the narration. I had a whole new reading experience. Not only does it save time, but it also gives you the opportunity to really visualise what exactly is going on whilst you read. I will definitely be utilising these in the future!
***Note: Audiobooks are great; they definitely bring the story and characters to life through the use of emotion and tone in the narration. I had a whole new reading experience. Not only does it save time, but it also gives you the opportunity to really visualise what exactly is going on whilst you read. I will definitely be utilising these in the future!
1984 is based in a dystopian society where Big Brother is always watching you. Big Brother police everything and the Thought Police exist in this world. Yes... the Thought Police! Their aim is to extinguish independent thinking and control every aspect of an individuals life so if you are suspected of having negative thoughts towards Big Brother you will be dealt with - and in the maddest way too. The main character, Winston Smith secretly hates the regime and to be honest is quite a rebel in the eyes of Big Brother. He keeps a diary (which is forbidden) and has a love affair with a woman called Julia. He also gets involved with the Anti-party, the Brotherhood. Big Brother is so meticulous though that by the end of the book you are lifting your jaw off of the floor because of the insane plot twist. I definitely wasn't experrinit!
Bookclub was so much fun! It was basically my first night out with my workmates and we went to Bill's restaurant to get something to eat, have a few drinks and discuss the novel. We discussed the psychological manipulation within the book and how they dealt with people who broke the laws of The Party. Also, the fact that the Party came into power during Winston's lifetime meant he had memories to compare the before with the after. Children however, who are born into the regime are more indoctrinated than the adults it seemed. One character got arrested because he said something IN HIS SLEEP against the Big Brother and his OWN CHILD reported him. What a wow, I know. ORWELL wrote this political book in 1948 as a warning to what could become in a totalitarian society and it is definitely a realistic read as it defines a world with extreme political ideals.
Bookclub was so much fun! It was basically my first night out with my workmates and we went to Bill's restaurant to get something to eat, have a few drinks and discuss the novel. We discussed the psychological manipulation within the book and how they dealt with people who broke the laws of The Party. Also, the fact that the Party came into power during Winston's lifetime meant he had memories to compare the before with the after. Children however, who are born into the regime are more indoctrinated than the adults it seemed. One character got arrested because he said something IN HIS SLEEP against the Big Brother and his OWN CHILD reported him. What a wow, I know. ORWELL wrote this political book in 1948 as a warning to what could become in a totalitarian society and it is definitely a realistic read as it defines a world with extreme political ideals.
There is also a film so I may just watch that soon and see how it compares to the book. If you have seen it or read the novel, drop me a comment to let me know what you thought!
RATING: 4/5
THOUGHT PROVOKING: 5/5
RATING: 4/5
THOUGHT PROVOKING: 5/5
