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by George Orwell
Science Fiction
268 pages
If you think today's government is "out of whack," then you should read Orwell's odd tale 1984.
The book starts out somewhat slow, with our main character Winston Smith, coming home from his job from the Ministry of Truth. He peers out the window and gazes and what's happening outside, spotting only a few Patrol Police walking down the street, snooping in and out of people's windows.
Later on the pace changes a little, with Winston meeting a nice-looking girl named Julia, and start seeing each other in private, because the government is very strict about that kind of thing, although the two "lovers" really don't seem to care, until eventually they are found out by the book's main villian O'Brien, who forces them to join a very influential "gang" known as The Party.
Things aren't quite what they seem, as O'Brien double-crosses Winston and Julia, sending them to Prison for committing what seems like modern-day heresy. Julia is whisked away from Winston, never to be seen again except for a split second at the book's end. Winston is endlessly tortured by O'Brien, who seems to enjoy reducing people to this kind of state. The book has a very strange ending, with " A long-hoped-for bullet entering his brain," and him winning the battle over himself, finally discovering that he loved this way of life.
This book is one of the strangest I've ever read, but also one of the best. The theme in this book is clearly present, saying that people should never underestimate the power of government, and that there's always going to be some part that people are going to hate, but they have to learn to just suck it up and go on with their lives.
- Reviewed by Greg Q.
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