magnificently terrifying yet horrifyingly accurate. Orwell's blind insight into modern life is astounding. A frightening account of things to come. From the commencement I was wooed by the romantic narrative and thrilling espionage of the dramatis personae with the signification of events that were taking place. The burden of responsibility the novel brings forces this tale to life. 5/5

George Orwell thrusts the reader into a totalitarian dystopia which, although fictional, carries disturbing undertones that can be found in the world we live in- past and present. Delving into topics of morality and power, often brought up by the facinating protagonists - the classic novel is a must read!

After reading and studying this book in secondary school, I thought I would re-read this pivotal text without the need to dissect the language. It still holds a special place in my literary library. The special edition is very well presented.

This book was actually recommended to me by my English teacher. He started to tell me this really complicated story about a Party and Big Brother and I didn't understand any of it. So I decided to go ahead and read the book. 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' is an amazing book that places Orwell near Jean-Paul Sartre for his angle on the essential freedom of man. How to protest when there is nothing to disagree with? The meaning of the word freedom gets turned upside down after reading this book. If someone asks me which book to read, this is the first book I mention. Orwell frequently frustrates the reader by making seemingly cruel choices, but it is only because he is so right that it makes you feel so strongly about the justness of his world.

The thing which makes George Orwell's seminal, genre-defining (and defying) dystopia '1984' so magnificent is its undeniable, irrepressible power. Most novels, although of course they should not be, can be reduced. It is possible, if not reasonable, to call Nabokov's 'Lolita' a perverted tale, or Joyce's 'Ulysses' merely a linguistically confusing mess (or, for that matter, Homer's 'Odyssey' only the story of a lengthy homecoming). This would be literary heresy, but it is feasible. With this novel, however, it is not; the stark, bleak, claustrophobic intensity of Orwell's vision makes it impossible to dismiss. Even the least experienced reader will be able to grasp some sense of the scope of its savage inventiveness; even children will feel the chill of the opening lines. This book has been responsible for introducing many to the wonders of literature and its importance within politics. The protagonist, Winston Smith, through his oppression, has released thousands from the confines of political ignorance and, for this reason, this book should be read by anyone, of any age or sensibility, who wants to begin to understand their society or themselves.