Winston Smith is a low-ranking member of the ruling Party in Airstrip One, the former Britain, now a province of the superstate Oceania. He works at the Ministry of Truth altering old newspaper articles so that the historical record always matches the Party's current line. Telescreens watch every room, the Thought Police hunt dissent, and posters of Big Brother look down from every wall.
Privately, Winston hates the regime. He begins a forbidden diary, dreams of a mysterious brotherhood of resistance, and starts a dangerous secret affair with Julia, a young woman from the Fiction Department. He is also drawn to O'Brien, an Inner Party official he suspects shares his doubts.
Published in 1949, shortly before Orwell's death, the novel gave the language Newspeak, doublethink, thoughtcrime, the memory hole and Room 101. It is a study of totalitarianism, propaganda, surveillance and the manipulation of truth and language, and it remains a reference point in debates about state power and technology.
Book details
| Author | George Orwell |
|---|---|
| First published | 1949 |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Type | Fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 328 |
| Setting | London, Airstrip One, Oceania, 1984 |
Themes
- Totalitarianism
- Surveillance
- Propaganda
- Truth and language
- Individual freedom
Who should read it
Anyone interested in politics, propaganda and surveillance, and readers who want the defining dystopian novel.
If you liked this, try
- Animal Farm
- Brave New World
- Fahrenheit 451