1984 by George Orwell: Book Review

Every few years, I go back and read again George Orwell’s brilliant novel 1984. It is one of my all-time favorite books and usually holds the top spot on my list! Here are some thoughts after my most recent reading.

I believe there are books that we read and immediately forget. And there are books that we read that make such a profound impact on us that we remember them for the rest of our lives. (I’m not sure exactly why this one has always had such a strong grip on me, or what that says about me personally, but I do love this book!)

I first read 1984 as a high school student and for many decades to follow, I proclaimed it to be the best book I had ever read (followed closely by Brave New World). Despite having read it probably more times than any other novel, it never fails to capture my interest and amaze me with its timeliness. Even today, I want to go and find all the idiots out there touting Socialism and tell them if they really want to understand what they are promoting, they should immediately read this book. It is a truly frightening look at a political system that promises utopia and delivers oppression. And things portrayed in the book are already coming true today!

Written in 1949, the book predicts several things that are apparent in our world today. At the risk of revealing spoilers, here goes.

Socialism is popular. And dangerous. Unless you plan on somehow becoming one of those “Inner Party” members, you can expect to live in a dystopian world where everyone is equally poor and downtrodden. Look at Venezuela or any of the other socialist countries and see how the average citizen is faring. Bernie may proclaim himself to be a Socialist, but I haven’t seen him sharing any of his extra houses or vehicles with those less fortunate folks around him. (Rich socialists are definitely planning to be in the Inner Party. Count on it.) You may end up standing in line for bread and necessities, but don’t expect to see Bernie there!

Big Brother is watching. I won’t even go into the whole Obama administration spying scandal that the media is doing their best to not cover. Let’s just talk about the obvious. There are cameras everywhere. And cell phones. Maybe you still have a little bit of privacy in your home, but who knows? If the President of the United States can be targeted by the government of his own country, then all bets are off. If the FBI can lie to get warrants to spy on the President-Elect, what protections do you think the average citizen has? And how long before those home screens and devices we love become the telescreens of 1984? You know the tech giants are already tracking you all over social media and targeting ads based on your history. Again, Big Brother is watching, and it will only get worse.

The media (The Ministry of Truth) lies to you. On a daily basis. One of the most shocking aspects of the novel is the lengths to which the Party goes to constantly rewrite history. I used to think this was too unbelievable to ever be true, but not anymore. It’s already happening today. The mainstream media is almost totally one-sided in their coverage of current events and openly puts out Fake News. If you don’t believe that the mainstream media is the propaganda wing of the Democratic Party, then you are only fooling yourself! Sadly, as in the book, the majority of citizens today readily accept the facts and figures fed to them and ignore the obvious contradictions before their very eyes.

The Party (the Deep State, the swamp, or whatever you want to call it) will never willingly give up their power. Consider the men and women in Congress who have made a career (30+ years or more) of public service, yet somehow managed to become millionaires. Ever had a job where people lined up to offer you (or your children) money and benefits for your service? Wouldn’t you love to have a job where you could vote to increase your own salary? And of course, you would never have to settle for the universal health care or other benefits provided for the masses.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking 1984 is just an old book written a long time ago about Russia. Read it and think about the world around you today. You might find it current and relevant. And scary.