Guys! I’m currently reading 1984 by George Orwell.
All the reviews that I’ve read on this book are extremely positive. It’s even considered a classic, but I’m just finding it sooo boring.
I’m 100 pages in & already I’m finding it a chore to stay engaged
What am I missing? What am I doing wrong? 😩
by YOUTUBE-401-FILES
11 Comments
100 pages? Doomer
I loved that book not sure what advice I can give- Winston and Juliet love story, totalitarian state, 3 minutes hate amazing
Audiobook version might help you if you’re struggling through a read. I just finished the count of monte cristo on audiobook and loved it but idk if I would have been able to get through it by reading.
It came out decades ago. It was kind of the archetypical dystopian novel, that’s why it’s a classic. No need to feel bad if you’re not vibing with it nor feel the need to bash the book.
Put your phone away?
To draw a parallel with film, for some reason people think they need to watch the Criterion collection before they can watch Beetleguise or The Royal Tenebaums. You can skip all that shit and just read The Expanse books or Cormac McCarthy or the Dragon does lady romance books. 1984 IS boring. I would never read that shit myself today.
I found it ok when I read it. It’s definitely well written and made a huge impact on modern literature, being one of the first to introduce the dystopian society. With that said, many of the themes and ideas have been reproduced countless of times today with new aspects etc, so it’s not really as exciting imo as it once was.
That might explain why it’s a slow read. Still, it’s a classic that will definitely come up in conversations so probably worth sticking with it.
Yeah I’m with you, I don’t get the hype either
You’re doing nothing wrong. There is literally no piece of media, art, whatever, that is loved by absolutely everyone. There are plenty of people out there who hate Bohemian Rhapsody or The Godfather or The Wire – or, in your case, 1984. I know another comment suggested seeing it through and I kind of agree, but on the other hand…reading is supposed to be fun, not a chore. It’s fine to say this book isn’t for you and just start reading a different one instead.
I get it. All art (including literature) is derivative. The 1984 story has been told and retold numerous times by different authors. That is what makes the book a classic-it established the genre. If you’re curious about the origin of dystopian literature – particularly the origins of fascism, finish the book. Orwell (Eric Blair) was not the most accomplished fiction writer but he is a wonderful social commentator.
Usually when someone finds a classic boring I just assume that their attention span is fried from tik tok and they have the mind of a 12 year old, but 1984 is extremely over rated and is basically “literary fiction starter pack”