I have heard a lot about this book recently, particularly about the affect it has on those who read it for a long time after. This has intrigued me and I am considering reading it, however I am wondering if it is actually an entertaining book or whether it is just so widely talked about due to its meaning and how topical it is to the real world atm. What I am essentially asking is will I actually enjoy reading this book or is it more just one of those books people say that everyone should read because of how important it is. I hope this makes sense. For context I am a 21 year old male who enjoys reading a lot of Stephen King and also fantasy.
by Stickybear03
10 Comments
I’m sure many people will say yes, but for me personally I just didn’t enjoy it. I think the idea was much better than the execution
The idea is better than the execution, but it’s a really good idea, plus it’s still a good(or even very good) book! I think it’s definitely worth reading!
It’s a *short* book. You probably could have read it and moved on in the time you’ve spent considering it.
I don’t.know if enjoy would be the right word to use, but I do think it should be mandatory reading in high school
Is it entertainign? I don’t know. I found it more depressing than anything else.
Is it a good book? Yes.
Personally, I’d start reading Animal Farm before reading 1984.
(I can also recommend the Stephen Fry narration (of both books) if you don’t mind audio books)
You could read it in an afternoon, it’s fine I guess. I read it in highschool out of curiosity and it’s worth reading just so you can tell if someone is full of shit. So many people use 1984 as an example to make their arguments sound intelligent lol
i didn’t like the reading experience but i loved the ideas that i got after reading it. i really wanted to write an essay about the paperweight when i was done so… i think it was a good book for me
It wouldn’t be the classic it is, if it wasn’t.
It’s just pretty good. It’s not bad. It could be worse, like Brave New World. You could certainly pass on it and still get the idea about doublespeak, memoryholed, minute of hate, a boot stamping on a face forever. The plot is unique, but honestly Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler is a better read. We by Zamyatin is weirder. And you’ll probably not enjoy it unless you like references in fiction and popular culture, which I don’t. I don’t mind an allusion like Hemmingway does that requires like a PhD to get and explain to me because I just read a cool story, but don’t tell me how smart you are. I don’t even like injokes or paying your respects types of references. But I do like to call stuff Orwellian, so maybe one day I’ll read that book, I don’t know.
It’s an incredibly well-written and profound book. It evokes a sense of paranoia (but after all, it’s a dystopian novel). The major theme is that when the powers that be control information, they control the populace. Highly recommended.