1984 review
Okay, so I just finished reading 1984.
I think it’s an okay book. Maybe it’s because I’ve read a lot of dystopian stories already, but 1984 didn’t feel that mind-blowing to me. It’s good, but not a life-changing masterpiece—at least not for me. That said, I can understand why people consider it one. When it was first published in 1949, I can see why it would have felt groundbreaking at the time.
Honestly, though, the politics in the book feel a bit reactionary to me. It sometimes reads like anti-communist propaganda—very “communism bad” in a Cold War-way by America, so that aspect did not particularly impress me.
The funniest part is that Winston himself isn’t that interesting as a character, but his dynamic with O’Brien is so insanely good. Like, damn, it almost feels like I’m reading fujobait novel. Literally, this could pass as a yaoi novel written by a white British fudanshi.
Also, everything kind of goes downhill whenever Winston and Julia share scenes. I actually feel bad for Julia, like, she ends up feeling like a victim of both sexist tropes and the author’s weird view toward women.
Overall: 7.5/10 for me.