Book review -George Orwell "1984"

 Hello friends,

It has been a long time coming since I wanted to read this book and finally, it is done. George Orwell's "1984 "published in 1949 was a widely critically acclaimed book and is one of the finest works of fiction ever.

After reading and reflecting , I can clearly see why this book is par excellence. The story unfolds in  1984 London. But this London is not the place that we are familiar by any means of experience. This is exactly where the author's brilliant imagination brings a fictional world of totalitarianism where the the "Party" sees, rules and knows everything ,horrifyingly even thoughts of  its citizens and at the helm of the party, is Big Brother who remains invisible through out the pages. So, in the order of things, even simple acts like keeping a diary or making a choice of your partner are acts of treason. If you do have children, they belong to the party and their loyalties. The party decides  the truth and rewrites history as befitting ,so truth no longer actually exists

Living among Them is Winston Smith ,the protagonist who pretends to be one of Them but deep down he is in search for truth. In  his mundane repetitive routine ,he accidently meets Julia who he falls in love with and ends up  having a secret affair. Then, begins a seismic chain of events  of treachery, betrayal and eventually capture of our protagonist .The end of the story is remarkable and is one of disbelief. What we perceive as facts change to fiction and fiction to fact.

This book is testament to how a book can stand the test  of time and be relevant today in 2025 even when it was conceptualised over 76 years ago. In the our world of technology, internet, social media and Artificial intelligence, privacy is almost sacred and  these resources can become centralised into few wrong hands  with the  threat of the world descending into the one that George Orwell has encapsulated in his book.

I found this book challenging and refreshing . It may not be everyone's cup of tea but if you would like to see  creativity in  powerful play, this is the book to read. Mind blowing!!

Moment

 

I see them through my window
Where I sat
A  latte in my hand
A choice
More by  unseen social influence!


A busy place
People bustling end to end
To work and back
Earning to meet ends or luxury or in between
Some in dread and some in Joy
But I shall never know.

Yet some are sat alone ,coupled or in company
By the lined cafes
Chatting,laughing,silent and some grim.
What are they saying or not?
But I shall never know.

Amidst all this
Children running,cartwheeling ,giggling ,wailing or all of these
At once or in turn
They carry on.
What are their thoughts,fears and futures?
But I shall never know.



Buildings of all kinds
Some dark but many others with signs  and lights
They have a lot to give but in return for sure.
I do know what they may have
how do they keep up?
But I shall never know.

High above ,the sky changes colours and patterns
Sun has gone slowly shy
Stars in glitters cabaret.
They see the world
What do they actually see?
But I shall never know


I sat by sipping my latte,
I wonder the creations around me
And smallness of my being
I  am a cog in the wheel that turns
All I pray, is stay in the moment to turn the wheel
Because thats all I have
This moment.
I wonder.