1984 (George Orwell)

So for my last small group book, I decided to read 1984, the classic novel by George Owell. I read Animal Farm in 10th grade and was anticipating something similar - political, symbolic and based in some other universe of reality.

And I was not let down.

1984 takes place in George Orwell's future (which is actually 24 years behind our present day) in a place called Oceania. Oceania is Britain, parts of Europe, parts of North America, Pacific islands and countries and Africa. It's a jumble of countries that are watched by the ever-present Big Brother and controlled by strict deprevation of goods (or just quality goods) and a systematic brainwashing to give yourself to the love of Big Brother and the hate of the other two regions of the world, Eastasia and Eurasia. The main character is Winston Smith. He's an older guy and he's questioning the reality and the methodology of Oceania. He and another "comrade," Julia, engage in a loving affair, which is highly against Big Brother's rules.

The first two-thirds of the book are pleasant. They give you hope that Winston and Julia will rock Big Brother and defy the government. They are secretly meeting and making love. But the last third of the book completely threw me off guard. The whole tone of the book went from hopeful to dreadful in about one sentence. Winston Smith finds himself in the Ministry of Love, which is actually where they put "thought criminals" to torture and punish them... and rehabilitate them to love Big Brother. And then they kill them.

The last third of the book goes by in a whirl. It completely took me by surprise. You can tell Orwell is playing around with his questions about perception, reality, control and power. There are mind games, brutality and logical-illogic galore to be found in these last chapters. And an ending that makes you realize that there is no way to escape Big Brother.