1984
by George Orwell · 1949
Buy on AmazonWinston Smith lives in a society where the government controls people every second of the day. He fights this world with love. But it's dangerous: love for another person can be punished by death - and Big Brother is always watching. Orwell's classic story shows that there is no freedom unless ideas and beliefs can be questioned. This is as true today as when it was written, more than fifty years ago. --back cover
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"I reread 1984 last year. Id forgotten that Orwell divided the world into three superpowers, right? Exactly what you're describing."
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"Its exploration of totalitarianism and surveillance aligns with Lex Fridman's interest in AI ethics and the societal implications of advanced technology. This classic dystopian novel is an expected read for someone exploring the future of human freedom."
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"Its chilling depiction of totalitarian control and psychological manipulation aligns with Stephen King's exploration of societal fears and the dark side of human nature. This dystopian classic resonates with his themes of power, surveillance, and the erosion of individual freedom."
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"I recently reread Orwell's 1984 and what uh kind of staggered me about it is that Orwell's of two minds and that's the power of the book."
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"The Two Minutes Hate — the Two Minutes Tweet? "A hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, . . . an abstract, undirected emotion which could be switched from one object to another like the flame of a blowlamp.""
By the Book: Ali Smith · nytimes.com
"The thing that strikes me now is just how Orwell's dystopian vision has actually come to fruition. The issues of constant surveillance, authoritarian military regimes, censorship, paranoia, harsh penal systems."
By the Book: Annie Lennox Retrospective · nytimes.com
"Orwell's 1984 is my favorite book, with The Quiet American and The Sheltering Sky a very close second and third."
By the Book: Daniel Silva · nytimes.com
"Later, as a budding scientist in high school, I read “1984” when it still seemed like a distant future vision, and worried about where science might be taking us."
By the Book: Francis S. Collins · nytimes.com
"I went back to the writings of thinkers like George Orwell (1984, A Collection of Essays) who chronicled how cynicism and weariness and fear can make people susceptible to propaganda."
By the Book: Michiko Kakutani · nytimes.com
"I recently decided to reread every novel I was obliged to read in junior and senior high. Each time, I've found myself thinking, "Oh, so that's what this was about!" The latest is a period piece: "1984." It made me wistful for my youth, when the distant future was something I could barely envision, instead of what I wake up to each day."
By the Book: Rupert Holmes · nytimes.com