1984: 75th Anniversary

By George Orwell

Book Overview

Written 75 years ago, 1984 was George Orwell's chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, his dystopian vision of a government that will do anything to control the narrative is timelier than ever...

This 75th Anniversary Edition includes:
- A New Introduction by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of Take My Hand, winner of the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work--Fiction
- A New Afterword by Sandra Newman, author of Julia: A Retelling of George Orwell's 1984

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."

Winston Smith toes the Party line, rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth. With each lie he writes, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thoughtcrimes. But as he starts to think for himself, Winston can't escape the fact that Big Brother is always watching...

A startling and haunting novel, 1984 creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the novel's hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions--a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time.

- Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read -

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0078KGHYS
• ISBN13: 9780451524935
• Release Date: January 1961
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.1" x 7.4"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Deviates are corrected for their own good

In a society that has eliminated many imbalances, surplus goods, and even class struggles, there are bound to be deviants; Winston Smith is one of those. He starts, due to his inability to doublethink, with thought crime. This is in a society that believes the thought is as real as the deed. Eventually, he graduates through a series of misdemeanors to illicit s-e-x and even plans to overthrow the very government that took him in as an orphan. If he gets caught, he will be sent to the "Ministry of Love," where they have a record of 100% cures for this sort of insanity. They will even forgive his past indiscretions. Be sure to watch the three major movies made from this book: 1984 (1954) Peter Cushing is Winston Smith 1984 (1956) Edmond O'Brien is Winston Smith Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) John Hurt is Winston Smith

Must Read

1984 is one of those rare books that leaves a lasting impact long after you turn the final page. George Orwell’s dystopian vision of a world controlled by surveillance, censorship, and propaganda is disturbingly powerful—and still eerily reflective of modern-day issues.

Very happy with my purchase!

I bought a “good quality” copy of a hardback 1984 because I had lost my old copy while moving. What received blew my mind. It was a first Canadian edition! Thank you! Customer for life!!

A grim warning.

This is a look at what a totalarian society could be. It's truly grim to see the universe of 1984 develop as you read, and look at it through a modern lens. There's a lot of concepts in the book that have shocking parallels to some of our technology and methods today, and it's something to think on. In spite of the dystopia presented, it's written in a very entertaining way, and it makes the book a challenge to put down. It's not meant to be prophetic, but serve as a warning about those who necessarily seek power.

An ominous look into a not so far off future, a tale of warning.

Certainly lives up to it's reputation in terms of story. While there may be some mild lows in the story you can't help but having a feeling of being on edge as the main character goes about his daily life. A definite tale of caution as to what could be if too much power were in the wrong hands and the inescapable doom that will become of everyone. Some instances will have you thinking that would never happen in a million years, others, will rattle you at the uncanny similarities to today's society. Well written and not too hard to read, I found myself reading chapter after chapter rooting for the main character and hoping he triumphs over each little adversity he encounters. And the ending lit a fervor and hope in me that what happens in this book never comes to pass.

This is why I love dystopian fiction!

This book is so good, it reminds me why I love science fiction, and especially dystopian fiction. Scary how relevant it feels to today.

A Relevant Masterpiece

I sit roughly 20-25 pages from finishing this book and i am dumbfounded by the predictions made by Orwell. The man outlined a dystopic hell that unfortunately reflects much of our society today. This book is essential reading in my mind, while it may be rough at a few points (notably towards the end of Part 2), it still paints such a vivid picture of the horrors of fascist, totalitarian regimes and their effects on the victims forced to live through them. Orwell writes in this informative, hard hitting, critical prose through Winston from time to time, leading to these beautifully hateful passages of scathing criticism for Oceania. Its in these moments where 1984 really hits its stride of making you feel the hate for The Party, and Big Brother, and Oceania and whatever else Winston rants about. It's in these moments when 1984 truly cements itself as a classic piece of literature. (8/10) The book has many standout quotes, but I'll leave you with my favorite and the one that convinced me to finally buy and read it, "Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been re-written, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been re-named, every date has been altered. And this process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except and endless present in which the party is always right"

Timeless classic

This is a wonderful, although depressing, book. I bought it for my granddaughter for Christmas because it was on her list. However, I did not pay attention to the rating as far as scolastic rating and it is far too simple for her. That is my only problem with the book. I do not recall if that was clearly explained in the ordering process. But that has nothing to do with the story which is amazing. It was much more alarming when I first read it in 1962, however, than it is now.

Deviates corrected for their own good

In a society that has eliminated many imbalances, surplus goods, and even class struggle, there are bound to be deviates; Winston Smith is one of those. He starts out, due to his inability to doublethink, with thoughtcrime. This is in a society that believes a thought is as real as the deed. Eventually he graduates through a series of misdemeanors to illicit sex and even plans to overthrow the very government that took him in as an orphan. If he gets caught, he will be sent to the "Ministry of Love" where they have a record of 100% cures for this sort of insanity. They will even forgive his past indiscretions. Be sure to watch the three different movies made from this book: 1984 (1954) Peter Cushing is Winston Smith 1984 (1956) Edmond O'Brien is Winston Smith Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) John Hurt is Winston smith 1984 Actors: Edmond O'Brien, Jan Sterling

This Book is Awesome!

In a time when the government has enough power to control the past, present and future, in a time where you don't even have the right to think freely, in a time when the government can see and hear your every move, how can you fight to free yourself? 1984 by George Orwell is a classic novel which describes the journey of one person and his struggle to gain freedom of body and mind. Winston, a middle aged man lives as most others do, controlled by the supreme leader known as "Big Brother" and the political party supporting him. The party is powerful enough to control the past and therefore shape and create the future. As a lower level employee for the Ministry of Truth, (one of three regions in the party) Winston is required to rewrite articles and printings which contradict any declarations made by the party. While he knows that he is indeed rewriting the past, he is only slowly coming to the realization that the party and "Big Brother" are merely seeking power and supremacy. This is an amazing story which kept me hooked right from the beginning. Orwell has seen into the future of our society and shown us what our world could be like when a government has too much power. You are able to jump into Winston's mind and begin to feel the same hatred and resentment towards Big Brother as he does. I definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy a crazy story with many ups and downs that literally keeps you guessing until the last sentence. Remember, Big Brother is watching you!