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Title details for 1984 by George Orwell - Wait list

1984

by George Orwell
Andrew Wincott
Audiobook
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1984 is the year in which it happens. The world is divided into three great powers: Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. Throughout Oceania 'The Party' rules by the agency of four ministries whose power is absolute. In The Ministry of Truth, which deals in propaganda, Winston Smith's job is to edit the past. Over time, the impulse to escape the machine takes a hold of him. In writing the words 'DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER' his personal rebellion begins... This is his story but it might also be yours. In our increasingly surveillance-governed world the story has strong resonance and displays some shocking parallels with modern-day society.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 1, 2019

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781510030282
      • File size: 355217 KB
      • Duration: 12:20:02

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Orwell's best-known work of unrelenting dystopian realism warns against totalitarianism. Reader Richard Brown's stern, didactic rendering of narrative passages successfully captures Orwell's hard-bitten cynicism. Unfortunately, Brown is less successful interpreting dialogue. He falls back too readily on stock voices: breathy heroines, smarmy villains, squealing children. Such characterizations detract markedly from the brooding tone so carefully set by the narration and break the listener's suspension of disbelief. Though Orwell's tales are allegorical, they're also deadly serious. Though his characters are bloated and distorted, they should never be played for laughs. S.J.L. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Orwell's classic continues to deliver its horrible vision of totalitarian society. Once considered futuristic, it now conjures fear because of how closely it fits the reality of contemporary times. West's precise pronunciation and strong, intense voice provide the narration and all individual parts. The three major characters are individualized through vocal emphasis, tone and interpretation of each character's personality. West simultaneously weaves the spell of Big Brother while subtly emphasizing the complex emotional and intellectual annihilation of each of the characters. Starting with a detached approach, West intensifies emotions and ends with a finish that leaves the plot firmly embedded in the listener's mind. P.A.J. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Doublethink, thought police, constant surveillance, never-ending war. Although this classic dystopian novel was written in 1949, Orwell's lean prose, finely honed political discourse, and penetrating images seem as fresh, as menacing, and as disturbingly prophetic as ever. With British equanimity, Simon Prebble accentuates every shade of gray in post-Blitzed-London. As Orwell depicts the totalitarian world led by Big Brother, Prebble is especially effective at subtly changing pace and giving weight to each character's most telling moments--Winston Smith's memories of childhood, Julia's use of sex as a political act, and the interrogator, O'Brien's, calm satisfaction at breaking Winston. Offering only two crushing choices, to betray or be betrayed, 1984 remains one of the most powerful and influential masterworks of twentieth-century literature. B.P. 2008 Audies Finalist, NEA Big Read Selection (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Even if you read this dystopian novel in school, you will be shocked when you hear it performed today. Peter Noble's skillful narration of the classic story of government oppression could not be more frightening. The lack of sound effects or other voices adds to the terrible dread and soul-numbing fear that protagonist Winston Smith endures. Noble's somber tone brings out the desperation of the story, even in the midst of hope. Smith lives in a future in which lies are truth, black is white, and peace is war. People are trained not to trust what they see and hear, but to trust what the ever-present overseer called Big Brother tells them. Written as a cautionary tale after WWII, 1984 is even more applicable today. M.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 24, 2021
      Orwell’s classic dystopian nightmare is lent new life in this atmospheric graphic adaptation by Brazilian artist Nesti. In Orwell’s bleak totalitarian world engaged in perpetual war, Big Brother is always watching (ever-present in the comic’s setting via ubiquitous ominous signs posted), and Thought Police stand guard to mete out brutal justice for thoughtcrimes. Hero Winston Smith, drawn as a drab everyman, is both gifted and cursed with pre-dictatorship memories, and reflects that “even the outline of your own life lost its sharpness.” When he enters into a forbidden love affair with Julia, a fellow apostate, together they join a secret revolutionary group called The Brotherhood. While this adaption is rather text-heavy—perhaps necessarily so to fully impart Orwell’s complex ideas—Nesti’s accessible gray and orange drawings provide balance and light, giving Orwell’s oppressive vision a lyrical touch. His artistic style also lends a Depression-era vibe, one that would have read as retro even in 1949, when the novel was originally published. This artful reinterpretation reminds how Orwell’s warnings of the dangers of authoritarianism have remained frighteningly timeless. Agent: Bill Hamilton, A.M. Heath.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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