Review of 1984 by George Orwell, review by Chandler Wang

1984 by George Orwell is the one book that I've read in school that I've both enjoyed and appreciated in the way that I feel such books should be appreciated. Although I've enjoyed reading other books in school, these have all been earlier books that didn't have as much literary significance as the books later in school did. These were books like Flush or The Outsiders, which didn't seem as highbrow as Huckleberry Finn or Jane Eyre, which, to me at least, were both boring and didn't live up to the idea of a classic novel that has some sort of great insight on life. 1984 had both an interesting story like earlier books and the deeper meaning that I expected from the old classics. It developed a complex and intriguing dystopian, authoritarian world and followed the story of an ordinary man trying to find freedom. Through the careful manipulation of this world and its characters, Orwell created a compelling story that demonstrated both the consequences of an authoritarian system and the methods by which such a system works. The writing is well-done like many of the other books I've read in high school, but doesn't make the story boring and tedious to read through like other novels. As the story progresses, you become deeply invested and can feel the oppression that the protagonist faces and the fearful hope that builds in his heart as he tries to find a way out. The book was masterfully made in a way that I cannot attribute to any other book and is the only book I've ever read that I can agree is a work of art. 10/10.