1984 By George Orwell Review : A warning for humankind that might never loose its relevance(3.5/5).

i was reading 1984, Russia had started a War with Ukraine. And while the Indian students were being evacuated from Ukraine, we got to see two sets of media reports about the diplomatic operations of Indian Govt./ Indian Embassy in Ukraine. Largely the reports were that the Govt. was giving its best, and is leaving no stones unturned to bring back those stuck in Ukraine. Whereas, there were certain reports, mostly individual accounts of those present on ground, that they were barely getting any help form the Indian govt or Indian embassy. and there were also reports that the students being evacuated are made to praise the efforts of Indian govt./Indian Embassy. Whatever might be the truth, but there is certain degree of manipulation made by the parties in power or we can say mass media control by the Govt. and it hit me really hard.

Now you must be wondering is this even a review or a media report.

Well it is definitely a book review, as i read this book as on 04-03-2022, written by George Orwell in the year 1949, he relativity of the work has not at all faded through all these years. The image of a totalitarian Govt that George Orwell has set in the novel still makes its way to the very 21st century.

The Novel is set in the year 1984, most probably, as the protagonist, Winston smith, himself have a very vague idea about what year it was in city of London, which is at its most depressing state with never enough to eat or wear, with war always on, and people under surveillance even during their sleep.

Their country Oceania is under the rule of a totalitarian govt under a party called INGSOC with the Big Brother, who Winston hates more than anything, as its head and a metaphor for the totalitarian regime. Winston doesn't believe every lie the party tells, is frustrate about the omnipresent eyes of the party but somehow feels that this is not how the life always have been in London and believes that there are others who, just like him, believe the same. that somehow this will change in coming future, that there will be a revolution of some kind that will take Oceania out of the miseries and never ending war that no one understands what reasons Oceania was at war and with whom. He himself starts being rebellious when he secretly started writing his Diary, and later falling in love with Julia.

The party members were always under surveillance, there was no scope of privacy, one was not allowed to make friends, make love and anything that felt pleasurable. The party controls what people read, speak, say and do with the threat that if they disobey, they will be sent to the dreaded Room 101 as a looming punishment. The food was not worth eating, the cigarettes of poor quality and sugar not even known to the general public. Between all this chaos, Winston falls in love with Julia. and also finds a Inner Party member O'Brien, who he believes that is a member of brotherhood and hated the party just like him. The the novel is all about the rebellion and the struggle for life.

The most freighting notion of this novel is that, total control of a country(even the world) by a dictator is possible, and how the life would change eventually if such takeover ever takes place. It is a warning to the humankind.

At times one might find it boring and philosophical. Although what Orwell has imagined in 1949 is somehow, in one way or the other, becoming true. At this point of time, when the world powers are fighting to maintain the status quo, not only on the world level, but also regional powers. This might not be a must read, but is necessarily awakening.