By Timoleon Palaiologos,
Personally, I am not and, to be honest, I have never been the book reading type. Apart from some bits of classical literature that I have read, all other book materials seem completely indifferent to me. Maybe my lack of dedication and the fact that I cannot bear fictional plots consequently escalates to that refusal. However, history and philosophy are two subjects that I have always adored and thus this type of book is quite enjoyable, I would say. So just imagine how mind-blown I was when I first read George Orwell’s 1984.
For those of you that have read or are familiar with Orwell’s work, this may not be a surprise but the existence of a political “philosophical” fiction novel shocked me back in the day. The existence of such a highly fictional, yet strongly political novel really touched something in me and since that day I can say that Orwell is one of my favorite authors.
About Orwell
Born as Eric Arthur Blair in India in 1903, back then part of the mighty British Empire, from a really young age, he pursued a career in literature, although admittedly unsuccessfully at first. The turning point in his life, and subsequently in his literary career, was his participation in the Spanish Civil War in 1936 when he joined the Spanish Trotskyists (POUM) and at the same time composed one of his most important works known as Homage to Catalonia. He identified himself as a democratic socialist and he despised any form of totalitarianism, something that is evident in his works. During his time he published a fair number of books, but the most noteworthy are Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, both written a few years before his death in 1950.
Animal Farm
Animal Farm is a fictional novel, first published in 1945. The events that take place are inspired by the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 when the leftist Bolsheviks overthrew the Tsar of The Russian Empire, Nicholas II Romanov. In the book, the animals of the farm try to revolt against their human oppressor, Mr. Jones, and regain their lost independence. When that is done, certain animals acquire the role previously portrayed by Mr. Jones concluding that all animals are equal, but definitely some animals are more equal than others. This book is a really good example of how badly things can sometimes escalate.
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
Nineteen Eighty-Four is certainly Orwell’s most famous and, in my honest opinion, best-written work. The author right off the bat introduces us to a dystopian world constructed for all intense and purposes for mass thoughts control. The main protagonist is Winston Smith, a typical citizen working for the censorship department of the Ministry of Truth. Throughout the book, Winston’s pursuit for the existential purpose of its society and his relationship with “Big Brother” demonstrate a completely un-free way of living that somehow is considered normality.
In his works, Orwell makes it abundantly clear that he fears the existence of totalitarianism as it is really easy to prevail as a direct consequence of people’s ignorance. I strongly recommend anyone that has not had the chance to read Orwell’s works to do so, as they are not only great pieces of literature but are also timeless.
References
- Encyclopedia Britannica, George Orwell | Biography, Books, Real Name, Political Views, & Facts, Available here
- Orwell, G., 1984 – Ο Μεγάλος Αδερφός, ΚAKTOS Publications, Athens
