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1984

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1984

Written by: George Orwell
Narrated by: Adriel Brandt
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About this listen

1984 is a novel by the British author George Orwell in 1949. Considered a classic of dystopian fiction, the book has contributed many terms to common usage, including Big Brother, doublethink, newspeak, and thoughtcrime, while the adjective Orwellian in the context of government deception, surveillance, and misleading terminology has entered the English language.

The narrative unfolds in an imagined future when most of the world has fallen prey to omnipresent government surveillance, propaganda, and endless war. Great Britain has become a province of the super state Oceania, which is ruled by the Party, whose leader is called Big Brother. The Party employs the Thought Police to persecute individuality and independent thinking. Winston Smith, the protagonist, is an ordinary worker who secretly despises the Party and dreams of rebellion.

Time Magazine included the novel on its 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005, and it is placed at number 13 on the editor’s list and at number six on the reader’s list of Modern Library's 100 Best Novels.

Public Domain (P)2020 Museum Audiobooks
Classics Dystopian Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction War Surveillance
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It is all here!

This book contains basic knowledge to think about the risk of totalitarian regimes and their supporters.

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Chillingly Relevant in 2022

This might very well be one of (if not) the most important books of our generation, written over 2 generations ago… I’m blown away at how on point Orwell was back in 1945 of where our current upside down dystopian world is headed if we don’t wake up & start asking the kind of questions that are being censored by our real life “Ministry of Truth” or MSM.
Farmers in the Netherlands are being strangled & told to downsize production to starving rates by the “Ministry of Plenty” while we are being told that food shortages are coming…
The “Ministry of Peace” is clearly hard at work on the new Russia/NATO fear distraction at the expense of thousands of innocent Ukrainians.
At least the “Ministry of Love” has the best interest of society (both mentally & economically) in mind when restricting people’s abilities to work, travel & live a normal life, ALL under the banner of “doing your part for grandma” all while completely dividing society in half & destroying the world economy over weakening sicknesses & cures that do more harm than good.

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A warning from the past for our future

This is one of my favourite dystopian novels and very relevant today. It is a must read for anyone interested in finding out the power behind our big companies today

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A classic tale of caution

Fantastic performance and story. Despite its age, 1984 has many lessons that are relevant to today. must listen.

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good but bleak

it was well performed, but the story is super bleak. yet mildly prophetic at times. worth the hard listen

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The Standard in Dystopia

This is one novel whose cultural significance cannot be emphasised enough. It sets the standard for any form of dystopian literature.
It took me a long time to get around to reading 1984 or listening to it in this case. There's a reason for that; there are a lot of similarities to how the government in the book with how the government where I grew up operated and still operates to this day. Some passages in the book were harrowing to listen to because they resonated with things we saw and lived through or read about in memoirs of people who lived through the darker times.
This book offers such insight into the many tyrannical dictatorships worldwide today that you would be hard-pressed not to think that these tyrants, past and present, use it as a manual!

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Everyone should read this book

Used to be required reading in school and really should be! Everyone should read this classic. Eye opening especially with recent world events ..

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a must read/listen

absolutely classic, still relevant, timeless . . you know its impact, but you really need to know the story itself
great narration, as well

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Wow!

Made me emotional. I see resemblances with our world too. Which is scary. Recommend.

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Relevant but not entertaining.

I appreciate the relevance to today's world and knowing the writer's background makes it more interesting. It is a depressing, harsh story though.

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