Well written book, and interesting take on the original.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

A really interesting re-imagining of 1984. I think it was really effective that it felt like Newman was able to be more graphic and explicit about the reality of life in this world - probably because our modern sensibilities are able to withstand something more brutal. I also enjoyed the alternative perspective that it provided - of what life is like for women in general in this world, which is often much worse than what men endure, and of Julia’s perception of Winston, the Party and the revolution. I found myself laughing aloud at her observations about men and sex in a way I wasn’t expecting but it was very astutely observed.

I really enjoyed how this reframed 1984 and the narrative that was missing from it. It reads so well as a companion piece to the original work and i enjoyed the variety of characters shown. The writing and action were done really well and i liked seeing the personality of Julia throughout. There were only a couple of scenes i didn't love but i understood the relevance to the story and how they fit in to the narrative and the difference they made to to. I would read more by Sandra Newman as i enjoyed her writing style a lot.

There have been a couple of books written recently from the point of view of Julia, and from what I’ve read this one was the best out of them.

It gave a lot of depth to Julia as a character, and as a woman - which was great to read.

I felt that the plot became jumbled and rushed at parts, especially towards a the end.

I think if I hadn't read 1984, I would have really enjoyed this. In consideration to the original plot, this just didn't sit right but considered in it's own merit, I think this works well.

However, I really did not like the ending. A dystopian story isn't supposed to be redeeming and made to think that everything is okay at the end, the whole point is that there isn't hope in 1984 and this just completely ignores that.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this ARC.

This was an interesting story. I have read 1984 and this is told from Julias perspective, where the original is told from winstons perspective. There was some things that were different, and the ending is hugely different, but there are enough similarities that you will recognise it.

I thought it was well written, i think Julia is a good character and it was interesting to see the world that orwell created through julias eyes.

I didnt like the ending though i have to say, but it has very strong relevance in life. The grass is not always greener, and the people that you think are freeing you from opression, are worse than the original opressors.

4/5 from me.

I have reread 1984 a number of times and so I was looking forward to this retelling, in the voice of Julia. I was expecting a feminist version, in the slant of The Handmaid’s Tale.. However, I was disappointed.

The focus is mainly on sex and, whilst I am not a prude, it seemed to cheapen the whole novel. After all, Orwell didn’t feel the need to go on about it, yet you understood it was there. It was not empowering for Julia, rather she is exploited, with her sexuality is used against her as a weapon which, ultimately, results in her downfall. And if she despises Winston so much, why is she so fascinated with him? She makes such a deal about how pathetic Winston is,

There were parts of the book that were good - the plot mirroring and the fleshing of women’s characters, rather than the misogynistic one dimensional views from Orwell, was excellent. But the overall despair of Orwell’s book - the isolation and hopelessness that runs throughout the book is missing. Julia has friends, she doesn’t seem to truly fear the reign of BB, the book ends with hope - it seems to miss the point that Orwell was making.

This book is okay, but not as good as I had hoped it would be.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Often, with memorable works of literature, it is our tertiary characters that have more interesting stories to tell. Julia from 1984 is one of those characters. Sandra Newman has decided to tell this story in her novel Julia.

Like in 1984, Julie works for the Ministry of Truth and she wears her anti-sex sash but behind the dystopian rules we find out what Julia really thinks and how she is surviving living in this nightmarish society.

Told with a feminist slant, we see how women fare in male dominated societies and it is hard not to draw comparisons to real life.

I really enjoyed this re-telling and wish more authors would pluck characters from novels and tell their side of things.

Julia by Sandra Newman is available now.

For more information regarding Granta Publications (@GrantaBooks) please visit www.granta.com.

Having never actually read 1984 previously I was going into this pretty blind and had a good time! Newman introduces us to the world of Big Brother smoothly, without any requirement of prior knowledge of the world. Julia is a well developed character and it was easy to get attached to her and the world as she sees it.

I think I would like to go and read 1984 now but will definitely be waiting a bit so as to not compare them too harshly.

Newman did a great job with this and I was captivated for much of the book. I’m not sure I love modern retelling of classic stories though. There seems something a little bit arrogant about it. BUT, if you read the book on its own terms, it is very enjoyable.

The world of Big Brother, Newspeak etc from a female perspective. Julia has a relationship with Winston, the protagonist of the original 1984 novel. Matches the tone of that novel really well and contains some interesting twists, alongside some rather gruesome descriptions.

Thank you to Granta Publications and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of Julia by Sandra Newman.

This is an excellent retelling of George Orwell's 1984 from Julia's perspective. We are drawn into the bleak world of Julia and how every movement, word and interaction is scrutinised by Big Brother who is constantly watching. Julia thinks back to her past and how she grew up, and this is contrast to the controlled life that she experiences as a mechanic.

As she embarks on her intimate relationship with Winston Smith, a married man, she delves into pleasure that is forbidden. Soon enough captured and tortured and forced to denounce her lover, and accept all that the Party stands for.

When she finally comes face to face with Big Brother and realises he is an old, infirm man. Her hatred for him cannot seem to rise to the level that she would have wanted to. Instead she feels pity for him, and what he has now become.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and feel that I need to revisit 1984, which I had read decades ago.

Loved this new twist on the rewriting trend!

Sandra Newman's retelling of Orwell's 1984, Julia, gives the reader a whole new (feminine? feminist?) perspective and an opportunity to have more insight on the original story.

A great read !

Julia by Sandra Newman is a retelling of 1984 by George Orwell. Newman wrote this companion novel with the full support of the Orwell Estate. Its written in the perspective of Winston’s love interest, Julia, only known by her first name in the original novel and her story was never explored. It’s well written and provides a fresh narrative whilst staying faithful to the original.

The story is just as dark and harrowing and some scenes are truly terrifying. Julia however is a survivor and is determined to live her life on her own terms. She is full of flaws and therefore very easy to relate to. Newman explores Julia’s childhood as well as her current situation and you really feel like you know her character as the story progresses on.

I have seen lots of comments about the ending of this novel, from it being ‘perfectly wrapped up’ to it being ‘full of optimism’ Personally, I felt the ending was perfect for the tone of the novel and not at all optimistic.

Thank you to @netgally for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I must say I was a bit disappointed by this. I found it quite hard to engage with the narrative, though I did appreciate what Newman was attempting to do by engaging in this more feminist retelling of the classic novel. She broaches some serious topics (such as abortion) and constantly examines what it is to be loyal and how easy it is to betray both those you love and yourself. The ending is very fitting. However, I just found the writing a bit flat and dense.

"Julia" offers a unique perspective on George Orwell's "1984" by delving into the life of Julia Worthing, Winston's enigmatic lover in the original novel. Positioned as a feminist retelling, the narrative unfolds through Julia's lens, providing a fresh exploration of the experiences of women in the dystopian society.

The timeline of the book aligns with "1984," commencing just before Julia initiates contact with Winston. The story takes on a distinct tone when seen from her viewpoint, offering insight into her compelling and sometimes bleak experiences. Julia's upbringing in a deprived farming community and her current life in a women's hostel are richly detailed, creating a vivid and realistic backdrop. The narrative benefits from Julia's interest in people, introducing well-fleshed secondary characters, with men familiar from "1984" and mostly new women.

Readers familiar with the original will appreciate the seamless integration of dialogue from "1984," cleverly enhancing scenes retold from Julia's perspective. This device effectively reframes the familiar, creating a nuanced and well-structured narrative that stands independently. While the story is not inherently uplifting, moments of humour and sympathy are woven throughout, making it a compelling and worthwhile read. Overall, "Julia" provides a valuable opportunity to revisit a classic through a new and insightful lens.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

It was always going to be difficult to take a book as well-loved as “1984” and give it a different spin, but I enjoyed this feminist retelling, which is told from Julia’s perspective. We meet Julia as she goes about her work in the Ministry of Truth, just before her earliest encounter with Winston Smith. We see her motivations, beliefs, and own particular system for survival in Airstrip One, all of which leads to the very well-known events of “1984” in the Ministry of Love.

While anyone who has read “1984” knows where things are headed, this retelling was still able to surprise me, and I loved the tense atmosphere that the author managed to build steadily throughout the novel. It is such a big story to take on, and I know that not everyone will think that this is a story that needs to be told. However, I found it fascinating to revisit this world, seen from another perspective, and would very much recommend this work to anyone who enjoys retellings of this type.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Julia, is a retelling or rather more of a story of 1984 from the perspective of a the side character in Orwell's original novel, who has in my view always been mysterious as her actions within the original novel were often contradictory, and nonsensical to what little we did know about the character. Newman's rendition attempts to uncover the mysterious and what had seemed to be contradictory actions by telling Julia's back story and conflicts and 'secrets', as well as finally offering a perspective of what it meant to be a woman within the world of Oceania, something that isn't highlighted within the original book, but is implied. And interesting addition to 1984, and a definitely well written companion piece. Many thanks to NetGalley and Granta for the ARC.

Unfortunately it didn't quite work for me. It was a little too strident, too relentless and lacking the kind of delicate touch that could have made the book much more effective. Being overly long also did not help from a style perspective. That said, I am sure many readers will want to read this book and I intend to read '1984' again soon solely as a result of reading 'Julia'. Special thank you to Granta Publications and NetGalley for a no obligation advance review copy.

☆☆☆☆.5/5

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Julia earlier this year (thank you Granta Publications!), and then got to hear Sandra Newman speak about the book at the Toppings Bath launch which was FANTASTIC. It’s taken me a while to get through, but only because life got in the way and it’s one of those books that I think you really have to focus on (which is absolutely a positive to me when I’m reading, it means there’s a lot going on!).

Julia is a stunning retelling of George Orwell’s 1984 – Newman was hand-picked by the Orwell estate to bring Julia’s story to life as the UK copyright on 1984 ended in 2021, and I truly agree that she was the right choice.

Newman has finally given Julia the tribute she deserved. Her actions in 1984 weren’t always consistent with what we knew about her, and this reimagining finally ties up and explains everything that Julia went through and why she did what she had to.
This book isn’t just a retelling; this is a seamless continuation of 1984 that gives us a peek into a whole other side of Oceania, namely how women navigate through it to survive. The world we’re introduced to is simultaneously brand new yet eerily familiar, as we finally see outside of Winston Smith’s sphere.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book - it was incredibly interesting to finally see behind the curtain a bit more into Oceania and how it works, and finally seeing Julia’s journey to the end was strangely soothing?! The only negatives I have are that there were a few too many songs for me in there, and there’s a particular scene near the end that made me feel physically unwell (still feel 🤢 just thinking about it, it was just too descriptive for me).

Newman has made 1984’s Julia whole, and shown she had an entire life going on whilst Winston was misering about.