Nineteen Eighty-Four

My thanks to Penguin Random House U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ by George Orwell in exchange for an honest review. It is read by Peter Capaldi and has a running time of 12 hours, 22 minutes at 1x speed.

'Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.' 

This is the story of Winston Smith, who works in the
Record Department of the Ministry of Truth. His job is to skilfully rewrite records of the past to suit the current needs of the Party. Yet inwardly he rebels against this totalitarian society. In his desire for freedom he begins a secret love affair with a young woman, Julia. Yet how long can they remain undetected?

‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ was first published in 1949 and has become a classic of dystopian political fiction. The repressive, totalitarian society of Oceania surveils its citizens through all-seeing tele-screens and the omnipresent figure of Big Brother. Language is controlled, the country is engaged in a never-ending war. Even private thought is suspect and compliance to the beliefs of the society are monitored by the sinister Thought Police.

This is a novel that I feel has aged well and is still highly relevant in the 21st Century with authoritarian regimes on the rise - complete with cult-like leaders. The modern world often feels Orwellian as we are bombarded by disinformation, ‘alternative facts’, claims of ‘Fake News’ and the ever-popular hate-mongering of rivals. Plus, the high level of surveillance through electronic means that was pure science fiction when the novel was written.

I read ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ ages ago and welcomed this opportunity to revisit via the audiobook format. That it was narrated by the velvet-voiced Peter Capaldi was an extra attraction. He brought his considerable acting skills to the reading to express Winston Smith’s idealism alongside the coldness of his adversary, O’Brien.

Being older and more politically aware I found that I was more conscious of these aspects of the narrative, especially the readings from the proscribed book by Goldstein that I had hardly noticed previously.

‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ remains one of the most important literary works of the 20th Century, a novel that continues to stimulate discussion and to hold a mirror up to society.

On a side note the cover image, ‘Self Portrait’ by Francis Bacon, on the 70th Anniversary edition is a disturbing, yet effective, image.

I received this as an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Good:
- the voice. It was exactly how I imagined Winston
- gripping and terrifying story
- arrangement into discs and chapters made it easy to choose where to listen

Bad
- terrified me to the bone! (This is secretly good)
- sometimes felt flat, and misogynistic.

This is a horrifying classic which endures the test of time to feel relevant at any year. I read this at A-Level for my exams, and again now and feel connected to the story! One can still imagine it today, which marks this as a classic for the ages.

Scary, bleak and gripping.

I loved the narration, however found this an upsetting read and had many triggering elements, as well as a possibly misogynistic tone.

Overall: 7/10

I’ve read this books years ago and it is still as relevant today, even if worryingly so. A brilliant narration added to the enjoyment of this timeless work. Bravo!

"Do you begin to see what kind of a world we are creating? It is the exact opposite of the stupid hedonistic Utopias that the old reformers imagined. A world of fear and treachery and torment, a world of trampling and being trampled upon, a world which will grow not less but more merciless as it refines itself... If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - for ever."

Or, perhaps, we don't have to imagine but just recall young children separated from their parents and caged on US borders; drowned refugees washed up on European shores, while the self-nominated 'defenders' of 'our' borders patrol the beaches of Kent... Orwell's terrifying vision of totalitarianism isn't needed, it appears, for human empathy and compassion to drain away, for hate and mercilessness to become socially and politically acceptable.

Although posing as a future dystopia, this is in large part a 1948 reaction to political trends discerned by Orwell at the time, based on both the Nazi and Stalinist regimes and with an eye on the other dictatorships that rose from the 1930s onwards. In places, we are puzzled at the lack of imagination: despite multiple atomic bombings, the world has escaped any significant nuclear fallout. But more frequently, we're impressed and terrified by Orwell's prescience: that the UK is a province of the US known as Airstrip One and dislocated from the European bloc; the growth and acceptance of hatred as a legitimate form of political expression; what Orwell terms 'collective solipsism' which we might recognise as the echo chamber of fragmented social media.

It's easy to underestimate the intellectual underpinnings to Orwell's vision: not just the political manifestos and undocumented thought regimes that are the foundations of various totalitarian systems, but the way he makes use of, say, Plato (the control of language, books, music), Descartes ('what knowledge have we of anything, save through our own minds?') and, of course, Marx ('but we create human nature. Men are infinitely malleable', as well as the doctrine of class struggle which Orwell's Party understands and supercedes by bringing an end to history).

Re-listening to this and experiencing the brutal way in which the individual is inevitably broken in his/her clash with the Party also serves to show how child-like all our recent literary 'dystopias' are as a regime is challenged and brought down by a handful of courageous rebels - even Atwood has succumbed to this hopeful but naive narrative in The Testaments.

Orwell isn't completely hopeless (is he?) as 85% of the population, the 'proles', are deprived of education and material goods yet still have the capacity to love and experience joy - though we're left in no doubt that any nascent leaders will be stamped down and vaporised. A bleak book, a vastly thoughtful and intelligent one, and a plea for caution and protection of humaneness wrapping up a compulsive and still terrifying story.

Peter Capaldi's reading is half-dramatized with some excellent voices and great clarity of pacing and expression.

Having previously read and enjoyed Nineteen Eighty-Four, I was so excited to experience it again, especially when narrated by the amazing Peter Capaldi.

Orwell manages to create a bleak and horrendous dystopia that somehow also feels familiar. At places it can feel a little slow or long however it only further highlights how much thought has been given to this world.

I enjoyed the Appendix explaining the construction of NewSpeak

This book is a literary masterpiece. Don't be fooled in thinking it is a stuffy, inaccessible classic. It is as relevant and chilling in today's world as when it was written (perhaps even more so). Peter Capaldi is the perfect narrator and his voice is almost soothing, despite the narrative he is relaying. I first read this book at least twenty years ago and very much enjoyed revisiting it, if enjoyed is the right word!

Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to Penguin Random House UK Audio and Netgalley. Read by Peter Capaldi.

Among the seminal texts of the 20th century, Nineteen Eighty-Four is a rare work that grows more haunting as its futuristic purgatory becomes more real. Published in 1949, the book offers political satirist George Orwell's nightmare vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality. The brilliance of the novel is Orwell's prescience of modern life—the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language—and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell. Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written.

Having never read 1984 before I had no idea what to expect. The characters are lacking a personality so I struggled to connect with the book, but the realisation that ‘Big Brother’ is always watching is actually quite frightening. I really wasn’t as taken with this book as I thought I would be, the speed at which I completed this book was greatly helped by the fact that it was an audio book.

Rating 3/5

This is an incredible book that I think everyone should read at least once. It is harrowing, poignant and terrifyingly relevant given its age. If you don't fancy reading it, this audiobook is well narrated and captivating, I would highly recommend it.

I've wanted to read 1984 for a very long time so jumped at the chance to listen to it as an audiobook.

I've mixed feelings about it. While I enjoyed the book itself and the overall concept I did find it dragged at parts and I found myself completely bored.
The story was very clever and had many underlying aspects intertwined throughout the book but it just felt flat. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it.

Personally I think it possibly doesn't suit as an audiobook as it's a quite drawn out story where very little actually happens. The voice of Peter Capaldi did hold me however and I did get to find out what happened in the end.

3/5

1984 is an uncomfortable reminder of how the modern world is watching you. The entire book feels like a poke into the paranoid part of your brain; unfortunately, because we are more aware than ever of the fact that Big Brother most certainly is watching us, the chill-factor is significantly reduced compared to the impact it would have had upon its release.

The Party is a group which tells you what to do, what to read, how to think and basically how to be an appropriate human being in the world they have envisaged for you. Winston does as he's told, until the day that he doesn't.

1984 is a story built to make you check over your shoulder, but it isn't inherently designed to make you care about the characters. As a predominantly character driven reader, this was problematic for me. The world wasn't enough to carry less refined characters, because frankly we almost live in it now!

Like most people, I already have a copy of the Nineteen Eighty-Four on my bookshelves but the lure of the majestic Peter Capaldi tempted me into requesting a copy. He is a beguiling choice for the narrator of this recent edition of a genuine classic. Capaldi expertly guides the reader through the various stages of Winston’s emotions from Big Brother drone to a tortured soul. You hang on every intonation, especially during the inevitable destruction of Winston’s spirit. He makes the powerful words even more visceral.

Every generation brings more readers that have the satisfaction of discovering this powerful story for the first time and with more & more people using audiobooks to consume literature, having an actor of Capaldi’s gifts to read the book was a stunning decision.

The blending of the compelling & frightening words of Orwell and the voice of Capaldi is sublime and will wow all who hit play.

A remarkable book with a stunning reading, no matter how many times you've read it, you can listen to this again.

The classic 1984. It doesn't even require review. The story is always is perfect. The narrator's voice was very interesting, the way of speech ,changing voice tones, feeling of living inside the book everything was brought to life. The only part which I did not like was that the voice was very low, even despite increasing the volume of my device the audio was still a little low.

Big Brother in 1960s Easter Block Countries- that''s what this brought to mind for me. I'm so glad I listened to this as it's deep, heavy, intense at times and I thoroughly having it read to me but 'I'm not sure I'd have has the perseverance to continue with such intensity myself. It opened so many questions , so many avenues of thought. It is more poignant and thought provoking now that it ever was in the past. It is a must read, or must listen for anyone interested in the content but not prepared for the hard slog- like me!!!!

I have read 1984 a few times and enjoyed the creepy dystopian big brother vibes. I requested this audiobook based on my love of Peter Capaldi (yes he is my favourite) and I wasn’t disappointed. He just has one of those voices you can listen to for ages. I think this audiobook will be very popular and Capaldi brings something different to the main character . Thank you netgalley for my arc

This is one of my favourite books of all time. I first read it as an O level text in 1963 and was hooked. At that time, the world was gripped by the Cold War and the Cuban crisis and the threat of some dystopian disaster felt very real. It’s amazing how many phrases and ideas in this book have become part of every day language including the notion of something being Orwellian and tv shows, Big Brother and Room 101. Eric Blair was a writer of influence, every book explores numerous themes and along with Animal Farm which also examines power, control and fractured society and values, Nineteen Eighty Four is strikingly relevant.

We are increasingly controlled, surveilled, manipulated and ordered by Government. Although living in a democracy, free speech isn’t as free as we may wish and thought control is the next step from mind control which is already underway. Most will be familiar with Winston Smith’s struggle to conform and this dark story is absolutely timeless. Peter Capaldi’s narration sets just the right tone. Although he’s older than Winston, the delivery feels like Winston’s voice. There’s just the right level of monotone mixed with hope, despair, fear, indifference and more. I enjoyed it more than another narrated version where Philip Glenister is the voice.

My thanks to Penguin for a review copy of the audio file via Netgalley.

This was a fascinating audiobook. I have wanted to read this book for years so I was thrilled to be approved for it on NetGalley.
The premise of Big Brother was, and still is, an interesting concept to me. Can a Party effectively run a dictatorship but control people's thoughts and any diversion be punished?
This was a 'very wordy' book, so needed a lot of concentration on my part, but the substance is very powerful, and Peter Capaldi's narration is nothing short of sublime, perfect for the book. As the book progresses, the urgency and tragic nature was portrayed beautifully.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK Audio for my copy of this audiobook. Having never previously read / listened to Nineteen Eighty-Four, when I spotted that this brand new audio version was coming out I decided that now was finally the time. Peter Capaldi's narration is superb - so much feeling and power behind his words. It's a very thought-provoking book that feels particularly pertinent to today's turbulent political world, and Orwell's foretelling of so many aspects of the future is quite chilling on many levels. Big Brother is always watching after all! This said, at times I lost interest and felt the book was overly long, and the appendix about the changes to the language at the end was rather dull and didn't seem necessary.

Great book, and Peter was a fantastic narrator. Thr book kept me on the edge wondering throughout. Truly I still don't even know if I've formed any conclusions one way or the other, is he mad or is it real? Will definitely stick in my mind for time to come.
This book had been on my must read for a while and I was lucky enough to get an audio copy from the publishers and netgalley for an honest review.

Peter Capaldi is such an excellent narrator of this version of 1984 by George Orwell. I've not read this before and it's astonishing how current it is. I do wonder what Orwell would think of fronted adverbials and home school where we are all currently reliant on screens like never before. Very worth a listen.

'Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past'. Hidden away in the Record Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith skilfully rewrites the past to suit the needs of the Party. Yet he inwardly rebels against the totalitarian world he lives in, which demands absolute obedience and controls him through the all-seeing telescreens and the watchful eye of Big Brother, symbolic head of the Party. In his longing for truth and liberty, Smith begins a secret love affair with a fellow-worker Julia, but soon discovers the true price of freedom is betrayal. George Orwell's dystopian masterpiece, Nineteen Eighty-Four is perhaps the most pervasively influential book of the twentieth century.
Before I carry on, Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell in exchange for my honest review. This has been a book I have meaning to read for the longest time and this year I thought I would tick it of my list.
I don’t normally read dystopian novels so I was a little out of my comfort zone, but I must say that I enjoyed every second of this book. I can really understand why this is a much-loved classic and why so many people have studied it as it is so relevant for the world we are living in. The story makes you view things in a different way and I think it will really influence me in day-to-day life.
I listened to the audiobook version which was narrated by Peter Capaldi. I found his voice very relaxing and calming. I do find it hard to concentrate on audiobooks as my mind always wonders off somewhere, but Peter Capaldi did not loose my attention once.
I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this book and I highly recommend it to everyone. I also recommend the audiobook narrated by Peter Capaldi.

1984 is a timeless classic that was so ahead of its time. Read by the excellent Peter Capaldi he brought his magic to the story and I was emerged into the world of Winston Smith.

In a time where the past kept getting rewritten to suit the present time to the point there was no past. Brainwashed by the media, the government and its representatives. Forced to live how the government want, with no say in how anyone can live or speak. Even thoughts were not allowed. No freewill at all. It's clear to see why people are saying we are living this book right now. But sometimes they can remember. Very thought provoking

I think the plot for 1984 speaks for itself. The dystopian world of Big Brother is one most people are familiar with, and whilst this was my first time reading this book I feel I went into with some idea of what to expect.
Peter Capaldi's narration was absolutely perfect for this book. He created the perfect atmosphere, and his character voices really lifted the words of the page. I really enjoyed this book, I can't say that I loved the actual story (Animal Farm is the benchmark for me), but I couldn't fault this audiobook version. It was atmospheric, and hyper-realistic, and naturally I couldn't help making parallels to today's society.
This is a timeless book, and this version is just as timeless.