P.S. I am embarrassed to admit that I thought I was reading Animal Farm by the same author. I had some Kindle mix-up. 1984 was in my far TBR as I wanted to read something 'lighter' (OH how I was surprised!). I was only aware of this blatant mistake after already posting this review under Animal Farm and moving on to read others' reviews. Pig? What pig??? Wait a minute!
Almost a decade ago, I was in a 'debate' with a Professor in an online forum. A professor, or so she said. It sounds prestigious if our debate was about something intellectual, but not, it was, wait for it, about whether ducks are amphibians.
She believed that they were and insisted on it. You see, I was new at that time, definitely not a professor or whatever close to that, and this particular member chose to pick on me for my many differences. It was not fun, of course, especially because that was my only online social presence, but everyone else was great, so I decided to stay. After the dust was settled and I was well-integrated, we were civil as reasonable adults do. But things didn't always go well, as she also made many bigoted comments (not always aimed at me, fortunately, but it was not something I was happy to let go of as the ignorance level was up the roof), so once in a while, we would be on the opposite sides again. It was painful that someone with that attribute would blindly believe in something based on close-minded 'research'.
I don't have the energy for these craps but couldn't help it when it hit my nerves. Luckily, everyone else was great and as appalled as me, but of course, it didn't get me into her good side, especially when I questioned her credibility and the obvious danger of someone who was in the education system and probably responsible for shaping young minds, could have this kind of blind judgments. It's my pet peeve. Harm yourself, go ahead, but not when you are in the position of educating and influencing others.
Again, clouds settled, and I was sort of ignoring her until the unfortunate duck comment and insistence. When she first mentioned it, no one thought it was serious until she repeated it multiple times and someone decided to ask. She firmly believed what she was saying because she insisted on reading it from a book. At this point, I was happy that she proved her own incredibility, even though most members had already doubted her. Yeah, right, go drown a duck. Wait, no!
What does it have to do with 1984 review? Oh, based on what I have read, I am thinking whether the book that this 'professor' read had been tweaked or rewritten, and maybe she was the right one.
Yeah, no, fat chance.
This book is terrifying, I have been reading terrifying and depressing books in successions that maybe I need to pick up something light after this.
I don't like this book, I am exhausted. This is probably one of the most exhausting books that I have ever read. However, it is brilliant. When I think it goes in a certain direction, it changes its gear and compass. The author takes something, a simple idea, and hammers it down, slices it open, makes it bleed and analyzes every single little thing, every cell and every froth out of it.
I admit that there are parts that make me feel the page count doesn't move at all. However, I can't help but be mesmerized by the complexity and the meticulous details he puts into it. The ideology, philosophy, theory, the level of complex thinking, expressions and the overall ability to weave them all into words that makes sense is extraordinary. The abundance of them exhausts me so much that I keep thinking about whether they are overwhelming, repetitive at times, maybe they can be simplified, but maybe not, everything seems to have its purpose, and the emphasis is needed. It's the art and the absurdness of (view spoiler). It's real.
I will never re-read this book again. But it's brilliant.
Rating: 5 Gorilla-faced guards out of 5 Room 101.
P.S. I won't survive a day in this world, as I was born with facecrime
