Book Review: Lud-in-the-Mist

Title: Lud-in-the-Mist

Author: Hope Mirrlees

ISBN: 978-1-8579-8767-6

First Published: 1926

Review:

An early example of fantasy literature, Hope Mirrlees’ quirky novel, Lud-in-the-Mist tells the tale of Lud, the capital city of Dorimare. Dorimare is a country that borders on Fairyland, but its citizens have done their best to ignore their neighbours.

Told in the style of other authors in the 1920s (Mirrlees was a friend of Virginia Woolf), this is a beautiful fantasy novel that still has strong literary ties. The language is eloquent and precise, and Mirrlees goes into great detail in explaining the philosophies behind this civilisation. These philosophies bleed into our own reality, and alter the way we see life, death, and art.

Master Nathaniel Chanticleer is the haunted Mayor of Lud, and the central protagonist for the novel. As Lud-in-the-Mist falls in chaotic fear over the importation of fairy fruit, it is up to Nathaniel to solve a mysterious murder and catch the imposters. The plot unfolds with some interesting twists and turns, and the reader is always wondering what is going to happen next.

Lud-in-the-Mist reads more as a fairytale than as an epic fantasy novel, but it is no less enjoyable to read. The language can get a little difficult to wade through, but a reader can enjoy the very sounds of the ideas that are put across in the pages. The culture seems somewhat similar to England in the past, perhaps based on the society of the early 20th or late 19th century. It is easy to empathise with each of the characters, and the interest in their psychology is integral to the plot and to our understanding of their motives.

A strange novel, I would recommend it to anybody who enjoys fantasy literature. If compared to a modern text, I would say it has some relation to Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and Neil Gaiman’s Stardust. Indeed, Gaiman has rated Mirrlees’ novel highly; “The single most beautiful, solid, unearthy, and unjustifiably forgotten novel of the twentieth century … a little golden miracle of a book”. Anybody who is interested in where our modern fantasy/fairytales come from should read this book.

Ratings:

Character: 8/10

Plot: 8/10

Style: 9/10

Overall: 8/10

Book Review: Dragonflight

Title: Dragonflight

Author: Anne McCaffrey

ISBN: 978-0-552-08453-6

First Published: 1968

Blurb:

The men who rode the dragons were a breed apart. Chosen when the dragons were first hatched, they became soul-mates for life with the huge, magnificent beasts they controlled – the green, blue, brown and bronzes – beautiful – terrible – the only creatures who could defend the planet Pern from the blood-red star. But without the Queen, the dragons would become extinct. Only the gigantic, golden Queen could breed the new flights. And the Queen was fading…dying…leaving behind one last, huge, golden egg.

Review:

When I first began reading Dragonflight, I was a little put off the language. Despite this, I kept at it, and the plot quickly grabbed my attention.

My gripe with McCaffrey’s use of language is that it feels as though she consulted a thesaurus for every other word. Rather that making the text more sophisticated, it made it feel contrived and difficult to read. There are, however, a couple of fantastic instances of language-use. One that I particularly enjoyed was the use of “Thread-bare”.

Fortunately, the plot does more than enough to make up for this shortcoming. Whilst not the most sophisticated, it is a thoroughly enjoyable romp through a fantasy land, complete with dragons and time travel. The time travel aspects begin to get a little complicated, and it takes a bit of thought to keep up with what is happening and when.

McCaffrey does an excellent job at slowly explaining the facts of the world throughout the novel. At first it feels a little frustrating to not understand the numerous references she drops in the beginning, but all becomes clear as you get through the novel. Unlike other novels that use a character who is as clueless as the reader about such things, Dragonflight has no such character. They all understand these references, so the explanations are a little slow in the coming. However, this allows the plot to continue without being stalled by extensive exposition, and makes for more enjoyable reading in the long-run.

Her characters are strong and interesting. In particular, Lessa shows great determination, and her tragic history makes her role in the plot all the more rewarding. F’lar is also an interesting character. His is a stressful situation, and McCaffrey does a good job at showing the effects it has on him.

The relationship between dragon and rider is a very interesting one, and is the part of the novel that got me hooked to it. When I saw the kind of bond they have with one another, it made me want a dragon of my own. This helped to make me want to read the book further.

The conclusion to the book is satisfying, yet also leaves it very open for the next in the series. The ending has a good balance between feeling as though the story has ended, yet also making me want to continue reading to find out what will happen.

Overall, I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys fantasy. Whilst it is certainly aimed at teenagers, there is still a lot of satisfaction to be had for adults wishing to relive the excitement of their younger years.

Ratings:

Character: 8/10

Plot: 8/10

Style: 6/10

Overall: 7/10

Review: Mistborn: The Final Empire

Firstly, let me apologise for the lack of updates to this blog in the last couple of months. I was busy busy busy in America, and I haven’t had an internet connection for the past few weeks. I’ll post a couple more updates from my time at the Niagara Falls and then Cedar Point on July 4th, and I have a backlog of books to review.

Now to the review!

Title: Mistborn: The Final Empire

Author: Brandon Sanderson

ISBN: 978-0-575-08991-4

First Published: 2006

Blurb:

THE MISTS RULE THE NIGHT… THE LORD RULER OWNS THE WORLD.

FOR A THOUSAND YEARS THE ASH FELL.

For a thousand years, the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years, the Lord Ruler reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Every attempted revolt has failed miserably.

YET SOMEHOW HOPE SURVIVES.

A new kind of uprising is being planned, one that depends on the cunning of a brilliant criminal mastermind and the courage of an unlikely heroine, a Skaa street urchin, who must learn to master Allomancy, the power of a mistborn.

What if the prophesied hero had failed to defeat the Dark Lord? The answer will be found in the Mistborn trilogy, a saga of surprises that beings here.

Review:

As I have probably said before, I am quite a big fan of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. After learning that Brandon Sanderson would be writing the remaining books in the series after Mr. Jordan’s death, I began to follow him on Twitter and read his blog. I had never heard of him before, but trusted that Mr. Jordan’s widow would know what was best.

And so when I saw Mistborn: The Final Empire in on the shelves in the shop, I had to buy it. And how glad I am that I did.

Perhaps the most engaging thing about The Final Empire is the unique magic system. Magic users, known as Allomancers, ‘burn’ reserves of metal for different effects. For example, pewter strengthens the body, tin enhances the senses, and bronze manipulates the emotions of others. The most exciting metals are steel and iron, allowing the Allomancer to push and pull nearby metals for weapons and travel. It sounds a little complicated at first, but Sanderson does an excellent job at giving the reader information about Allomancy in easy to digest chunks without resorting to exposition.

Whilst Allomancy is the main selling point, a novel cannot be a success based just on its magic system. This presents another unique element in The Final Empire; its emphasis on character over plot.

The plot is very engaging and well-paced, revolving around a small group of thieves attempting to overthrow the thousand year reign of the Lord Ruler, but it is the personalities of these thieves that keep you hooked.

The protagonist is Vin, an initially suspicious, timid character who blossoms, thanks to the charismatic Kelsier, into an intuitive and confident woman. There is a strong sense of watching her grow, and it helps the reader’s empathy enormously.

The aforementioned Kelsier is likely to be a favourite character of many. Always smiling, confident to a fault, but learning not to be so rash, Kelsier is the driving force of the team, and also of the plot.

Each of the other members of the team of thieves has his own personality, and it is the way these personalities clash and blend that make the novel such a great read. Every character is fleshed out and easy to identify with, and you can’t help but root for this crew of vagabonds in their quest to bring an end to the Lord Ruler’s reign.

I would recommend this book to any fantasy enthusiast looking for something a little bit different. Sanderson’s style is unique and engaging, and I for one look forward to getting my hands on the rest of the books in the Mistborn trilogy.

Ratings:

Character: 10/10

Plot: 10/10

Style: 10/10

Overall: 10/10

Review: Interview with the Vampire (1976)

Title: Interview with the Vampire

Author: Anne Rice

ISBN: 978-0-7088-6073-1

First Published: 1976

Blurb:

In a darkened room a young man sits telling the macabre and eerie story of his life… the story of a vampire gifted with eternal life, cursed with an exquisite craving for human blood.

Review:

A few months ago, I happened to catch the film adaptation Interview with the Vampire on TV. It really fascinated me, the way that it deals with death and immortality, and the decadence that is inherent with vampirism. The film was enjoyable, but the book it is based on is on another level.

The main character, Louis, relates his tale to a young interviewer. His perspective on the (un)life of a vampire is one that I’d never seen before, and one that I found intriguing. He saw his transformation as romantic and tragic, coupled with the constant guilt whenever he killed. He exhibits a distance from his new life that allows him to analyse everything that happens, and it makes for very interesting reading.

All the main vampires in the novel have their own distinct personalities. Lestat epitomizes the dandy, seducing his victims and seeking luxury, Claudia exhibits elements of both Louis and Lestat, with some fascinating insights into the problems of being trapped as a 5-year-old girl for eternity, and Armand is “Gentleman Death”, mysterious and seductive. The combinations of these personalities make for exciting conflicts, and really gives the reader a sense of what it is like to be a vampire.

The plot is exciting, and there are many points in the novel where I couldn’t put it down; when Louis and Claudia finally leave Lestat, the episode in the Theatre des Vampires, the encounter with the barbaric and mindless vampires of Eastern Europe, and the final actions of Louis avenging Claudia.

The vampire mythology is cleverly used, and explained well. There are no long instances of exposition, and the reader learns more about what being a vampire really involves alongside Louis. The constant need to avoid sunlight, the nightly urge to feed, the sexuality of the vampires are iconic, and does a much better job at entertaining the reader than Stoker’s depictions in Dracula. Indeed, Rice’s novel reverses what occurs in Dracula by telling the story entirely from the vampire’s perspective. It is disturbing that they feel entirely human, yet something more.

Anne Rice’s style is as seductive as her characters. Louis, the narrator through the whole novel, is eloquent and insightful. Her language is sophisticated, but not so difficult as to exclude the reader. She does an excellent job at giving Louis a voice that spans centuries, from the seventeenth through to the present.

Interview with the Vampire is a novel that I would recommend everybody read at some point in their life. It is not simply a ‘vampire novel’, but an insightful exploration of death, immortality, morality, and sexuality. And whilst Louis may come off as a little angsty at times, none of the vampires sparkle.

Ratings:

Character: 9/10

Plot: 9/10

Style: 10/10

Overall: 9/10

Book Review: Winter’s Heart

First of all, let me apologise for the distinct lack of posts in recent weeks. It’s been the exam period, and I’ve struggled to make time to write posts. The exams are all over, and I think they went reasonably well, so I should have more time to keep this blog up-to-date.

It horrified me to realise that it’s taken me a month to read my last book. But then again, it is the Wheel of Time, and my exams did get in the way of reading for pleasure.

Title: Winter’s Heart

Author: Robert Jordan

ISBN: 978-1-84149-071-7

Published: Orbit, 2000

Blurb:

Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, is slowly succumbing to the taint that the Dark One has placed upon saidin – the male half of the True Source. His Asha’man followers are also showing the signs of the insanity that once devastated the world and brought the Age of Legends to an end.

Winter's Heart, by Robert Jordan

And as Rand falters, the Shadow falls across a stricken land. In the city of Ebou Dar the Seanchan, blind to the folly of their cause, marshal their forces and continue their relentless assault. In Shayol Ghul he Forsaken join together to destroy the Dragon.

Rand’s only chance is to hazard the impossible and remove the taint from saidin. But to do so he must master a power from the Age of Legends that none have ever dared to risk – a power that can annihilate Creation and bring an end to Time itself.

Review:

Winter’s Heart is the ninth book in Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series. As each novel comes in between 500-1000 pages long, that means I’ve spent a considerable amount of time reading the series. But I love it.

For me, Winter’s Heart has more pitfalls than the other novels in the series. Perhaps it was because there was a  gap of about a year between me reading the eighth and starting the ninth, or maybe my memory is just appalling, but one glaring problem with the series as a whole is simply remembering what’s happened. There are so many characters in such an expansive world, and Jordan concentrates so much prose on the politics on his world, that it’s easy to get lost. Whilst the detail of the series is what makes me adore it, it can complicate things for a reader.

The biggest issue with Winter’s Heart is that it’s very slow. Not a lot happens. But that isn’t strictly true. If you list down all the events in the novel, it would be quite extensive, but the significance of such events remains mysterious. Perhaps Jordan is foreshadowing what he planned to write in later books, in which case I highly commend him. However, it does feel a bit frustrating when he apparently drops a storyline without a conclusion, even after 680 pages.

I’ve had similar problems with pacing with other books in the series, but one thing Jordan does without fail is brings a fantastic, thrilling ending. Of course, it isn’t the end (so far, there is no end to the Wheel of Time, even after twelve books), but there is a satisfying sense of closure coupled with an intense need to read what will happen next. This is the brilliance of the series. Whilst it is easy to get bogged down in the immense detail that puts even Tolkien to shame, you physically need to know what will happen. Despite this, I couldn’t help feeling a bit cheated that it took 680 pages to get to that ending. At least I got my money’s worth.

As usual, Jordan incorporates an enormous cast of characters. They all have distinctive traits, even the ones who only appear for a page or two. I do, however, have one or two gripes. There are so many names to keep up with that it’s very easy to get lost as to who is who. And all the women hate men, and none of the men understand women. Whilst humorous at times, it gets old quite quickly, especially when every woman thinks the same about every man, and every man thinks the same about every woman. Still, it showcases excellent skill that he can keep up with his characters himself, and it lends great depth to the world. It isn’t just populated with characters; it is populated with people.

Still, my love for Robert Jordan’s work knows no bounds, and I will definitely be buying the tenth book, and the eleventh, and the twelfth, and as many are published when the series finally comes to an end. I wouldn’t recommend reading Winter’s Heart if you haven’t read the novels leading up to it, since it requires a lot of prior knowledge. However, I would definitely suggest picking up The Eye of the World and getting absorbed in the expansive world of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time.

Ratings:

Character: 9/10

Plot: 7/10

Style: 9/10

Overall: 8/10

Book Review: Girl with a Pearl Earring

Title: Girl with a Pearl Earring

Author: Tracy Chevalier

ISBN: 978-0-00-723216-1

Published: Harper Collins, 1999

RRP: £7.99

Girl with a Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier

Blurb:

When Griet becomes a maid in the household of the painter Johannes Vermeer, she thinks she knows her role: housework, laundry and the care of his six children. But as she becomes part of his world and his work, their growing intimacy spreads tension and deception in the ordered household and, as the scandal seeps out, into the town beyond.

Review:

Girl with a Pearl Earring falls under historical fiction, and is an excellent example of the genre. It is based around the painting of the same name by Johannes Vermeer, one that shows, as you would expect, a girl with a pearl earring. It is well-written, well-researched, and an intriguing novel.

The plot is fairly simple. Griet is a sixteen-year-old girl who has to work as a maid for the Vermeer family due to her father being unable to work as he was blinded in an accident. She is tasked with looking after the six (soon to be seven) children, doing the laundry, and other duties. However, when the master of the house takes an interest in Griet, the tension ramps up to an exciting climax at the end of the novel. Girl with a Pearl Earring applies to Vermeer’s painting a romantic conception. It is perhaps its simplicity that makes the plot so effective. It is easy to follow, and sweeps the reader along gently and with great skill.

The characters are realistic and varied. Griet, as the main character and the narrator of the novel, is likeable, if a little strange and prudent. Her psychological journey through going to a new home and falling in love with the master of the house is highly intriguing and very satisfying.

The two love-interests of the novel, the painter Johannes Vermeer and Pieter the butcher, are equally likeable, but both extremely different. Vermeer is fascinating and protective over Griet, but the reader knows he shouldn’t act on his feelings for her. Pieter, on the other hand, is less fascinating, but may ultimately be better for Griet. Both Griet and the reader have to come to their own conclusions over which man she should choose.

The women of the house form the main antagonists of the novel. Tanneke is a fellow maid, and has a changeable disposition towards Griet; she is easily offended and highly loyal her mistress. Maria Thins is the elderly matriarch-type of the house, and appears to help Griet in a very strict way. Cornelia, one of the young daughters, is spiteful, and it quickly becomes apparent that this is the character we are to hate most. Catharina is Vermeer’s wife, and distrusts Griet. She is the one that Griet must step carefully around; she is her mistress, and her master’s wife. All of these characters have their own agendas that either help or hinder Griet during the course of the book, and make for some rather surprising developments.

The style of the novel is excellent. It is not split into chapters, but there are frequent breaks between scenes that allow you to pick up and read at your leisure. The language is appropriate to the genre and the time in which the novel is set (1664-1676), yet not archaic. There are some intelligent and poetic metaphors used that bring the world to life without getting bogged down in the details.

Overall, an excellent book that I would recommend to anybody interested in modern literary fiction, art, or dangerous romance. It is an enjoyable and intriguing read.

Ratings:

Character: 9/10

Plot: 9/10

Style: 9/10

Overall: 9/10

Book Review: Neverwhere

Title: Neverwhere

Author: Neil Gaiman

ISBN: 978-0-7553-2280-0

First Published: 1996

Blurb:

Under the streets of London there’s a place most people could never even dream of. A city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, knights in armour and pale girls in black velvet. This is the city of the people who have fallen between the cracks.

Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman

Richard Mayhew, a young businessman, is going to find out more than enough about this other London. A single act of kindness catapults him out of his workday existence and into a world that is at once eerily familiar and utterly bizarre. And a strange destiny awaits him down here, beneath his native city: neverwhere.

Review:

My previous experience of Neil Gaiman is fairly limited. Last year I read Stardust, which I enjoyed very much, and I watched Coraline, a film based on one of his short stories, a couple of months ago. Neverwhere was great fun to read.

Set in “London Below”, the novel is very inventive and exciting, following Richard Mayhew on various adventures through the bizarre city beneath a city. It is a place where there is an angel called Islington, where you really do have to “Mind the Gap”, where there is an earl at Earl’s Court, and where there are friars at Blackfriars. As the blurb says, these familiar places are cleverly twisted, making London Below come alive. It will be hard for anybody who has read this book to go to London and not imagine that there is indeed this city hiding beneath their feet.

The plot is exciting and paced well. It was a book that I struggled to put down, and when I had to, one that I looked forward to picking up again. Something that helped the pace was the length of each scene; each chapter was split into several sections that made it easy to read, and easy to get back into should you need to leave it for a while. It is written with a darkly humorous flair, and never gets bogged down with too much description. The language is easily accessible, and doesn’t take itself too seriously, making the novel a fairly easy read.

Another strong point to the novel are the characters. One immediately relates to the main character, Richard, who is forced through various tasks that he has to learn to overcome. The companions he meets, namely Door, the Marquis De Carabas, and Hunter, are all intriguing and have their own quirks and backstories. There are a wide variety of minor characters that Richard and his companions meet on the way, and they add to the bizarre nature of London Below.

I would recommend this book to any fan of fantasy. It has a more mature tone than other fantasy books, but still accessible for young adults. If you live in London, or ever visit, then this is definitely a book for you since it will make you see the capital in a way you never thought you would before.

Ratings:

Character: 10/10

Plot: 9/10

Style: 10/10

Overall: 10/10

Book Review: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Title: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Author: Susanna Clarke

ISBN: 978-1-4088-0344-8

First Published: 2004

Blurb:

It is 1806, the Napoleonic Wars are raging, and most people believe magic to have long since disappeared from England – until the reclusive Mr Norrell reveals his powers and becomes a celebrity overnight. When another practising magician emerges, the young and daring Jonathan Strange, he becomes Norrell’s pupil and the two join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wildest, most perilous forms of magic and soon he risks sacrificing not only his partnership with Norrell but everything else he holds dear.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke

Review:

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a delightful novel that is truly unique. Set in the early 19th Century, and emulating the style of period, it is triumph of imagination and research.

The novel is an alternative history, set in England over a decade spanning 1806-1817. Clarke’s research is astounding. She includes historical figures such as the Duke of Wellington and Lord Byron amongst her expansive cast of characters, and they act just as you would expect. The use of footnotes and extensive references to books about magic make it possible that there is a hidden history of magic in England, and it is readily believable.

Norrell and Strange are polar opposites. Norrell is secretive, reclusive, and stubborn, whereas Strange is open, outgoing, and stubborn. The two complement each other very well, and the way their relationship develops is one of the key plots in the novel. The supporting characters are all very believable, and fleshed out well.

There are rather a lot of sub-plots that are equally important. Whilst reading the novel through, it is a little hard to see how they all link together. As the novel draws to a close, however, all these links are neatly tied up whilst still allowing room for rather interesting interpretations. As a result of the many plot-points, the novel is rather long at just over 1000 pages. The plot can feel a little slow in places, but it is a book that should be digested slowly. Whilst not a page-turner throughout, the slower parts are very enjoyable for leisurely reading.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell has a grand scope, but it is not epic fantasy in the way that The Lord of the Rings is. It reads more like a book by Jane Austen (Clarke does an excellent job at both emulating and parodying the writing style), but with magic and fairies mixed in. Indeed, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is the epitome of historical-fantasy.

I would recommend the book to anybody interested in fantasy, and even those who aren’t. If you’ve read nineteenth-century novels before, then you’ll have a special appreciation for Clarke’s mastery of language and style, but it isn’t required to enjoy it. It probably isn’t suitable for younger readers, since the plot does get a little confusing, and some of the language is a little advanced. Anybody from teenagers through young adults to older readers will enjoy this novel.

I haven’t come across another book like Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, but I will keep my eyes open for more from Susanna Clarke. She has written short stories based in the same world, so there is scope for wider reading that I will look into. Overall, a fantastic book that will stick in your mind long after you’ve finished it.

Ratings:

Character: 10/10

Plot: 9/10

Style: 10/10

Overall: 10/10

Book Review: Dracula

Title: Dracula

Author: Bram Stoker

ISBN: 978-1-55111-136-0 / 1-55111-136-5

First Published: 1897

Review:

Dracula is one of the texts I have had to read for my Victorian and Decadent Literature module on my course. Usually, reading a text because I have to takes away some of the enjoyment, but I still found Dracula an exciting, gothic romp across Eastern Europe and through Victorian London.

Of course, Dracula has a huge legacy in modern society. There are many films adaptations, and vampire mythology has seen a wealth of material in literature. With the current Twilight phenomenon, it has been interesting going back to the roots of the vampire genre.

Dracula uses letters and journals written by the main characters to tell its story. There are five or six major characters, with a few letters from minor characters dotted throughout. This presents a multitude of perspectives that all work together to create a cohesive story. It takes a little effort from the reader to remember which journal entry or letter is written by which character, but this is helped by distinctive language features that show who is writing. This journal format makes the events in the story more believeable since they act as factual documentation.

The plot is fairly simple: Dracula has come to London in an attempted invasion, and is hunted across London and Eastern Europe to Castle Dracula by Van Helsing and his friends. At times it is repetitive. Certain characters succumb to vampirism, and many journal entries seem to say the same thing as they go through a cycle of good health and relapses. Apart from these sections, the plot is fairly fast paced, especially towards the end of the novel, where it gets rather exciting.

The characters are all likeable and distinctive. The journal entries make it easier for us to see what each character is thinking, or at least what each character is willing to put down on paper. Since there are only a few main characters, it is easy to keep track on each character’s goals and motivations.

This is a Victorian novel, and as such is probably a little less accessible than modern books. The language is a little advanced, and there are references to what was then state-of-the-art technology, famous people and events in history, and geographical locations that assume prior knowledge. However, the edition that I read (published by Broadview) provided useful footnotes and appendices to help fill any gaps.

Overall, a very exciting and educational book. It provides an insight into Victorian culture, especially surrounding technology, psychology, hypnotism, and gender. If anybody is interested in the original vampire novel written in English, then I’d definitely recommend that they read Dracula.

Ratings:

Character: 7/10

Plot: 6/10

Style: 7/10

Overall: 7/10

Book Review: 1984

Title: 1984

Author: George Orwell

ISBN:978-0-451-52493-5

First Published: 1949

Blurb: The year 1984 has come and gone, but George Orwell’s prophetic, nightmarish vision in 1949 of the world we were becoming is timelier than ever. 1984 is still the great modern classic of “negative utopia” – a startlingly original and haunting novel that creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing, from the first sentence to the last four words. No one can deny the novel’s hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions – a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time.

Review:

I read 1984 both because I felt that I ought to read the classic, and also because I was intrigued by the concept behind it. I was not disappointed.

The novel tells of the story of Winston Smith, a man who hates Big Brother, the political leader of the UK in 1984. Constantly monitored by cameras and microphones, he initially keeps his views private. He struggles to fight against the tyranny of the Party, and on his journey meets people with similar opinions. There are a couple of shocking twists, and the reader realises that none of the characters are to be trusted, just as Winston cannot trust anybody around him.

At first, I understood the premise of the novel, with the oppression and the attempt to overcome it, but as I read I became more aware that it was the psychological struggle of a couple of characters in the face of such oppression. The characters were all believable, and you cannot help but agree entirely with Winston’s ideas, and will him to win in his battle against Big Brother and the Party.

The novel is written in quite an elevated, political style, something that is to be expected of Orwell. After all, he was first and foremost a political writer. This creates a greater sense of realism, and his frequent tangents exploring political theories make for a very interesting read.

This is a book that really opened my eyes to a few things. Whilst I don’t quite agree with common consensus that our society is headed in that direction (Orwell’s England is very extreme), it has definitely increased my awareness of political theories. Overall, the book is a very interesting read not only for the plot, but also for its educational value. I’d recommend it as a book for anybody who may be intrigued by the book’s reputation, since I was not disappointed at all.

Ratings:

Character: 8/10

Plot: 9/10

Style: 9/10

Overall: 9/10