Nineteen Eighty-Four
George Orwell · 1903–1950 · England
Why it matters
Big Brother, doublethink, the memory hole, Room 101: a totalitarian future so precisely imagined it became the vocabulary we use for our own. The century's definitive dystopia, and its most quoted.
At a glance
dystopianpolitical novel
Difficulty 4/10fast pace328 pagesPlain, propulsive prose, though its appended Newspeak essay rewards close attention.
Deep dive
The Appendix on Newspeak is written in the past tense — which means, buried in the back matter, Orwell may have hidden the one hopeful fact in the whole book.
Where to go next
George Orwell · 1945Animal FarmLvl 2Fast paced
Adam Johnson · 2012The Orphan Master's SonLvl 6Fast paced
Anthony Burgess · 1962A Clockwork OrangeLvl 7Fast paced
Aldous Huxley · 1932Brave New WorldLvl 4Medium pace
Evelyn Waugh · 1945Brideshead RevisitedLvl 5Medium pace
Muriel Spark · 1961The Prime of Miss Jean BrodieLvl 4Fast paced