Written in 1944, the novel entitled 1984 proved to be George Orwell’s most chilling prophecy. Timelier than ever, Orwell’s dystopian vision of a government that will do anything to control the narrative forms the basis of one of the greatest novels of all time. 1984 earned its nomination as one of America’s most-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

This audiobook offer uniqueness, and time and cost-efficiency. Summaries and Expansions, filled with insight, and some added material most relevant to Orwell’s topics and themes, become yours to enjoy. Many of his most famous scenes and passages form a solid foundation for analysis.

Protagonist Winston Smith, a character arising from Orwell’s experience as a journalist during World War II, laments: “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command”.

Winston Smith toes the Party line, rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth - a job similar to the one Orwell had with the BBC. With each falsehood that he writes and each truth that he buries, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thoughtcrimes against it. He starts to think for himself but can’t escape the fact that Big Brother is constantly watching and listening. Even thinking of writing a personal journal, or falling in love, is punishable by death.

Winston writes a journal and falls in love. Game on

Winston challenges Big Brother’s Doublethink, which became crafted to brainwash the populous into submission.

War is peace.

Freedom is slavery.

Ignorance is strength.

A stunning and haunting work that blessed us as a unique literary masterpiece, 1984 creates an imaginary world that is both convincing and unforgettable, from beginning to end. There is no denial of the novel’s hold on the imagination of entire generations or the influence of its warnings - a power that seems to gain strength, not lose it, with time.

Orwell’s 1984 rose to the top of best seller lists in late 2020 and 2021 because the world continues to evolve from the one which gave him his experiences and motives during the war towards one which matches his gloomy predictions in a most uncanny fashion. Many of us become confronted by oppressive governments worldwide that seek censorship like Big Brother. Now Big Brother wields even more advanced technology.

George Orwell (a pen name for Eric Blair; 1903-50) was born in Bengal and educated at Eton. After service with the Indian Imperial Police in Burma, he returned to Europe to earn his living penning novels and essays. Considering himself more of a journalist than an author, Orwell proved to be essentially a political writer who focused his attention on his own times, a man of intense feelings and intense hate. An opponent of totalitarianism, he served in the Loyalist forces in the Spanish Civil War. Besides his classic Animal Farm, his works include a novel based on his experiences as a colonial policeman, Burmese Days, two firsthand studies of poverty, Down and Out in Paris and London and The Road to Wigan Pier, and an account of his experiences in the Spanish Civil War, Homage to Catalonia. The extraordinary novel of political prophecy whose title and terms became part of our language, 1984 offers a clever way to explore the history and nature of the oppressive and cruel regimes involved in World War II and after.