Derbyshire County Council’s Libraries and Heritage Department launched its Book Chat Readers’ clubs in January 1999 and as a result or that initiative Bakewell Library readers’ group was formed in April 2001.

Our readers’ group has already reviewed one book for Penguin and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. However it was with a certain amount of trepidation that we set about the task of reviewing George Orwell’s 1984. The majority of the group had already read the book at school many years previously and didn’t really relish re-reading it, although we thought it might be interesting to see if our perspective and appreciation of it would alter with maturity.

The book, which was written by Orwell in 1948, centres on the character of Winston Smith, who is a disenchanted party member. He works for the Ministry of Truth rewriting old news which disagrees with current party thinking. He lives in what was Great Britain but is now part of the huge nation of Oceania (London has become Chief City of Airship One-Oceania). This nation is perpetually at war with either Eurasia or Eastasia. When Oceania changes its allegiance between these two nations all newspapers are altered accordingly, so that it appears Oceania is always at war with the same foe.

All of us agreed that 1984 is a very bleak but timeless political satire and a chilling portrayal of a totalitarian society. This society faces all the harsh realities of post war rationing. One reader pointed out that the description of the housing and Ministries echoed Eastern Europe prior to the collapse of the Berlin Wall. We were all surprised how relevant it is as a commentary on current society rather than just a dystopian vision of the future. This made the book even more compelling

In the post 9/11 era with the American president, George Bush casting his sights at Korea and Syria following the defeat of Saddam Hussein, it is not difficult to envisage a rolling but continuous war against successive countries cast as the ‘Axis of Evil’. The fictional states of the book are aligned in the same way as in the Cold War. Oceania=USA, Europe and Australasia: Eurasia=Russia and Eastasia=China. One of our group was amazed at Orwell’s vision in predicting this so accurately.

Some of us felt that Orwell’s vision is simply modern politics (politics of the day) taken to the extreme. However we could all equate ‘newspeak’ to the prevalent use of ‘spin’ today and ‘thought crime’ and ‘double speak’ is manifested in political correctness and censorship. At this time of supposed ‘dodgy dossiers’ on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq where facts have allegedly been revised to support a politically determined course of action, it is not difficult to see a parallel with the Ministry of Truth. In our ‘free society’ ascertaining the truth is not always straightforward and the mass media can and do play a powerful role in manipulating what the population believe.

Although we haven’t yet got telescreens we do have an expansion of CCTV. Our Internet use, e-mails and phone calls can all be monitored. Loyalty and credit cards allow our movements to be tracked and our spending habits to be analysed.

One of our readers felt the book might also be interpreted as a satire of religion. This connotation derives from the fact that Big Brother is never seen, except on the screen. He represents without physical presence pure omniscience, omnipotence, and authority for the actions of the Inner Party (the clergy?)

Orwell employs parallels from the history of the 20th century in his story. The scapegoating of Jews by Communism and Nazism to promote racial perfection is embodied in the character of Emmanuel Goldstein as the main enemy of Oceania. He himself is as much a creation of the Inner Party as Big Brother is, we suppose.

We were all pleased we had re-read 1984. Its influence on contemporary society is obvious with our adoption of numerous phrases from it: Big Brother, room 101, thought police and doublethink. The book should serve as a timely reminder to us of our need to promote an active, engaged and educated electorate to guard our democracy and keep politicians and political parties in check.

We concluded that 1984 is well worthy of its place in the top 100 Big Reads.

Carole Newbould,
Derbyshire County Council, Bakewell Library