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Winston Smith rewrites history at the Ministry of Truth in a Britain ruled by the Party and Big Brother

1984

by George Orwell

1949328 pagesEasy readSteady pace
★ Modern Library 100 Best Novels (editors' list, 1998), No. 13

A man who rewrites historical records lives under constant surveillance

The story opens on "April 4th, 1984," a date Winston Smith doubts. The world has been devastated by years of war and revolution, and Great Britain, now called Airstrip One, is a province of the totalitarian superstate Oceania, with London as the main city. The Party, led by the figurehead Big Brother, controls daily life through constant surveillance and propaganda. Winston rewrites historical records at the Ministry of Truth. Secker & Warburg published it on 8 June 1949.

More about this book

Who

Winston Smith, who rewrites historical records at the Ministry of Truth.

World

London, in Airstrip One, a province of the superstate Oceania, in a year believed to be 1984.

What makes it different

It is a dystopian political novel in which the Party watches everyone.

Feel

Bleak and gripping.

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Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition

Further reading

About the author

George Orwell2 books on Tori Books