1984

New Classic Edition

By: George Orwell

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Blackstone Publishing presents a new recording of this immensely popular book.

One of the most celebrated classics of the twentieth century, Orwell’s cautionary tale of a man trapped under the gaze of an authoritarian state feels more relevant now than ever before.

George Orwell depicts a gray, totalitarian world dominated by Big Brother and its vast network of agents, including the Thought Police, a world in which news is manufactured according to the authorities’ will and people live tepid lives by rote.

Winston Smith, the hero with no heroic qualities, longs only for truth and decency. But living in a social system in which privacy does not exist and where those with unorthodox ideas are brainwashed or put to death, he knows there is no hope for him. He knows even as he continues to pursue his forbidden love affair that eventually he will come to destruction.

The year 1984 has come and gone, yet George Orwell’s nightmare vision in 1949 of the world we were becoming is still the great modern classic of negative Utopia. It is a prophetic and haunting tale that exposes the worst crimes imaginable: the destruction of freedom and truth.

©1949 Harcourt Brace and Company, renewed 1977 Sonia Brownell Orwell (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

• Nominee, 2008 Audie Award, Classic

"It is probable that no other work of this generation has made us desire freedom more earnestly or loathe tyranny with such fullness." (New York Times, 1949)

very well read

The reader does it very well and elegant, I actually thought it was John Hurt reading it. would recommend

too real

loved it. I will definitely recommend to all of the people I know. fiction is reality

First Audible book. I like it.

This was my first Audible book. It takes getting used to.

I enjoyed it.

Look forward to catching up on the classics.

A fantastic ride from beginning to end!

Despite being referenced throughout my life, it still blew my mind on my first listen. I'd highly recommend checking it out! 10/10

Very interesting & thought provoking

Have to start by complementing the narrator, he was amazing. He was clearly enjoying the story, this came through with the voices he used and his passion.

This book was required reading in English Literature at school. I didn't really understand the nuances as a 12 year old and so wanted to revisit it. Now 50 years later I get the intricacies of Orwells book. Well written albeit it heavy at times. Very enjoyable listen!

The Ultimate Anti-Socialist guide book

1984 presents a dystopian future much like our current present. There is only 1 political party(Republicans don't exist), all media is official government propaganda (accurate), every thought, action, choice are controlled and the entire population is enslaved and mind controlled (yup). Unfortunately the Megalomaniacal Fascist, Communist, Socialist, Totalitarian Left have seen this book as a manual to enact their dream of total domination of every man, woman and child instead of the rejection of those ideologies that it was meant to be. Reject the Tyrannical Democrat Socialists now before it's too late for us all.

A very good book

So I didn't think it was amazing, but it was better than good. I originally wasn't sure if I wanted to read it or not because of the memes, but after a few people actually recommended it to me I decided to get it. It's worth the listen.

Wonderful

Great narration and such a captivating book. I highly recommend this. The narrator is very skilled.

An ever pertinent commentary on the darkest side of humanities will to power.

I’ve read and heard excerpts of this book since childhood and who hasn’t heard of the warning of “Big Brother” at some point, so I finally decided to listen to it in its entirety to understand precisely what the big fuss is all about.

Having just finished it I can understand just how insightful George Orwell was. Having just lived through a second World War it is clear he saw just how destructive some of humanities will to dominate was and he could imagine those traits brought to their extreme.

I would postulate this is a book best revisited a number of times throughout one’s life to truly appreciate its depths. As a child it would simply frighten you, as a young adult you would begin to understand its subtlety and perhaps associate with Julia, in middle age you would empathize or identify with the behaviors and thoughts of Winston, in your later years the entire panorama of Orwell’s final work would finally be truly open to you.

At its very core however is a spotlight shone upon the basal need of some to dominate others and what lengths they may go through to achieve that end. As such you will witness those threads and potentials in any person or organization that has power or control over others. Orwell warns you of what that may look like when taken to extremes and the profound affect that may come to pass if everyone “capitulates”.

It is disheartening to see some of the other recent reviews on this book. To have read this book and completely missed how an unwavering “love of leader”, the obvious and easily witnessed “rewriting” of history in media, the blatant use of “other” as enemy and statements as blatantly false as 2+2=5. How could it possibly be anymore obvious of a “will to power” by a few to ban this book from being read and burn copies of it that “double think” is dangerously present in a sadly large segment of America today.

Orwell was a strong proponent of democratic socialism. Bernie Sanders is our current closest aligned political proponent of his beliefs. If you honestly think Orwell would laud Trump as against “Big Brother” - LISTEN AGAIN.

Must Read for all who love freedom of speech.

This book paints a picture of big brother- the modern progressives and Free speech censors at YouTube, Facebook, Google, Twitter and the double speakers on the mainstream media mob. These so called progressives and Democrat parties throughout the Western world are today's big brother.