Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

On one level, I thought the book was very well-written, and that the institutions and culture of Orwell's fictional totalitarian society were presented very effectively. The arrest of Winston Smith, his workover by the Thought Police, etc., were all very gripping and engaging. And, the manipulation of his mind to force him to "love Big Brother" at the end was very realistic.

However, I thought the economic system he constructed/predicted was completely ridiculous, and lacked any kind of logic or sustainability. I felt the same about the political geography and alignment of the three states. To posit that all the various cultures, peoples, societies and economic systems of the world could be organized into just three states dominated by totalitarian political structures in only a few decades makes no sense. Just think of the land mass that would have to conquered! These discordant factors lessen the value of the book over the long term, in my opinion.

Lastly, his view of human beings is cynical and even hostile, which, I think detracts from the strength of his characters. I never really got a good physical mental picture of either Winston, Julia, or O'Brien. It's one of the hardest things to do in fiction, and I don't think he did it very well.

My bottom line is that this is a one-dimensional book that is easy and enjoyable to read, but no where near my standard of a "classic."

Update: there is an interesting essay on Orwell in the March 12, 2009 issue of the New York Review of Books.