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)

so good when I finished I just started over again

narrator is the best ever and I go through 3 or 4 audio books a month. such a great book

Depressing

Interesting book but it's no Atlas Shrugged. The background is set well, but you keep waiting for the plot...or hope. Then boom, tragedy in the midst of the already grim dystopia. Then a short-lived, depressing struggle, still waiting for a climax or a hero or hope. Then, the story is over in a chapter, with no happy ending or silver lining. You think there's one chapter left, but it's just the appendix.

A Chilling and Timeless Classic

There is nothing I can add about the story line that has not already been said, so I am focusing on my impressions of the story. I listened to this on audible, and I found the narration to be good. I had never read this classic before, but I knew the phrase "Big Brother is Watching." It was interesting to finally read the story behind it. I'm also glad that I read this as an adult, as I don't think I could have digested the concepts as well as a youth.

Parts of this were quite chilling, considering that Orwell wrote this in 1948 and he foresaw many things that relevant today in various countries. There were many thought provoking concepts, such as Winston describing that sanity is not statistical. Once I thought about that, I realized how accurate that concept was and how someone who dares to think differently than the masses is thought to be odd or even crazy. I had no idea how the story would end, but once I got there, I realized that it was the perfect ending. The appendix about New-Speak was fascinating to me - it actually made a lot of sense and it certainly simplifies the English language!

makes one think

Would you consider the audio edition of 1984 to be better than the print version?

I like the verbal version. Have read the book several times but this was fun.

Who was your favorite character and why?

the primary charater is always my favorite.

What about Simon Prebble’s performance did you like?

He gave a stable and unintersive reading.

The all-time classic.

Listened to this timeless classic 40 years after having first read it in High School. A fantastic listen, and I got so much more from it this time around.

WOW, a must read written in 1949 about 1984

Would you listen to 1984 again? Why?

I had forgotten all about this book that was an assignment in a high school class many years ago. This book is such a poignant read due to our current political situation. It is amazing that Orwell could write a novel so long ago that deals with a Tyrannical Regime made up of the Elite and ran by a Despotic Leader with alternate histories and war that goes on and on and on.
There are parts of the book that are difficult to listen to due to the dry content but Simon Prebble has a soft, easy to listen to voice that gets you through the tough bits. It was very enjoyable to listen to.

Which scene was your favorite?

The very end was my favorite part.

Any additional comments?

I think everyone should re-read or listen to this book to remind them how important it is that they make an effort in learning more about our government and how the country is being ran. Become an educated participant and make their voice be heard or end up in Orwell’s 1984.

Won

While it did take a little while for me to get in to the book, once I was a few chapters in I was hooked. This was my first time reading a book of this genre, I am glad that I chose this book.

Prophetic Thinking For Its 1949 Creation

While not quite as insightful as Animal Farm, 1984 showed glimpses of the mind control possible only in totalitarian forms of government.

Before you know it, the time for effective action has passed and resistance is futile. If a government or political group tells a lie often enough, it can become truth.

2021 must read

Never has there been a more poignant time to read/listen to this book. Orwell was just off by a few years!

As profound as I was told

For years, I've heard of countless references to 1984. Now I understand its legendary status. Shockingly similar to our politics and social changes.