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Animal Farm and 1984
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Manufacturer: Harcourt
Author: George Orwell
Publisher: Harcourt
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Our Price: $14.96
You Save: $ 7.04 ( 32% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Harcourt
Author: George Orwell
Publisher: Harcourt
Average Customer Rating:
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Animal Farm and 1984 Description
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.912
EAN: 9780151010264
ISBN: 0151010269
Label: Harcourt
Manufacturer: Harcourt
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 400
Publication Date: 2003-06-01
Publisher: Harcourt
Studio: Harcourt
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.912
EAN: 9780151010264
ISBN: 0151010269
Label: Harcourt
Manufacturer: Harcourt
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 400
Publication Date: 2003-06-01
Publisher: Harcourt
Studio: Harcourt
Editorial Review of Animal Farm and 1984
ANIMAL FARM
George Orwell's classic satire of the Russian Revolution is an intimate part of our contemporary culture. It is the account of the bold struggle, initiated by the animals, that transforms Mr. Jones's Manor Farm into Animal Farm--a wholly democratic society built on the credo that All Animals Are Created Equal. Out of their cleverness, the pigs Napoleon, Squealer, and Snowball emerge as leaders of the new community in a subtle evolution that proves disastrous. The climax is the brutal betrayal of the faithful horse Boxer, when totalitarian rule is reestablished with the bloodstained postscript to the founding slogan: But some Animals Are More Equal Than Others. . . .
1984
In 1984, London is a grim city where Big Brother is always watching you and the Thought Police can practically read your mind. Winston is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be.
George Orwell's classic satire of the Russian Revolution is an intimate part of our contemporary culture. It is the account of the bold struggle, initiated by the animals, that transforms Mr. Jones's Manor Farm into Animal Farm--a wholly democratic society built on the credo that All Animals Are Created Equal. Out of their cleverness, the pigs Napoleon, Squealer, and Snowball emerge as leaders of the new community in a subtle evolution that proves disastrous. The climax is the brutal betrayal of the faithful horse Boxer, when totalitarian rule is reestablished with the bloodstained postscript to the founding slogan: But some Animals Are More Equal Than Others. . . .
1984
In 1984, London is a grim city where Big Brother is always watching you and the Thought Police can practically read your mind. Winston is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be.
Customer Reviews of Animal Farm and 1984
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Classic novels in a beautiful edition
Review: Animal Farm and 1984 are classic literature. You've probably already read them.
This edition presents them in a classic manner -- it is a lovely book, lovely dust jacket, and Christopher Hitchens does the intro. I usually find him funny and a little snarky, but in this intro, he is serious, high-minded, informative, and respectful.
I wanted to read 1984 again, since so many people are kicking around the terms "Orwellian" and "Big Brother" regarding current politics. I'm so glad this is the volume I bought. I know I would have gotten the same *words* in a flimsy paperback, but this was a really nice read.
I read both novels again. It has been... 20 years? Maybe longer since my first read-through. I'm a different reader than I was before.
Now it seems to me that the people who shout "Orwellian" the loudest, the people that warn of "Big Brother" most fiercely, are the ones who really want to be Orwellain Big Brothers. Interesting.
I've got that grisly Room 101 scene back in my head -- I had forgotten that one. Thanks, Mr. Orwell.
This is a lovely edition. Treat yourself.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Two great books
Review: Animal Farm and 1984 are two of my favorite books. I reccomend them for anyone. Although 1984 is sometimes a bit mature.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Two incredibly insightful books
Review: George Orwell was a genuis and if he were alive, he wouldn't have to be spinning in his grave right now, watching the world of '1984' descending upon our heads.
For those of us who read it before '1984' it was a frightful tale of a possibly impending future. For those of us who grew up after '1984' it's more of a big "So what?" as it isn't nearly so different from the current reality as it ought to be, unfortunately.
These books are very entertaining, mind you, and very well written; but they were not written to entertain, but to instruct. I would suggest you read them with an open mind and for entertainment, the first time, and then go back later and read with the understanding that he intended to highlight some of the more despicable aspects of society and the world at large.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Some books are more equal than others
Review: Two classics of 20th and 21st century political thought. Animal Farm discusses the dangers of communism and totalitarian governments. 1984 is as relevant today as when it was first published over 50 years ago. I was born in 1984, and even though Big Brother and the Thought Police were not around then, we still might face big government intrusians in the future. As for this edition, two classics handsomely bound in hardcover for under $15, come on people, buy it already!!!
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: 1984 - George Orwell
Review: On 1984:
In George Orwell's 1984, war is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength. So goes the slogan that describes life in dystopian London, a city monstrously ruled by the totalitarian state of Oceania. Along with Oceania, the states of Eurasia and Eastasia rule the world. Their co-existence isn't peaceful, however, as the three states are perpetually at war with each other. In Oceania, the government's figurehead is Big Brother, who is a personification of the collective power of the state and not a real person. His "face" fills the streets on the poster fronts plastered all over the city with the words "Big Brother is Watching You" underneath his overbearing glare.
Winston Smith, the novel's main character, works for the Party (the government). He despises his job along with the Party and Big Brother, but under no circumstances is he allowed to show it. In fact, to so much as even think a thought against the Party or Big Brother is considered treasonous and punishable by death! At present time, the Party doesn't have the technology to read people's minds, but they are working on it. Instead they control behavior through telescreens (television panels) and microphones. In London, telescreens are ubiquitous and cannot be turned off or interacted with. Presumably there are agents monitoring activity nearly everywhere that a member of the Party might frequent through these devices. In addition to technological surveillance, there is also human surveillance offered by both children and adults. Citizens of Oceania and members of the Party in particular are encouraged to report any unusual behavior which is interpreted as disloyalty to the state. It becomes virtually impossible, then, to get away with saying or projecting any kind of dissidence towards the Party. Individualism of any kind is considered unorthodox and a threat to the state. Winston would not be allowed to read this review without risking his life.
Oceania's population is divided between Party members, who make up 15%, and the unintelligent and underprivileged proletariat, which round out the remaining 85%. The "Proles" as they are known, could theoretically rebel and destroy the Party, but they are too ignorant and simple-minded to even dream of it. Winston knows this to be true, though still reserves some faint hope that he could be wrong and that the Proles could rise against the machine. The only other hope he has of an overthrow lies in the mysterious existence of the Brotherhood, a shadow collective inside of Oceania seeking to eliminate the Party and establish a democratic government. Winston has never met a member of the Brotherhood because it is impossible to even approach somebody to find out if they are disgruntled with the Party. To do so would be to risk your life. If they caught you, you would be eliminated and dubbed an unperson in Newspeak (the official and preferred language of Oceania). You will never have existed.
This is why Winston was apprehensive when Julia, a girl working in the same government building, slipped him a note. Initially he had suspected that she was a member of the Thought Police, an organization involved with seeking out heretics or disloyal Party members. Was she trying to snuff him out? Had she tapped into his mind and found a reservoir of anti-government angst? Winston thought his days were numbered, but was she the one that would reveal this to the authorities?
Orwell has given the world a political and psychological masterpiece. Written in 1948 as a vision of how the world would look in 1984, Orwell's only fault has been the fact that the novel is more relevant today than during its namesake. In our ever-advancing technoage, 1984 stands as a caution and a warning against governmental controlling measures. But to view his novel as a reaction against totalitarianism is to miss the boat. Orwell also explores human nature from a multiplicity of levels. He examines the human thirst for power and how this thirst intensifies when a group fuses their collective thirsts into a giant groupthirst (to use Newspeak). He asks what ultimate loyalty really means and how it can be redistributed from one object to another. What will such a task require? Can pain or love or any human longing outlast or outperform the other? Can truth be altered? And if so, who has the right or the power to alter it? These questions and more are asked in 1984. Will your answers to the questions tow the Party line, or will you sigh in paranoiac relief that you can think for yourself?
On the quality of the edition:
The cover is hard and firm, just what you'd want from a hardcover edition. Unlike other hardcovers which bend easier, however, this version takes quite an effort to keep the book fully opened and bent back to read. This makes it impossible to read with one hand holding the book up. I read with the book placed on a surface, so I have no problems. But for others, this might be an issue. All in all, I am very satisfied with the quality of this edition.
Review Summary: Classic novels in a beautiful edition
Review: Animal Farm and 1984 are classic literature. You've probably already read them.
This edition presents them in a classic manner -- it is a lovely book, lovely dust jacket, and Christopher Hitchens does the intro. I usually find him funny and a little snarky, but in this intro, he is serious, high-minded, informative, and respectful.
I wanted to read 1984 again, since so many people are kicking around the terms "Orwellian" and "Big Brother" regarding current politics. I'm so glad this is the volume I bought. I know I would have gotten the same *words* in a flimsy paperback, but this was a really nice read.
I read both novels again. It has been... 20 years? Maybe longer since my first read-through. I'm a different reader than I was before.
Now it seems to me that the people who shout "Orwellian" the loudest, the people that warn of "Big Brother" most fiercely, are the ones who really want to be Orwellain Big Brothers. Interesting.
I've got that grisly Room 101 scene back in my head -- I had forgotten that one. Thanks, Mr. Orwell.
This is a lovely edition. Treat yourself.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Two great books
Review: Animal Farm and 1984 are two of my favorite books. I reccomend them for anyone. Although 1984 is sometimes a bit mature.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Two incredibly insightful books
Review: George Orwell was a genuis and if he were alive, he wouldn't have to be spinning in his grave right now, watching the world of '1984' descending upon our heads.
For those of us who read it before '1984' it was a frightful tale of a possibly impending future. For those of us who grew up after '1984' it's more of a big "So what?" as it isn't nearly so different from the current reality as it ought to be, unfortunately.
These books are very entertaining, mind you, and very well written; but they were not written to entertain, but to instruct. I would suggest you read them with an open mind and for entertainment, the first time, and then go back later and read with the understanding that he intended to highlight some of the more despicable aspects of society and the world at large.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Some books are more equal than others
Review: Two classics of 20th and 21st century political thought. Animal Farm discusses the dangers of communism and totalitarian governments. 1984 is as relevant today as when it was first published over 50 years ago. I was born in 1984, and even though Big Brother and the Thought Police were not around then, we still might face big government intrusians in the future. As for this edition, two classics handsomely bound in hardcover for under $15, come on people, buy it already!!!
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: 1984 - George Orwell
Review: On 1984:
In George Orwell's 1984, war is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength. So goes the slogan that describes life in dystopian London, a city monstrously ruled by the totalitarian state of Oceania. Along with Oceania, the states of Eurasia and Eastasia rule the world. Their co-existence isn't peaceful, however, as the three states are perpetually at war with each other. In Oceania, the government's figurehead is Big Brother, who is a personification of the collective power of the state and not a real person. His "face" fills the streets on the poster fronts plastered all over the city with the words "Big Brother is Watching You" underneath his overbearing glare.
Winston Smith, the novel's main character, works for the Party (the government). He despises his job along with the Party and Big Brother, but under no circumstances is he allowed to show it. In fact, to so much as even think a thought against the Party or Big Brother is considered treasonous and punishable by death! At present time, the Party doesn't have the technology to read people's minds, but they are working on it. Instead they control behavior through telescreens (television panels) and microphones. In London, telescreens are ubiquitous and cannot be turned off or interacted with. Presumably there are agents monitoring activity nearly everywhere that a member of the Party might frequent through these devices. In addition to technological surveillance, there is also human surveillance offered by both children and adults. Citizens of Oceania and members of the Party in particular are encouraged to report any unusual behavior which is interpreted as disloyalty to the state. It becomes virtually impossible, then, to get away with saying or projecting any kind of dissidence towards the Party. Individualism of any kind is considered unorthodox and a threat to the state. Winston would not be allowed to read this review without risking his life.
Oceania's population is divided between Party members, who make up 15%, and the unintelligent and underprivileged proletariat, which round out the remaining 85%. The "Proles" as they are known, could theoretically rebel and destroy the Party, but they are too ignorant and simple-minded to even dream of it. Winston knows this to be true, though still reserves some faint hope that he could be wrong and that the Proles could rise against the machine. The only other hope he has of an overthrow lies in the mysterious existence of the Brotherhood, a shadow collective inside of Oceania seeking to eliminate the Party and establish a democratic government. Winston has never met a member of the Brotherhood because it is impossible to even approach somebody to find out if they are disgruntled with the Party. To do so would be to risk your life. If they caught you, you would be eliminated and dubbed an unperson in Newspeak (the official and preferred language of Oceania). You will never have existed.
This is why Winston was apprehensive when Julia, a girl working in the same government building, slipped him a note. Initially he had suspected that she was a member of the Thought Police, an organization involved with seeking out heretics or disloyal Party members. Was she trying to snuff him out? Had she tapped into his mind and found a reservoir of anti-government angst? Winston thought his days were numbered, but was she the one that would reveal this to the authorities?
Orwell has given the world a political and psychological masterpiece. Written in 1948 as a vision of how the world would look in 1984, Orwell's only fault has been the fact that the novel is more relevant today than during its namesake. In our ever-advancing technoage, 1984 stands as a caution and a warning against governmental controlling measures. But to view his novel as a reaction against totalitarianism is to miss the boat. Orwell also explores human nature from a multiplicity of levels. He examines the human thirst for power and how this thirst intensifies when a group fuses their collective thirsts into a giant groupthirst (to use Newspeak). He asks what ultimate loyalty really means and how it can be redistributed from one object to another. What will such a task require? Can pain or love or any human longing outlast or outperform the other? Can truth be altered? And if so, who has the right or the power to alter it? These questions and more are asked in 1984. Will your answers to the questions tow the Party line, or will you sigh in paranoiac relief that you can think for yourself?
On the quality of the edition:
The cover is hard and firm, just what you'd want from a hardcover edition. Unlike other hardcovers which bend easier, however, this version takes quite an effort to keep the book fully opened and bent back to read. This makes it impossible to read with one hand holding the book up. I read with the book placed on a surface, so I have no problems. But for others, this might be an issue. All in all, I am very satisfied with the quality of this edition.