Preview… Admittedly, it has been a few years since I last read George Orwell’s grim prediction for the future “1984”. This was one of those rare gems that was both entertaining enough to have read within a 24 stretch and meaningful enough to have left an indelible mark upon my mind. Our hero, Winston, lives in a totalitarian state run by Big Brother. Wherever he goes, he is monitored by television screens and by his peers. The worst crime anyone can commit is to have a thought against the party; yes, even thoughts are punishable offenses. A seed of distrust for the government enters Winston as he realizes that history is being manipulated and that he and his fellows are being lied to. Love for another, Julia, cements his hatred for the party, and together the pair seeks out entrance into a secret society, the Brotherhood, which aims to overthrow the party.

One unlucky misstep leads to capture and imprisonment in the brainwashing facility, the Ministry of Love. Months of torture all lead up to Winston’s entry into the dreaded Room 101 where he must face his most horrifying fear. Will Winston continue to oppose the party or will the events that unfold inside of Room 101 cause him to accept the party and its vision for society? This is one novel that everyone should have under their literary belts.

You may like this book if… you enjoy reading dystopian novels, you are interested in politics, history, sociology or the like, you are class conscious, you are a Marxist or Conflict Theorist, you are intrigued by the logic of contradiction, you enjoy dark novels, you like thinking “what if”, you are puzzled by the odd Apple Macintosh commercial

You may not like this book if… you have no interest in a book with many layers of meaning, it is difficult for you to imagine such a dark future, you approve of totalitarianism, you believe that love conquers all, you are afraid of rats

It’s coming! The Ann Arbor Classics Book Group will be hosting a Dystopian Book Fest Literary Genre Highlight Event on January 27 at 7:30 PM, where “1984” along with many other books will be discussed as part of the literary trend. You can come having read one of the featured books or all of them. Please visit this link for more information or to join up!

Be sure to look for This Week's Recommended Read by Melissa LR Handa every Saturday online and Sunday in the AnnArbor.com print edition!

Melissa LR Handa is the founder and organizer for the Ann Arbor Classics Book Group and the lead books contributor for AnnArbor.com. If you would like more information or to join the group, please feel free to send an email her way.