Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    1984
    1984
    1984
    Audiobook12 hours

    1984

    Written by George Orwell

    Narrated by Theo Solomon

    4/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

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

    “Thoughtcrime was not a thing that could be concealed for ever. You might dodge successfully for a while, even for years, but sooner or later they were bound to get you.”

    Winston Smith works in the Ministry of Truth—or Minitrue as it is called in Newspeak—where he alters newspapers and reports to follow the arbitrary dictates of Big Brother’s propaganda. Beneath his outward conformity, however, Winston dreams of sharing his treasonable thoughts andbreaking through the loneliness in which he lives.

    Thus he takes his first dangerous steps, writing a diary of his doubts and then falling in love with a woman of the Party, the beautiful and brave Julia. They know their love is doomed, but Julia says, “They can make you say anything—anything—but they can’t make you believe it.”

    But in Oceania, there is no possibility of solidarity, rebellion, or love—and the Party can reach anywhere.

    First published in 1949, this disturbing novel that George Orwell wrote during a time of great social and political unrest centers on the consequences of totalitarianism, mass surveillance, and repressive regimentation of people and behaviors within society.

    This classic of dystopian fiction contributed new words that became part of common English usage, including Big Brother, doublethink, newspeak, and thoughtcrime. The adjective "Orwellian" has come to mean government deception, surveillance, and misleading terminology.Cover illustration & Design by Derek Anderson and Joel Anderson. © Anderson Design Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Licensed by Anderson Design Group.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBlackstone Publishing
    Release dateJul 2, 2024
    ISBN9798874816339
    Author

    George Orwell

    George Orwell (1903–1950), the pen name of Eric Arthur Blaire, was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and literary critic. He is best known for his works of social criticism and opposition to totalitarianism. He also wrote nonfiction about his experiences in the working class and as a solder. His work remains influential in popular culture and in political culture, and the adjective “Orwellian,"describing totalitarian and authoritarian social practices, has become part of the English language. In 2008, the London Times named him the second-greatest British writer since 1945.

    More audiobooks from George Orwell

    Related to 1984

    Related audiobooks

    Dystopian For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • UNLIMITED

      Family Sharing

      Mar 29, 2022

      Family Sharing
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Set Up Multiple Users

      Jan 14, 2020

      One of Booksonic’s strengths is its support for multiple users, allowing family or friends to have their own customised access to your server. Do so via the Users tab under Settings: you’ll see that by default new users can change personal settings a

      1 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Fix Common Issues

      Nov 15, 2021

      Fix Common Issues
      1 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Family Sharing

      Mar 28, 2023

      Family Sharing
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      5 OF THE BEST eREADERS

      Jul 1, 2022

      With a 7-inch E Ink screen offering deeper contrast, adjustable brightness and colour temperature control, the next-generation Kobo Libra 2 has plenty of features to enrich your reading experience. It boasts weeks of battery life (depending on usage,

      1 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Try Free For 90 Days

      Sep 5, 2022

      Try Free For 90 Days
      1 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      HOW TO… Install Google Play Store on your Amazon Fire tablet

      Jan 4, 2023

      What you need: Amazon Fire tablet (2018 onwards) Time required: 30 minutes What do Duolingo, Gmail and Firefox have in common? Despite being among the most popular apps on Android and iOS, none of them can be downloaded through the Amazon Appstore. T

      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Best Ereaders In 2024, From Kindle To Kobo

      Nov 15, 2024

      Books are the best. The feel of paper against your fingertip, the way you can tell how far you are through your latest read just by the weight in each hand. Oh, and no battery to run out when you’re just about to discover whodunnit. Still, ebook read

      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      BUILD YOUR Apple family

      Feb 23, 2023

      BUILD YOUR Apple family
      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Crescent City

      Dec 1, 2021

      Crescent City
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Oh, The Agony!

      Mar 11, 2020

      Go faux Q As a glamorous lady of a certain age, I have a wardrobe full of vintage fur and it’s my signature look. I don’t condone animal cruelty, but I’m becoming more and more aware of dirty looks and mutterings when I’m out and about. It would brea

      1 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Family Sharing

      Aug 20, 2019

      EVERYTHING IN YOUR iCloud is managed through your Apple ID, a one–to–one system that doesn’t always make sense for households. So Apple lets you link users — up to a total of six — to access your purchases and subscriptions and share photos and calen

      1 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      How To Get A Student Discount

      Sep 16, 2022

      How To Get A Student Discount
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Old Un’s Notes

      Sep 18, 2024

      ✽ There’s nothing new A about fake news. Look at what happened in the curious case of the Zinoviev Letter too years ago. A British general election was scheduled for 29th October 1924. Lenin’s Bolsheviks had seized power in Russia seven years earlier

      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Readers’ Letters

      Sep 20, 2023

      SIR: My mother, for one, was delighted that Gareth Neame chose Highclere Castle as the location for Downton Abbey (September issue). She was a teacher during the war, and her entire school was evacuated to Highclere. The awestruck reaction of a bunch

      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Enter The Bunker

      Sep 25, 2017

      WORDS SJ NAUDÉ WHEN YOU FIRST VISITED BERLIN IN 1999, THE FIRST PLACE YOU WENT TO SEE WAS A BUNKER: THE HOCHBUNKER ON PALLASSTRASSE. Hardly a place that would top most tourists’ list: a concrete colossus, graffiti- and water-stained, partially overgr

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Letters

      Apr 16, 2020

      If the interview with Simon Jenkins in your March issue (A Welsh Tragedy?) is anything to go by, I suspect his recent Radio 4 documentary – controversially entitled Wales: A Twentieth-Century Tragedy? – was largely based on flimsy anecdotal evidence.

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      How ‘History Alice’ Is Getting Gen Z To Learn About The Past

      Nov 27, 2024

      Pop quiz: Napoléon Bonaparte was short – true or false? Actually, he was taller than average – and taller than his seagoing nemesis, Admiral Nelson. That’s the sort of nugget that Alice Loxton enjoys teaching people about history. The young millennia

      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Farewell to Larry Siedentop

      Sep 26, 2024

      Farewell to Larry Siedentop
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Q&A YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

      Apr 13, 2023

      Q&A YOU ASK, WE ANSWER
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Michael Henderson on Radio

      Sep 30, 2021

      WE HEAR SO MUCH THESE DAYS about identity, and the conversation is framed in narrow terms designed to keep others out. Shrill voices proclaim membership of religious, ethnic, political, sexual and sporting tribes, as though it comes with a blessing f

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      TV, FILM & RADIO

      Oct 28, 2021

      TV, FILM & RADIO
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Wolverhampton Wonderer

      Mar 25, 2021

      Wolverhampton Wonderer
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Behind The Fake News

      Dec 27, 2019

      Behind The Fake News
      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Old Un's Notes

      Jan 11, 2023

      Just before Christmas, historian Lady Antonia Fraser composed a verse on confronting that age-old companion to faith – doubt – at Farm Street Church, Mayfair. Nick Downes is one of the most treasured cartoonists at Oldie Towers (see above right for a

      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Lonely Grave

      May 8, 2018

      Reuben Louis Goldberg—Rube Goldberg as the world knew him—did it all: He was an engineer, cartoonist, sculptor, author, inventor, and—for just a very brief time in 1919—a war correspondent. Born in San Francisco on July 4, 1883, Goldberg as a child w

      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for 1984

    4/5

    24,958 ratings581 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      It amazes how some authors can see the future.
    • 3/5
      I listened to this as an audio book and was totally captivated by the readers bleak tone. It complimented the cynical tone of the novel.
    • 4/5
      While reading the tenth chapter of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, I was reminded heavily of a principle that Orson Scott Card shows in Shadow of the Hegemon. That principle is as follows: Unity in the face of danger or oppression will dissolve once the threat or the oppression is over and at this point the group or leader shall replace the previous oppressor or threat. Aristotle’s theories might show this as a likeness. Consider the following: In Animal Farm, the animals revolt against the humans, the oppressors. The animals form a new society, and the pigs (lead by Napoleon) take the place of the original human farmer, going as far as wearing human clothes, walking upright, and even playing cards with the humans. In the end of the chapter, the pigs act and look so human, that one cannot decipher between the two beings. In Shadow of the Hegemon, the world is in the aftermath of winning against a terrible invader, the buggers. The unity and peace that the world saw during the war with the buggers quickly dissolved, while old hatreds, rivalries, and power struggles quickly reemerged. Eventually these struggles lead to the world lead by Peter Wiggin (who had been shaping public opinion for years), with the help of one of the masterminds behind the defeat of the buggers: Bean.
      These two novels do not share the same exact ground when it comes to this unnamed principle if in fact this principle does in fact exist (William James of Albany might argue that it does exist, but has just never been named). Animal Farm shows that nothing has in fact changed. The pigs have become human, and thus will lead the farm in the same way the humans did. Shadow of the Hegemon, also shows nothing has changed. The world still wars with itself. However, Peter Wiggin does not adopt the principles of the invaders, for the invaders had a collective “hiveâ€? mentality much like that of bees and ants. Instead, Peter will gather the nations (through a series of wars). At the end of Ender’s Game (the first novel in a parallel series) the reader sees that Peter Wiggin was (and will be) a dictator, but a benevolent dictator. Peter replaces the threat of the Buggers with the threat of his own empire, but rules in a different way. Therefore, this cannot fall under the category of interdependence (though Card more than likely read Orwell). There are too many similarities to follow contrast (although some arguments can be made for this category). These events do not share a connection in time (that anyone is aware of). While both happen on the same planet, the farm is not an important part of Shadow of the Hegemon, therefore this connection cannot fall under the category of connectives in space. Therefore, the connection must be a likeness, for while both books share the same concepts, they approach this concept differently. Though both books have many parallels, they do not coincide completely with one another.
    • 4/5
      In 1984, the world has undergone numerous revolutions and purges and now the society is controlled by a Communistic party that is devoted to controlling the population through perpetual war, propaganda, and ever-increasing levels of deprivation.

      Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth. His job is to rewrite articles, books, and history to insure that the Party has never been wrong about anything. He is disillusioned about the Party, but doesn't know how best to join the resistance. When he is approached by a beautiful young Party Member, he embarks on a love affair that will draw him into the Party's cross-hairs.

      A chilling tale about life in a totalitarian state.
    • 4/5
      A harrowing account of the meaning of truth. 1984 teaches one that there is no objective truth. Only those in power have the authority to define truth.
    • 5/5
      A classic story, but in the 21st century is it all too real. The latter is not a good thing.
    • 4/5
      Great work of literature. It put me on the edge, and not only was fascinating , but it really made me think deeply about what the world could become if we are not watchful for those who would corrupt our nation. The end was abrupt and I feel it could have ended in a more positive way, but the ending almost made it better in a way, more realistic perhaps. And far more daunting. Really enjoyed it overall, definitely would recommend.
    • 5/5
      First time rereading this since high school. The first time I read it, I remember that I loved the first half, and did not like the second half at all. This time around was the opposite. The first half was ok, nothing special. However this time, I was absolutely enthralled by the second half.

      The Goldstein Treatise was absolutely fascinating. I loved reading about the logistics of the war, the political theories of the three nations, and the inner workings of the party. I see many complaints about this section but I loved it, and would have been willing to read more.

      The conversations between Winston and O'Brian were amazing, and heartbreaking. The motives of the party were eye opening, but unsurprising. And the ending hit like a brick this time, even though I knew it was coming.
    • 3/5
      Re-read after many years. Seems like the present. Too many people are brainwashed these days.
    • 1/5
      I had to read this for school. I hated it. It's just depressing. Much like Handmaid's Tale. I get what it was trying to do but I hated it. And the rat scene gives me nightmares.
    • 4/5
      1984 is divided into two parts - the first part, Winston's attempt to regain his humanity. The second part is his loss of whatever humanity he won - with the point being made that human beings are essentially malleable raw material that can be molded by ideology and by applying the right psychological pressure points. Orwell's dystopia is probably the most influential in our modern age- there are some brilliant insights into the machinations of oppressive machines, but also in the cognitive dissonance ("doublethink") that allow humans to function in an increasingly artificial and manipulative world.
    • 5/5
      Forgotten how much I liked this book, more didactic essay than novel but no worse for it.
    • 5/5
      I actually really enjoyed the story! I found myself all wrapped up with Winston's life, perils, trials, and other excursions! The last 70 pages or so really had me thrown and mixed of emotions! Partially angry that all this had been going on without conscious knowledge but also sadness for Winston! I was happily surprised with the "twist" Orwell threw in! The whole concept = eerily possible! The erasing of history made me upset... As I do love reading about history even though there are parts I wish hadn't happened, I remember a quote something like "history repeats itself;" relating to the fact that if you don't understand/are not aware of history, it will be repeated!
    • 4/5
      Chilling novel of the future
    • 3/5
      I did not like this book. I know it's a classic, but, as a frequent reader of the dystopian genre, I know it wasn't the bleak theme that was a turnoff. Orwell's style of writing is very much like what you'd expect to find in news articles, which is to say he was clearly suited to his profession as a journalist. Suited to that as a writer of novels, too -- obviously -- because 1984 and Animal Farm. He once shared a list of six fundamental rules that he advised writers to follow, which included to never use a long word where a short one will do and to never use more words when less will suffice. (Ironically, he said to avoid jargon and scientific language in favor of English words, but I do realize Newspeak was a vital theme of 1984!)

      Anyway, this style of writing made for a drab and boring reading experience. It did suit the theme by adding to the dry, flavorless, colorless atmosphere of the dystopian world. I guess. But, God, I couldn't wait to finish this book. It took me three attempts before I finally made it all the way through. (This book had been tossed back and forth between my "currently reading" and my "to read" list literally for years.)

      "I'm 39 years old... I've got varicose veins. I've got five false teeth." - Winston says
      "I couldn't care less." - says 26-year-old Julie

      Ironically, this, of all things, tripped me up, even though my imagination was already in full suspension mode. Alas, not to be outdone, the movie adaptation released in, appropriately, 1984, cast a very old-looking 44 year-old opposite an even more youthful, 24-year-old Julia. I owe myself a read by a female author now.
    • 4/5
      This classic work seemed to me to be essentially two books in one. The majority of the work, which I thought was outstanding, focused on setting the context of a dystopian future world from the context of the protagonist. The descriptions were stark and very interesting.

      Unfortunately, the latter third of the book, which detailed the theory behind authoritarian control and ultimately the reprogramming of the protagonist by the agents of big brother, became a bit tedious.

      Overall, an interesting read but I was left just a tad disappointed.
    • 4/5
      I have finally read 1984! I don't know why I didn't read it a long time ago. The ending felt like a bit of a downer but having thought about it I see it as hopeful. Saying why I believe this book to be at its heart a book about hope would ruin the ending for those who have not read it. Do yourself a favor and read 1984. Hopefully you wont be disappointed
    • 4/5
      Summary: A guy living a repressive society starts to ask questions and has to face up to the authorities.

      Things I liked:

      The more personal reflections of the main character.
      The setting was very thorough and painted a chilling view of a possible world view.
      Still relevant ideas even though it was written a long time ago.


      Things I thought could be improved:

      POV was a bit impersonal at times.
      Couple of fairly large chunks of exposition felt a bit forced and smug.

      Highlight: When he recalls his mother with the chocolate.
    • 4/5
      Reason read: It was time for a reread, shared read with granddaughter.
      Dystopian novel, by George Orwell, published 1949 and is a story of totalitarian and suppression. It is a political and dystopian book. This book has had lasting influence and even though written many years ago during the cold war still has relevance today; controlling speech and expression has become common practice, and surveillance through monitoring us by cell phone/internet use.
    • 5/5
      Orwell’s dystopian novel was written in 1949 and I would classify it as a “near-future” science fiction work, as it imagines the immediate consequences of social elements of his day in a mere thirty-five years. A lot can happen in thirty-five years, just look back in your own life for the changes like the growth of the world wide web, cell phones, electric vehicles and so on. But what frightens me is how much of the “not-so-near-future” he also got right. We are living almost seventy-five years after he put pen to paper.
      Have you heard anyone recently using Newspeak? What about “blackwhite”, “a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands it.” And also “crimestop”, “the power of not grasping analogies, of failing to perceive logical errors, of misunderstanding the simplest arguments if they are inimical to (Ingsoc).” Big Brother depended on “continuous alteration of the past,” as in writing individuals out of historical existence. Listen to the politicians. Listen to the news. Listen to the mob. Did anyone suggest recently a “Ministry of Truth”?
      If you’ve never read this book before, don’t make the mistake that it is too old and out of date to make an impact today. It may be your grandfather’s sci-fi, but it will still mess with your enlightened mind.
    • 3/5
      Horrifyingly close to where we are today.
    • 4/5
      The most depressing and also the most important thing to read, especially now.
    • 5/5
      A fascinating read why intellectual freedom and good living conditions are impossible under a dictatorship.
    • 4/5
      Such a disturbing, timely book.
    • 5/5
      Censorship is well explained.
    • 4/5
      Here in early 2022 I thought I'd only read this polemic novel once, when I was in high school, not so long after it was published. But, I see it is already tagged as revisited. I read it as science fiction, on my own, not as part of an English class, because we never were assigned whole books in Shoshone High School, and not any current literature.
      This time I read the early two-third, and the very last pages, skipping the torture/re-education/brain-washing section where O'Brien explains to Smith the party's need for power and control over its citizens. Orwell explained his political views and his ideas about the power of language in the appendix to 1984, and in his other writings like his essay, "Politics and the English Language."
      This is still an important book.
    • 4/5
      I first read this book over 10 years ago and when I saw this audio version was available I was excited to revisit Oceania and how much further we've come to living in a world that George Orwell imagined back in 1949. Sadly, we keep getting closer and closer to fiction become reality. This is not an edge of your sit type of book. It is a slow plod through a dark and dreary time but the similarities to our current world are what pulls you along to your dismay and horror.

      Peter Noble does a wonderful job with his narration and really helps to suck you into Winston's world.

      Many thanks to #NetGalley and Dreamscape Audio for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
    • 5/5
      Nineteen eighty-four by George Orwell 2:07:15. Chapter 7

      Why I picked this book up: In added this to my reading list. As I read it I have heard “big brother is watching” and “ that is Orwellian” for years and did not really know from where they came/meant.

      Thoughts: getting more into societal and political issues over the last few years, this book’s concepts were interesting to me. With the more leftist concepts, changes in vocabulary, government control over its citizens I’m glad I picked this book up. "War is peace" refers to the idea that by placing the nation in a constant state of war, individuals are motivated to ignore their discontent with their government, thus ensuring an unending domestic peace. "Freedom is slavery" refers to the fact that absolute freedom can lead to a life pursuing pleasure. "Ignorance is strength" can be understood as being similar to "ignorance is bliss." If one is not concerned with truth, one's existence assumes an unreflective contentment. Wealth, poverty, double-think, the change in war, society changes, superstates, psychologists observation of facial expression and how the wars worked and how people cannot think on their own, labor camps called joy camps, ministry of love is where people are tortured.

      Why I finished this read:
      I finished it because it was “double good.” I wanted to know what would come of the thought police, the hypocrisy of the love they had and the Junior Anti-Sex League she was part of. Since the Covid 19 outbreak there was a lot of control issues, mandatory vaccination to work, many people arguing over our decision to get vaccinated or not, being accused of not caring about peoples grandparents lives, etc., this book had a lot of similarity’s to 1984. In the USA, I have seen language changing meaning. Seeing things change so drastically. Rules I had as a kid, I knew we do t do that sort of thing, is now the opposite and the “bad stuff” is now applauded.

      This book was so insightful, I rated this book as a 5 out of 5 stars
    • 4/5
      “Big Brother is Watching You.”
      ― George Orwell, 1984

      An excellent work to demonstrate how easily it would be for society to fall to totalitarianism.

      Totalitarianism; - noun
      1- the practices and principles of a totalitarian regime.
      2- absolute control by the state or a governing branch of a highly centralized institution.
      3- the character or quality of an autocratic or authoritarian individual, group, or government.

      This was a hard novel to put down and not ponder. Allow the mind to stray...to register the reality of what I read. How was George Orwell able to write a book in 1949 that so much resembles the world 71 years later!?

      Albeit, there were some dry spots in this novel that I found I had to go back and read again, but not many. The dull area (two boring chapters that droned on) were made up for by all the despair, twists, love affair, treachery and so much more.

      This book could come off as some sort of a prophecy. I prefer to think it as a precautionary warning.

      Mind blown is my takeaway from this book.
    • 2/5
      A thought-provoking classic that everyone should read. I understand why all three parts are necessary, but I think the first two have a story in and of themselves.