1984 is the year in which it happens. The world is divided into three superstates. In Oceania, the Party’s power is absolute. Every action, word, gesture and thought is monitored under the watchful eye of Big Brother and the Thought Police. In the Ministry of Truth, the Party’s department for propaganda, Winston Smith’s job is to edit the past. Over time, the impulse to escape the machine and live independently takes hold of him and he embarks on a secret and forbidden love affair. As he writes the words ‘DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER’, his personal rebellion begins....

George Orwell’s masterpiece is the definitive dystopian novel and one of the most influential works of the twentieth century.

Listening Length

12 hours and 19 minutes
Author

George Orwell
Narrator

Andrew Wincott
Audible release date

5 November 2015
Language

English
Publisher

Canongate Books Ltd
ASIN

B016E6FTR2
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	12 hours and 19 minutes
Author	George Orwell
Narrator	Andrew Wincott
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com.au Release Date	05 November 2015
Publisher	Canongate Books Ltd
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B016E6FTR2
Best Sellers Rank	208 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) 1 in Dystopian Science Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) 2 in Political Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) 4 in Dystopian Fiction

Customer reviews

5 star		61%
4 star		20%
3 star		12%
2 star		3%
1 star		4%

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Top reviews from Australia

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R Chand

Great Book but

Reviewed in Australia on 3 June 2021

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Great Book but the publishers have really dropped the ball on quality. Was looking to buy and build a collection of some great novels. Its nice to be able to buy have a collection at the reasonable price but you also have to be able to read the book as well. The typeface and font size leave a lot to be desired. Unless you have a magnifying glass, some super strong reading or perfect 20/20 vision give this a miss.

5 people found this helpful

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Clyve Westerlund

I Don’t Know What To Say

Reviewed in Australia on 8 March 2022

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4 instead of 5 because I feel like 5 would mean for me; that this story could usher in such a dystopian timeline in the real world. I see why many icons and individuals have recommended this book. It is full of so many themes that forces oneself to examine their current societal surroundings and human behaviours. And dissects them into components and then into the whole collection, resulting in a vast array of ideas and feelings. But the more I see why this story has become popular and indeed, one of the texts that must be covered and discussed, the more I simply do not understand the ‘why’ of it all. Maybe that is also why I placed a 4 when knowing full well that it can be made justifiably into a 5.

Orwell presents what it seems to me, a deep philosophy on the psychology of collective power and authority. And what we may deem to be the definition of power and authority. I honestly just hope that such a dystopia would not be bought about because so many ill-fated things could become possible. It is definitely the optimist and idealist in me that speaks this.

But this story does bring to mind the question of how to effectively govern a civilisation. Maybe this story should be said that it should be read because we have to understand the Ugly in order to understand and push forth for the Beauty.

One person found this helpful

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Mr Space Pirate

Must read book for anyone concerned about over-reach by government, social media or big business

Reviewed in Australia on 3 April 2022

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This is the story that started it all. A book many people have held up as an example of how society is moving in the wrong direction. The book many concerned people have pointed out with horror, as the world moves ever closer to the authoritarian dystopian horror the media seems dead set on causing with their lobbying and ill thought calls to action - with the words..

"What is wrong with you people? This book was meant as a warning, not an instruction manual!"

Anyone concerned over the future we are creating for our children should read this.. as should their children.

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Taylor Sargeant

One of the top books you must read in your lifetime... no thanks

Reviewed in Australia on 15 April 2019

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I have always seen this book around forums or sites in general when looking for a book to read and the "top 100 books to read in your lifetime" etc. I sadly could not get into the book, it wasn't for the writing or how it was written it was just a bit over the top and went straight over my head at some points. Something I'd be happy to skip. I thought the concept was interesting but it took me a long time to read because I wasn't really into the book as I'd like to.

3 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Format and adverts within book are a let down...

Reviewed in Australia on 10 October 2020

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Riddled with errors and advertisements which I don't appreciate.
Want to read the book but not with adverts in it... Not able to return or exchange this version this now, even though I haven't read more than 5% of it, disappointing.

5 people found this helpful

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Steve

Great Read, poor formatting.

Reviewed in Australia on 26 February 2020

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This book will leave you with an unnecessary sense of anxiety at it's end, it is that well written. It bears similar cases of surveillance of the modern age which probably makes it the single most significant piece of fictional literature for us to consider as we delve further into the information age, where our information is everywhere and our personal lives are increasingly more revealed unwillingly. Unfortunately, at the time of writing this review, the formatting of the e-Book from Amazon is pretty abysmal. Incorrect paragraphing, and typo errors plague the e-book.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY-FOUR ?

Reviewed in Australia on 4 May 2017

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I read this book over thirty years ago and have had many an Orwellian moment since. The increasing use of CCTV around the globe, revelations about intelligence agencies hacking smart TV's and computer webcams plus the retention and monitoring of citizens Meta Data ( justified in Government 'Newspeak' " as keeping us safe") and the ongoing and never ending conflicts around the world just show how insightful Orwell was. Reading this story again has underlined to me how relevant Orwell's novel still is today.

12 people found this helpful

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Ian Neilson

Poor formatting, text, syntax and grammar

Reviewed in Australia on 15 March 2021

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Don't buy this edition unless you want some chapters written in French.
I bought the $0.99 Australian Amazon version and it was as it should be

5 people found this helpful

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Truth Seeker

A Message To Young Readers Who Have Been Assigned This Book

Reviewed in the United States on 17 June 2018

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This is one of the first books I have read more than once. I first read "1984" in 1985 and now for the second time in 2018. The book has remained the same, but both the world and I have not. I cannot begin to convey how genuinely frightening this book is. I am a lover of popular science fiction and am astounded by Orwell's ability to be more compelling, entertaining and engrossing than authors with the benefit of light sabers, phasers and teleportation.

To every young person who has been assigned this book, know that you are reading a literary work of art. Many of you will understand and appreciate it, but if you love literature, please make a mental note to read this again when you are older. Youth brings with it eternal hope, boundless optimism and of course, hormones, so you will find yourself rebelling against the pessimism of the book itself - you will effectively be Winston raging against the machine, hoping, searching, questing for a way out. In short, you will cheat.

But when you get older, have a family, lose loved ones and see some of your dreams unfulfilled - when you witness entire nations and races of peoples born, live and die in brutal squalor - when you reflect on the technological advances made over the decades and gaze, with mouth agape, at how a people can be less advanced, less informed and less enlightened, not despite these innovations, but BECAUSE of them, then you will read 1984 as it was meant to be read...not as a dark, dystopian world you enter when you open the book, but a beautifully brutal warning that, even as you read it, is prophetically coming true around you.

4,185 people found this helpful

Rakesh Agrawal

Beware, He (not he)! is watching us!

Reviewed in India on 8 September 2018

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A Bihari angarez, Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his penname, George Orwell, wrote this book in 1949, supposedly A satirical description of A totalitarian state. Little did he realize that it will describe India, A so-called democratic state of 2018, so vividly!

509 people found this helpful

Liz Benn

Extremely important & relevant!!

Reviewed in the United States on 4 July 2020

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Over 70 years ago Orwell predicted exactly what is happening in the USA today. His brilliant instincts for our future were uncanny. Our country is under assault right now (& has been) by “Big Brother” - ie. communism. Every thought is controlled from all media to removal of our history & heritage to absolute destruction of our laws & erasing of our real history. This was required reading when I was in HS in 1968 & it should be again today. Do yourself a favor & read this before Amazon takes it off their list of books. I doubt they’ll publish this review. Let’s see.

1,386 people found this helpful

Dave Maule

Don't bother

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 March 2020

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The kindle edition is full of poor editing, spelling and grammatical mistakes and ridiculous page layouts. The proof reader for this edition must have been blind. There are so many mistakes that it definitely impacts on the readers ability to enjoy the original text, in fact it makes it practically unreadable. Buy another format rather than wasting your money on this kindle edition.

91 people found this helpful

Honest Reviewer

The shape of things to come?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 September 2019

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Any society implementing Marxism usually ends up like a third-world country with a small wealthy elite, a large administration class and the remainder - the vast majority - living equally in poverty. 1984's Oceania is this dystopian superstate. Winston Smith, the central character, is someone who dares to question the totalitarian regime he is living subject to.
When George Orwell wrote this book, the means of monitoring and controlling people were not well advanced, and many 'anti-state' behaviours could go unnoticed and unchecked. Also, Marxism (and Globalism) had not got a toehold in the West. Essentially then his novel was little more than a work of fiction. Reality is now beginning to catch up. The two main ingredients are now here: Marxism is going mainstream in the West, and technology is allowing governments and organisations to record the minutiae of everyone's life (online comments, credit-card purchases), disseminate propaganda (fake news) and enforce conformity (China's Social Credit System).
In this so-called clown world in which we now live democracy is being sidelined, history is being rewritten, truths and facts are becoming 'constructs', scapegoats are being created to funnel hate, the traditional family unit is being attacked, etc, etc. George Orwell would not have to dig deep for inspiration, were he writing 1984 now.
This is a very depressing novel; and if you are quite content to live happily in your bubble, then I advise you not to read it.

94 people found this helpful

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