Hipsy's View: 1984, or "The Father of Dystopia"

 The following brief review can be found on my Goodreads and Amazon Reviews. Below are my personal thoughts on George Orwell's 1984.

After reading this book, I noticed many tropes seen in dystopian novels today, mainly when a government overrules its people and claims they know what is best. The only difference is its ending, which leaves a reader uncertain on how to feel. In the result, that's what makes the story good; it gives the reader the insight of what an economy — in this case, communism — can do with complete power over people and thought. 

In the beginning, it was quite difficult for me to get into this story. At first, it was merely that I had no interest in reading it, especially if it was something I was going to have to read for school later (when I was younger, I had a few in-between years where I despised reading, then I enjoyed it immensely). Then, it was putting it off to read other things that I wanted to read; in my mid-teens and early 20s, I had become obsessed with reading YA novels rich with either dystopian concepts or paranormal love triangles (*OMG, I'm judging my younger self!*). When the time came to finally decide to pick up 1984, adulthood was in full force and distracting me from my escaping-reality hobbies. It didn't help that the ending was spoiled for me, which further delayed my decision to finish it. But I have succeeded in finally kicking it off my reading bucket list! And honestly, I am surprised it took me so long to read because ーunbeknownst to meー I was already a fan.

What does she mean by that? you might ask. Well, it turns out all those dystopian YA novels I was reading were very close to the Orwellian concept of controlling governments. Allie Condie's Matched Trilogy, Niel Shusterman's Unwind Dystology, Veronica Roth's Divergent Series, V for Vendetta, and even Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games have a form of "Big Brother is always watching." 

The scary concept for Orwell, though, is that he was writing this story with an idea of almost reality. The time 1984 was written was a dark time in history for Orwell. When he wrote this, I think he may have been writing it as a cautionary story for others; this is what can happen if we let this form of government overrule the people, or if they win the war. With this in mind, some might think his protagonist, Winston Smith, is a beacon of light, someone that will defeat Big Brother. But as I mentioned in my review above, the ending is not so; Winston is an example of how a thread can be manipulated and formed into anything with a little bit of force. At some point, that thread will break once the manipulation is done. "2+2 = 5".

In the end, I did enjoy this book and can understand why it is recommended reading. Though the wording can be bland at points in the story, they can hold a sense of longing for the way things may have been or could be, even though in reality we don't need to think that since we can now still experience things Winston cannot. We don't have to ration chocolate or coffee or shoelaces. Lemons are not extinct. Children to this day still sing the rhyme "Oranges and Lemons". Perhaps now the cautionary tale of the book, since the year 1984 has come and passed, is to enjoy what we have now; if we're not careful, it can be easily snatched away and in time be forgotten.

Hipsy's View: The Stand

 *Note: If you follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, you'll notice this is my review for Stephen King's The Stand. The only difference with this review is that I have added pictures and a personal opinion before the main review. Enjoy!

What would be a great way to begin a new year than to read a book about a virus that kills almost the entire population during a global pandemic? Well, if you're a Stephen King fan such as myself, you would find a sick pleasure in doing just that (*sarcasm might not be my best trope in writing; wonder if anyone is taking me seriously*). As you would guess, I finally picked up The Stand ー actually, I bought the Kindle/Audible narration and listened to it (seems like the only way I can get any reading done lately) ー and I enjoyed it! Ironically, I read it when the newly updated miniseries also came out (beginning of January or end of December, I can't remember). Now, most people around my age were more than likely introduced to this story at a young age by watching the 1994 miniseries. Being that it was in the 90s and the FCC was more strict of what could be shown on TV than they are now, the series is pretty darn close to the novel. When I heard about the new miniseries coming out, I was hesitant about watching it, but after reading some recent articles, it's rumored that Stephen King has written a new ending for The Stand and it will be shown at the end of the miniseries.

If any of you would like me to do a "Which Is Better" comparison of The Stand with either or both the miniseries to the book, please let me know. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy my review posted down below.

(*Note: As mentioned above, this review is also on Amazon and Goodreads. I will also have it posted on my Hipsy's View Facebook page).

A Vision of a Possibility

Reading this story during a flu-like pandemic can make most comment on how similar the situation is RIGHT NOW! But in truth, it is not like the current event we now face in the beginning of the 2020s. And though there may be similarities and differences throughout this novel, The Stand's Captain Trips is completely another type of pandemic we should hope will never to occur; Stephen King once again paints an alternative world we hope never to live through (but enjoy to read about).

The Stand begins by showing how a government-made virus was accidentally (or so it seems) spread through late 20th century America (depending on which version you read). In time, it's learned that this virus has also been spread to other countries, thus making it a global pandemic. Going by many names — Captain Trips, Tube Neck, the superflu, to name a few — this virus is so strong, it kills almost 90% or more of the population. The few immune to the superflu must go on a journey throughout the country, choose which side to be on — good or bad — and the fate of what may lay ahead of them. This story follows those survivors and their choices.

As been mentioned in other reviews, this is King's " American Lord of the Rings". It has many tropes seen throughout the original Tolkien piece, as well as tie-ins to King's other works sprinkled in; you'll notice some of the town names are familiar, and if you've read the Dark Tower Series, you'll know which character from there antagonizes the Boulder Free Committee and their beloved Mother Abigail.

In short, I have nothing but good to say about this book and enjoyed it more than I expected. This is now one of my favorite King novels, alongside the Green Mile, Carrie, and Thinner.