The Nameless Planet - Book Reviews

Animal Farm - George Orwell

I got this book shortly after I read Nineteen Eighty-Four. Looking forward to some more political satire by a pretty good author, I was greatly disappointed. It is about a farm where the animals are tired of being slaves and overthrow the owner of the farm. They begin by working for themselves, but it turns into something worse. The story was supposedly based on the Russian Revolution. I suppose this book could be considered satire, but it was not as clever or subtle as the previously mentioned book. He used a lot of the same ideas from this book in 1984 such as the re-writing of history, a controlling government, etc. The book is subtitled "A Fairy Story", but is this really story for kids? It reads like one, but the themes and messages in it are far beyond a child's comprehension. I sympathized with few of the characters (Boxer, Benjamin) but the plot was way too predictable for me to fully enjoy the book. I guess I ruined it for myself by reading Nineteen Eighty-Four before it, but I still think that this is a lesser novel. At 95 pages, it's hard to even call it a novel. Overall, inadequate in my opinion. Rating: ** (Added 1999.12.11)

Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell

If you enjoy the theme of futuristic dystopias, this is another book to read (if you haven't already; I have been told this is required reading in some schools). Disappointed by Brave New World I thought I would give the famous tale of Big Brother a try. I had heard from people that it was a great book, and a couple chapters into it I was feeling a little deceived. I found it a bit boring and unncessarily detailed in the beginning, though there were some interesting bits (the attitude of children, and the constant paranoia of the main character) which were necessary to set up the events to come. Once I finished the first part of the book I was right into the plot. This is a very powerful book that shows us the frustrating situation of being trapped within a totalitarian society. It sucessfully conveys the emotions and actions of someone who tries to fight the ideas that those in power hold fast to. The "programming" of Winston was both frustrating and depressing and the writing in this section is superb. It really brings out the thoughts and feelings of someone who has their will broken. All I can say about the ending is that it is perfect. Contrary to what some who have read this say, this is not a period piece. Yes, it was written in a time where communism/totalitarianism was feared by democratic societies, but the themes are just as relevant today. Please do yourself a favour and read this. At the rate humanity is going, this may just be where we are headed. Rating: ****1/2 (Added 1999.12.11)