Nineteen Eighty-Four

George Orwell's dystopian masterpiece is one of the most influential books of the twentieth century, featuring an introduction by Ben Pimlott in Penguin Modern Classics. In a world where "who controls the past controls the future," Winston Smith works in the Record Department of the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history to align with the Party's needs. Despite his role, he secretly rebels against the totalitarian regime that demands absolute obedience, monitored by telescreens and the omnipresent Big Brother. In his quest for truth and freedom, Smith embarks on a clandestine love affair with Julia, only to realize that the cost of freedom may be betrayal. Eric Arthur Blair, known as George Orwell, was born in India and became a prominent literary figure. His political allegory, Animal Farm, published in 1945, alongside Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), solidified his global fame. His other works, including Burmese Days, Down and Out in Paris and London, The Road to Wigan Pier, and Homage to Catalonia, are also part of Penguin Modern Classics. Critics praise this work as "his final masterpiece" and "the book of the twentieth century," highlighting its enduring relevance in understanding modern history. If you appreciated this novel, you may also enjoy Orwell's Animal Farm, available in Penguin Modern Classics.