1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four

One of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World'

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Big Brother is Watching You

Winston Smith rewrites history. It’s his job. Hidden away in the Records Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth, he helps the Party and the omnipresent Big Brother control the people of Oceania. But the notebook he’s begun to write in is against the rules – in fact, the Thought Police could arrest him simply for having it. Despite the danger, a seed of rebellion has begun to grow in Winston’s heart – one that could have devastating consequences.

In George Orwell’s final novel, he explores a dystopian future in which a totalitarian government controls the actions, thoughts and even emotions of its citizens. Its lasting popularity is testament to Orwell’s powerful prose, and is a passionate warning for today.