1984 is the year in which it happened. The world is divided into three great powers, Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia, each perpetually at war with the other. Britain is part of Oceania and is known as Airstrip 1. Throughout Oceania "The Party" rules by the agency of four ministries, whose power is absolute—the Ministry of Peace which deals with war, the Ministry of Love (headquarters of the dreaded Thought Police) which deals with law and order, the Ministry of Plenty which deals in scarcities, and the Ministry of Truth which deals with propaganda. "Newspeak" is the modern version of the English tongue ordained by the Party. It has given to the world such remarkable words as doublethink, thoughtcrime, plusgood and sexcrime ("love" in normal English). In every room throughout the land, including the lavatories, a telescreen is installed, which can never be switched off, and by this means the authorities keep a check on your every action, word, gesture, or thought. On every hoarding a huge face is displayed—the face of the leader, Big Brother.

Against this nightmare background is played out the drama of Winston Smith, possibly the last man alive to rebel against the Party's rule and doctrines, and to cling to a belief in the individual and in those precious human feelings and values which are still strong to-day and vitalize our civilization wherever they prevail.

With unerring craftsmanship, ingenuity and narrative power Mr. Orwell builds before our eyes a future which, though it may at first seem fantastic, grows, as we read about it, utterly and horrifyingly real. The love of Winston Smith for his fellow rebels, the amorous Julia, and the fate that befalls them, stirs the emotions. The plot moves forward relentlessly to a tremendous climax.

When Mr. Orwell's ANIMAL FARM was published three years ago, critics hailed him as a new Swift. The satirical passages in "1984" fully justify this critics' verdict. But in "1984" there is much more than satire. The satire, in fact, is only the framework for one of the most moving stories to have been published in this generation.

From the dust jacket