The Canon Library
Cover of 1984

Modern · Dystopian novel

1984

by George Orwell. Winston Smith resists a regime that controls history, language, surveillance, and even the possibility of private thought.

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Date
1949
Origin
England
Era
Modern
Genre
Dystopian novel
Canon tier
Essential core
Difficulty
Accessible
Length
Medium
Collection
The Western Canon

Subjects and themes

TotalitarianismLanguageTruth

Why it matters

Winston Smith resists a regime that controls history, language, surveillance, and even the possibility of private thought.

This work is included on the basis of modern broader canon. Its cataloged influence level is 5 out of 5.

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