Classic Of February: 1984 By George Orwell

Series: Standalone
Genre: Classics, Science Fiction
Release Date: 1949
Source: Library 
Overall Rating: 1/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 0/5 Stars
Synopsis: Winston Smith works for the Ministry of truth in London, chief city of Airstrip One. Big Brother stares out from every poster, the Thought Police uncover every act of betrayal. When Winston finds love with Julia, he discovers that life does not have to be dull and deadening, and awakens to new possibilities. Despite the police helicopters that hover and circle overhead, Winston and Julia begin to question the Party; they are drawn towards conspiracy. Yet Big Brother will not tolerate dissent - even in the mind. For those with original thoughts they invented Room 101 . . .

First Line: It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

I had high hopes for this book after hearing so much about it. I imagined adventure, romance and an interesting dystopian world. Did I get it? Not in the slightest. This is the book that first put the phrase 'Big Brother is watching' in our vocabulary. It probably spurred thousands of conspiracy theory's around the world. The premise was way before it's time but I didn't like it in the slightest. I know it's millions of fans would argue but I do not believe it was very well written. It felt to me as if the author had come up with the great idea of a dictatorship but with more technology than could have even been imagined back then and then his ideas had fizzled out. The characters and plot just came across to me as an afterthought.

The characters were my biggest problem. Winston was made out to be so amazing because he was capable of original thoughts and didn't conform to societies ways but I didn't see it. Sure, he was more rebellious than the others but there was something about him that I hated. He threw threats around for absolutely no reason and went from hating someone to loving them in seconds. I also didn't like the other main character Julia. There isn't much I can say about her except she is one of the most one dimensional characters I have ever come across.

Before reading the book, I had watched the film and I can honestly say I vastly preferred it. Everything about it was ten times better than the book and that is not something I say often. Normally, I would say here how I recommended this book to no one but as it is so iconic and has so many fans, I will leave you to make your own decisions on it. Who knows, I may be the only one out there who genuinely hates it.

 Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Classic Of January: To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Series: Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Classic Literature 
Release Date: 1960
Source: Borrowed From The Library
Overall Rating: 4/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 2/5 Stars
Synopsis: "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel—, a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina and quiet heroism of one man's struggle for justice—but the weight of history will only tolerate so much.


First Line: When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.

I don't often read classic books so I challenged myself to read one a month for this year and this was the one I was most eager to read. To Kill A Mockingbird is told from the point of view of Scout who is six years old at the start of the novel. It's very difficult to describe what To Kill A Mockingbird is about because there are so many aspects to it. There is the mystery of Boo Radley, Scout's fathers court case and the prejudice of the neighborhood.

I enjoyed reading from the perspective of Scout, my only problem was I thought she was a he for quite a while and thought her brother was just calling her a girl as an insult. When I realized my mistake I felt very stupid. From the moment I realized she was a girl I began to like her character a lot more, she still wanted to play with her brother and wear overalls but she's disapproved of by the ladies of the neighborhood that believe she should act more ladylike and wear dresses. I liked that rebellion. My favorite character by far was Atticus, he was the perfect parental figure, we need more Atticus's in contemporary YA lit.

The book has quite a modern feel to it which is unusual considering the fact it was written over 50 years ago. Lee's writing pulls you into the 1930s and gives you an accurate portrayal of what it was actually like. This book is one of my favorite classics and it has put my challenge up to a good start. I would recommend this book to anyone whether they normally like classics or not because as I said before, it doesn't have the feel of a classic book.

My Favorite Quotes:

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

“Atticus said to Jem one day, "I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird." That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. "Your father’s right," she said. "Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK