The pages of the book get wet from being tossed around the pool. Not long after, though, they dry under the burning sun as I spend 10 minutes reading the same page – my eyes going down and the same way up the lines several times as I catch myself distracted midway.

It’s George Orwell’s 1984. I ordered the book last summer when I saw an ad for it on Wildberries. It cost 1700 AMD, adapted to A2 English, and compiled of pretty thin pages. Not exactly a catch, but I was okay with it. I needed to read it at last. I was kind of ashamed that at 20, I am yet to read a book by Orwell despite hearing about his works for so long.

Why would such a talked-about book be so hard for me to follow along? I still wonder. I started reading it in June. We were on a family vacation in a village close to Dilijan, so scenic and so far. It had a population of 48 people. Even the lack of social life and internet connection did not keep the book in my hands for more than several minutes a day.

Perhaps the beginning was a bit confusing. It was only after a while that I started to understand what Newspeak was, where the events were taking place, and so on. Before starting the book, I was convinced that it described life in the Soviet Union. But as I was reading, I experienced a dissonance between what I was trying to place historically and where things were actually happening.

The book, eventually, made me convinced to read it. It was months later, during Christmas break. I was enjoying my holidays when I finally immersed myself in the world Orwell had created. Or I should say, re-created.

The chilling vision of the totalitarian regime and Big Brother’s ever-presence was hard to enjoy. The pages were draining me. I felt like I was at the center of the brutal triangle of Newspeak, Doublethink and Thoughtcrime. 

What I will highlight, however, is that, weirdly enough, the limitations on thought, speech and expression are something that resonates with some of the challenges we face today – as journalists, as writers and as people. Even under a seemingly democratic government, sometimes we fail to address the truth we feel. 

Ethnic cleansing? – no, it’s just the people fleeing their homes as they refuse to live under the hospitable rule of a dictator. 

War of aggression? – no, it’s only border clashes.

In any case.

Reading 1984 was a daunting experience, not just because of its heavy themes, but also due to the constant interruptions and distractions. Yet, the book’s narrative serves as a lens into what totalitarian and a not so, leader can bring upon their people.

P.S. On the cover is the book Alara’s been reading for the past days. I liked the composition of the items and decided to take this picture for my 2nd blog entry.