[ashleysb]

I love reading and many times George Orwell's classic, 1984, has been suggested to me. I bought the book, but I can't seem to get past the first 45 pages, which I keep reading over and over, with little understanding of what is going on. I guess I am just looking for some motivation and some confirmation that the story does eventually pick up and flow into something interesting. I would love to hear any thoughts from anyone that has read this book.

[RickJ]

In my opinion it's dry as dirt. It won't "pick up".
... just my 1.5 cents worth :)

[ashleysb]

Thank you for your opinion, although I was hoping to hear just the opposite! :)

[labman]

I read it when I was in high school and again in 1991 when my son was in high school. I thought it was a great book. I don't remember it starting too slow, but many older books like it do. It was written in an era when there wasn't nearly the competition for people's attention. I think things have changed more since I read it the second time than between the first and the second. In 1991, there was no net, cell phones were few and far between, I had a 64K! Computer, and off the air we had the 3 networks, a couple of independents and PBS. So I could spend a whole evening absorbing Orwell's description of life in 1984 before much more happened.

We found the word ungood useful. We were raising out first puppy for the dog guide school. One key to dog training is never use the word bad unless you mean it.