{"product_id":"on-nineteen-eighty-four-1","title":"On Nineteen Eighty-Four","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom the author of the definitive biography of George Orwell, a captivating account of the origin and enduring power of his landmark dystopian novel \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Since its publication nearly 70 years ago, George Orwell’s \u003ci\u003e1984\u003c\/i\u003e has been regarded as one of the most influential novels of the modern age. Politicians have testified to its influence on their intellectual identities, rock musicians have made records about it, TV viewers watch a reality show named for it, and a White House spokesperson tells of “alternative facts.” The world we live in is often described as an Orwellian one, awash in inescapable surveillance and invasions of privacy. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eOn 1984\u003c\/i\u003e dives deep into Orwell’s life to chart his earlier writings and key moments in his youth, such as his years at a boarding school, whose strict and charismatic headmaster shaped the idea of Big Brother. Taylor tells the story of the writing of the book, taking readers to the Scottish island of Jura, where Orwell, newly famous thanks to \u003ci\u003eAnimal Farm\u003c\/i\u003e but coping with personal tragedy and rapidly declining health, struggled to finish \u003ci\u003e1984\u003c\/i\u003e. Published during the cold war—a term Orwell coined—Taylor elucidates the environmental influences on the book. Then he examines \u003ci\u003e1984\u003c\/i\u003e’s post-publication life, including its role as a tool to understand our language, politics, and government.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In a current climate where truth, surveillance, censorship, and critical thinking are contentious, Orwell’s work is necessary. Written with resonant and reflective analysis, \u003ci\u003eOn 1984\u003c\/i\u003e is both brilliant and remarkably timely.","brand":"ABRAMS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42664904359972,"sku":"9781419747649","price":24.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0725\/9734\/0196\/files\/9781419747649.jpg?v=1778616912","url":"https:\/\/thamesandhudson.com.au\/products\/on-nineteen-eighty-four-1","provider":"Thames \u0026 Hudson Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}