{"product_id":"on-nineteen-eighty-four-a-biography-of-george-orwells-masterpiece-9781419747649","title":"On Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Biography of George Orwell's Masterpiece","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe essential backstory to the creation and meaning of George Orwell's \u003ci\u003eNineteen Eighty-Four\u003c\/i\u003e, one of the most important books of the 20th century--and now the 21st\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Since its publication more than 70 years ago, George Orwell's \u003ci\u003eNineteen Eighty-Four\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\u003ci\u003eOn Nineteen Eighty-Four\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 Scotland 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 the novel. Published during the Cold War--a term Orwell coined--Taylor elucidates the environmental influences on the book. Then he examines \u003ci\u003eNineteen Eighty-Four\u003c\/i\u003e's post-publication life, including its role as a tool to understand our language, politics, and government. \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 Nineteen Eighty-Four\u003c\/i\u003e is both brilliant and remarkably timely.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Abrams Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/18\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781419747649\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 208","brand":"D. J. Taylor","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39816865775797,"sku":"9781419747649","price":13.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_25ae0f10-71e9-4087-98ac-f7d2c0a02d8a.jpg?v=1618927339","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/on-nineteen-eighty-four-a-biography-of-george-orwells-masterpiece-9781419747649","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}