In January 2017, Sean Spicer claimed that the crowd gathered to see President Trump take the oath of office was the "largest audience to ever witness an inauguration." When accused of misrepresentation Kellyanne Conway said her statement was "alternative facts." Over the following four days, sales of George Orwell's novel 1984 rocketed to number one bestseller.

Dorian Lynskey writes that more people know about 1984 than know 1984. It's catchphrases have entered the common language. Big Brother. Doublespeak. Newspeak.

In his book, Ministry of Truth, Lynskey examines the novel's origin, development, and influence in its time and its afterlife. Lynskey shows how Orwell's values and experiences shaped the novel and Orwell's purpose and intended message of the novel.

The book is in two parts, first telling the story of Orwell's life and beliefs, his world, the history of utopian and dystopian novels. In the second part, Lynskey covers the novel's influences, interpretations, and uses since its publication.

Since January 2017, dystopian novels have topped the best-seller lists and newly published ones find a ready audience. 1984 was not meant to be prophetic, but a warning based on Orwell's experience.

"What you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening," Trump proclaimed in a July 2018 speech, echoing the 1984 lines, "The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." Orwell feared that objective truth "is fading out of the world." Seventy years later, we still share that fear.

Upon its publication, some thought it was a book that would only speak to one generation. Sadly, it has proven resiliently evergreen.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

"The moral to be drawn from this dangerous nightmare situation is a simple one," [Orwell] explained in a press statement after the book came out. "Don't let it happen. It depends on you." quoted in The Ministry of Truth by Dorian Lynskey

An interesting biography, but I personally felt that Lynskey spent too much time describing things around Orwell (mainly the political environment and the other writers around him) and not enough time on Orwell himself and the writing of his most famous books.

Thank you to Net Galley and Mr. Lynskey for the ARC. I didn't read it before it came out because I am a dummy. I feel like Mr. Lynskey just hit the right nerve at the right time. He also dug into my brain and sang a song to me that I wanted to hear. It could be that I think 1984 is the most important book of all time, so a book about that book is going to be excellent. It could be that I was going to like this no matter what, but I don't think that is the case. The research coupled with literary theory is done with perfection. My reading list on Goodreads has jumped by quite a few books because of this book, so I thank him for that as well. Read 1984, read this and honestly, just read. That is the lesson isn't it?

#TheMinistryOfTruth: Orwell and 1984
By Jack | June 14, 2019 | Book Review, Current Events


#TheMinistryOfTruth is a book for our times. The full title is The Ministry of Truth: The Biography of George Orwell’s 1984 by Dorian Lynskey

Shortly after the Trump administration told us their lies were just alternative facts, I decided I needed to re-read 1984. I don’t think George Orwell ever talked about alternative facts, but it seemed to me it was just a step or 2 from “alternative facts” about crowd size to “alternative facts” about bigger issues.


TheMinistryOfTruth by Dorian Lynskey is a guide to greater understanding of George Orwell’s masterpiece 1984. The author discusses how it fits in with his experiences, his earlier works, other dystopias and utopias, and more.

I enjoyed the book but much of it was just skimmed since I was not that familiar with some of Orwell’s earlier work and many of the other works referenced. However the author seemed to have a good command of all of those and I felt the discussion would be much more enlightening if I had a better background.

In summary I think Orwell is an important writer. It is amazing how relevant I find him many decades after 1984 was published. If you have not read 1984 since high school (which seems to be when most of read it), it is definitely worth a re-read in light of current events.

If you find yourself interested in both Orwell and this book, Lynskey’s The Ministry of Truth is a good place to pick-up a deeper understanding of both George Orwell and his writings.

Be advised – if you loved 1984 you will also love the many companion works cited in THE MINISTRY OF TRUTH. 1984 was well-known and influential, but it was just one among many dystopian/utopian works during Orwell’s life. The author has definitely done his research and it shows. The beginning is heavy with politics, then smooths out about 20% in with excellent compare and contrast of HG Wells, Orwell, and Aldous Huxley.

Orwell admired Brave New World, up to a point. He had fond memories of being taught by Huxley at Eton in 1918; a classmate claimed Huxley had given Orwell a “taste for words and their accurate and significant use”. However, [Orwell] was unconvinced by Brave New World’s tyranny of gratification. He notes that there was no “power-hunger, no sadism, no hardness of any kind. (E)veryone is happy in a vacuous way….it is difficult to believe that such a society could endure”.

The author goes on to note that 1984 and BNW overlap in one area: the status of the proles, then provides more compare/contrast dialogue. This is what makes the book shine – thoughtful and erudite treatment of multiple dystopian works and the ways they matter.

Other authors whose history is intermingled with Orwell’s are included in this book. We will learn more about Yevgeny Zamyatin (who Orwell was accused of plagiarizing), Ayn Rand, and Jimmy Burnham. The movie THX1138 and Animal Farm are also discussed at length. Each of these chapters add another layer explaining the genius of the tortured and driven Orwell. As the book progresses, the politics and descriptions of war-torn London do so as well. Finally,  as the tubercular Orwell languishes in bed, post-war London starts its progression forward.

The second portion of the book brings 1984 into pop culture, and how the book affected music, movies, stagflation, and politics. Author Anthony Burgess compares his own blockbuster novel, A Clockwork Orange, to 1984 and shares his thoughts about Orwell. Time moves forward into the ‘60’s, ‘70’s and ‘80’s, with politics continuing to be at the forefront. McCarthyism rears its ugly head, if only for a moment. It is amazing how the author is able to use 1984 as the center of everything – this novel was much more influential than anyone could guess.

Altogether, this book is layered with anecdotes, political views, comparison, and original thoughts. If you are a fan of Orwell, you will adore this book. I certainly gained a new view of both Animal Farm and 1984 and plan to go back to re-read both.

This is an interesting biography of a book, of 1984 to be exact. It tells of its writing and how the author originally intended it. It also tells of it's influence over the years. I would recommend this book to all fans of George Orwell's 1984.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

The Ministry of Truth
The Biography of George Orwell’s 1984

by Dorian Lynskey

Doubleday Books

Doubleday

Biographies & Memoirs , Nonfiction (Adult)

Pub Date 04 Jun 2019

I am reviewing a copy of The Ministry of Truth through Doubleday and Netgalley:

When George Orwell’s book 1984 was published in the United Kingdom on June 8 1949, a critic couldn’t help but wonder how such a timely book could exert the same power over generations to come.

Readers of the First edition of 1984 knew of only a fraction of George Orwell writings we know now, because it was 1984 that would launch him into popularity.

We are reminded by the author of Ministry of Truth that 1984 was a book designed to wake you up!

George Orwell was born Eric Arthur Blair in India on June.25.1903, His Mother Ida brought him to England the following year was a very intelligent woman who was half French who mixed with Suffragettes and Fabians. His Father Richard Blair was a mid ranking civil servant for the British’s imperial government opium department and didn’t re-enter his son’s life until 1912 and then he appeared as the elderly man who was always saying don’t.

In 1933 Orwell wrote and published his first book a memoir called Down and Out in Paris and London.

Ministry of Truth reminds us just what power George Orwell’s 1984 has over it’s readers, going into how the story was written even how it would impact both literature and society.

I give Ministry of Truth five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

1984 had me when “the clocks were striking thirteen.” The Ministry of Truth: the Biography of George Orwell’s 1984 added even more to my appreciation of the book by looking at it from all possible angles: “alternative facts,” influences from Orwell’s life, including fighting in the Spanish Civil War, working for the BBC during World War II, earlier and later utopias and dystopias, his other writings and the ongoing legacy of the novel.