757 George Orwell's 1984 (#6 Greatest Book of All Time)

The History of Literature

Jacke Wilson

History, Arts, Books

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 11 December 2025

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1949, American critic Lionel Trilling, writing in the New Yorker, was quick to recognize the achievement of George Orwell's new novel. "[P]rofound, terrifying, and wholly fascinating," he said. 1984 "confirms its author in the special, honorable place he holds in our intellectual life." And while the Cold War and the book's primary satirical targets - Stalin and his totalitarian regime - may have faded from view, the rise of technology and our current geopolitics mean that many of 1984's warnings are more relevant than ever. In this episode, Jacke takes a look at George Orwell's classic dystopian novel, which was ranked #6 on the list of the Greatest Books of All Time. Join Jacke on a trip through literary England! Join Jacke and fellow literature fans on an eight-day journey through literary England in partnership with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠John Shors Travel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in May 2026! Scheduled stops include The Charles Dickens Museum, Dr. Johnson's house, Jane Austen's Bath, Tolkien's Oxford, Shakespeare's Globe Theater, and more. Learn more by emailing jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com or masahiko@johnshorstravel.com, or by contacting us through our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Mid-December update: Act soon - there are only two spots left! The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Help support the show at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/literature ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com/donate ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The History of Literature Podcast is a member of the Podglomerate Network and Lit Hub Radio.
0:08.7	Think about cheese.
0:10.8	Make your thoughts cheesier.
0:13.0	Now add 100% chicken breast fillet, Chipotle sauce and Ameta Cheese melt,
0:17.4	and it's giving the new cheesy chicken stack at McDonald's.
0:20.8	Did we mention it's cheesy?
0:22.9	Cheese.
0:24.8	Availments with the 4th of Jan, 226 from 11 a.m.
0:27.2	Price and participation may vary.
0:28.2	Subjects availability.
0:29.6	Hello, we begin with a quote.
0:32.1	There will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life.
0:36.6	All competing pleasures will be destroyed. But always,
0:41.4	do not forget this, Winston. Always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing
0:48.6	and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation
0:56.9	of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot
1:04.4	stamping on a human face forever. End quote. That's from Part 3, Chapter 3 of George Orwell's classic novel,
1:16.7	1984. The word forever is what haunts. It's an Orwellian touch, a bit of precision that feels
1:24.5	like something tacked on, stuck behind the M-Dash like a single word on an
1:29.8	index card attached to a bulletin board with a pushpin. But when you analyze the sentence,
1:36.5	you see how carefully it's been chosen and how finely calibrated is the effect.
1:42.1	One of Orwell's friends, a poet, said of the early Orwell that he wrote like a cow
	...

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