反烏托邦小說經典之作
與《我們》、《美麗新世界》並列為三大反烏托邦小說
描寫極權社會的最佳範本
影響村上春樹創作《1Q84》的靈感來源
如果不與極權主義做鬥爭,它將無往不勝。
──喬治‧歐威爾
反烏托邦小說
反烏托邦小說的共同特點,在於對傳統烏托邦文學的「幸福」與「美好」,提出了強烈的質疑,其故事背景通常是描寫井然有序的社會,但作者會以反面的態度,表達對現實社會的質疑。相對於烏托邦強調整體的安定與利益,反烏托邦則以個人特質與自由意志為重心。最重要的是,反烏托邦想要表達的最大重點,在於探討表面科技進步、秩序井然的社會,是否真的是人們追求的生活呢?
近年來,從《時間迴旋》、《飢餓遊戲》,到《羊毛記》,可發現這類型反烏托邦小說程度上反映了人民對現實的不滿,而想找一個逃離現實生活,想像一個嚮往世界的窗口。
而《我們》、《一九八四》、《美麗新世界》則可說是替反烏托邦小說定調的關鍵作品,合稱《反烏托邦三部曲》
戰爭即和平。自由即奴役。而老大哥正注視著你……
誰控制過去就控制未來,誰控制現在就控制過去。
在遮陰的栗樹下,你出賣了我,我出賣了你。
喬治・歐威爾的經典小說《一九八四》,是一個人的夢魘式奧德賽遠遊,他經歷的是一個由交戰國家統治的世界,以及一個不但控制資訊、也控制個人思想記憶的權力結構。一個名叫溫斯頓・史密斯的小公務員,在大洋洲共和國冰冷灰白的環境下,加入了一個秘密兄弟會,追尋一段禁忌的婚外戀情——結果卻成了被追捕的國家公敵⋯⋯也是老大哥的敵人。
現在,成書的六十六年後,歐威爾這個關於順從、壓制與身分認同,預言了未來的難忘故事,還是讓人讀了坐立難安。我們隨著溫斯頓・史密斯經歷他的反叛、囚禁、折磨與再教育時,我們親身經歷了塑造出自我的自由與真理遭到毀壞的過程,還有黑即是白、二加二等於五、惡即是善的世界如何創造出來的。
*本書中譯本<<一九八四>>由野人出版
Written 75 years ago, 1984 was George Orwell’s chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, his dystopian vision of a government that will do anything to control the narrative is timelier than ever...
This 75th Anniversary Edition includes:- A New Introduction by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of Take My Hand, winner of the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work--Fiction
- A New Afterword by Sandra Newman, author of Julia: A Retelling of George Orwell’s 1984"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." Winston Smith toes the Party line, rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth. With each lie he writes, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thoughtcrimes. But as he starts to think for himself, Winston can’t escape the fact that Big Brother is always watching... A startling and haunting novel, 1984 creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the novel’s hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions--a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time. - Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read -