Maybe just 3.5 stars this go round. I’ve read many dystopian novels between my first and second readings. The political philosophy is a bit heavy-handed in the torture scenes and the insertion of Goldstien’s chapters takes away from the flow of the story while filling in background.

Spoiler: Winston’s death is a final letdown instead of a dim hope. I’m not sure which is the best ending in the dystopian genre. One risks turning the story into a moral. The other can be too predictable.

Teaching notes: Read with Roanin. May have too many triggers to read with immigrants with a refugee background. Uses PG-13 sex scenes as an advancement of themes, not gratuitous or for page-turning. Parts of the essay on Newsspeak could be used as a grammar lesson with MT or ESL students.