Books

First edition, first impression, in the green jacket. Warning against totalitarianism in any guise, Orwell's final book has exerted a monumental impact on political consciousness and on the English language, coining terms such as "doublethink" and "Big Brother". "No novel of the past century has had more influence than George Orwell's 1984. The title, the adjectival form of the author's last name, the vocabulary of the all-powerful party... It's almost impossible to talk about propaganda, surveillance, authoritarian politics, or perversions of truth without dropping a reference to 1984" (Packer). The first impression was also issued in red jackets simultaneously; judging from surviving examples, this was done in proportions of about two green to one red. Octavo. Original green cloth, spine lettering and top edge red. With green dust jacket. "H.12" stamp on rear pastedown. Spine slightly leaning and faded, faint splash marks to bottom edge, contents unaffected and clean; rubbing to unclipped jacket, chips to ends and corners, a couple of closed tears and tiny punctures, still bright: a very good copy in like jacket. Fenwick A12a. George Packer, "Doublethink Is Stronger Than Orwell Imagined", The Atlantic, July 2019.

"1984" is a dystopian novel set in a totalitarian society ruled by a party led by the enigmatic figure, Big Brother. The story revolves around Winston Smith, a disillusioned man working for the Party whose job involves altering historical records to align with the Party's propaganda. Winston secretly harbors dissenting thoughts against the oppressive regime and begins a forbidden love affair with Julia, a fellow rebel. As they engage in acts of rebellion and attempt to challenge the Party's control, they are drawn into a web of surveillance, manipulation, and betrayal. The novel explores themes of censorship, surveillance, the nature of truth, the dangers of totalitarianism, and the resilience of the human spirit against oppressive regimes.